lee bottom pour pot for $20

[corey012778]

I was in an gun shop and saw an lee bottom pour packaged with an bottom pour ladle, sorry did not pick it up to look for the model number, looked like it had 2 or 3 lbs of lead in it still. the lever for the spout was broke off. need major cleaning, i did not buy it until I talk with my wife.

this shop does not sale any casting equipment of any type. so it worries me if they even tested it before they bought it, they where busy and did not want to bug them, already help answer some muzzleloader questions for them. girl at the sales counter thanked me,

if I get it what problems should I look for?

[cheese1566]

Ask to plug it in and see if it gets warm. Probably no need to completely melt the lead, it will more than likely drip a little which can be the norm.

See if all the parts are there and if it looks like lead was leaking out the bottom (not the spout) to indicate a rusted through can.

Regardless, $20 is cheap, but be careful if you have to do a major rebuild $$$. Lee sells cheap replacement parts, but they can add up.

Buy it!! If you don't like it, someone here will snatch it from you...

[Mk42gunner]

You already have a good idea of what parts will need replacing. I would go to Lee's website to check prices; then add shipping, I think Lee charged me $4.00 to ship the parts I needed.

If you plug it in it should start to get warm pretty quick, I wouldn't let it get very hot with parts of the valve assembly missing; not too many store owners will appreciate hot lead running around their counters.


Robert

[fryboy]

the lee site should also give u a idea of which one it is but dont go off their retail prices except for parts , even lee will state that u can get them thru some of the various dealers they are associated with cheaper - except for most the parts ( they do list some parts at a few other suppliers but i've only seen thermostats and heater coils for the parts listed elsewhere , midways has some )
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1287812703.4479=/html/catalog/melters.html

the production pot isnt listed and it looks like the production pot IV but only has a 2" rise under it as opposed to the pro IV ( that's why they called it IV (( 4 )) lolz )

[HeavyMetal]

I'd have bought that in a heart beat!

Particularly the Ladle as I know Lee does not make a bottom pour ladle so it's either and RCBS or Lyman and price for a new one push's $30 here in LA.

[Shiloh]

I fixed one for a fellow caster. Parts were reasonable from LEE. Seems like I order something from LEE 2 or3 times a year. Levers for there priming tool. I keep a few on hand.

Shiloh

[corey012778]

bought it, only thing wrong with it is the pour handle is broke.

extra bonus, the lead left in it is soft close to pure, did about 3 sets of 54cal round ball from it, picked my entrust so I pulled out some wheel weight lead used my old method, did the same number of round ball. the set from the lee melter was shiny. to get an better look, I pulled out an 458 or was it 9 mold I have, casted 3 sets of each, did not really care if it

it was around 2 or 3 lbs, lead left in it, when I was done I poured them in to my large ingot molds, gotta get some smaller molds lol

[corey012778]

the lee site should also give u a idea of which one it is but dont go off their retail prices except for parts , even lee will state that u can get them thru some of the various dealers they are associated with cheaper - except for most the parts ( they do list some parts at a few other suppliers but i've only seen thermostats and heater coils for the parts listed elsewhere , midways has some )
http://www.leeprecision.com/cgi/catalog/browse.cgi?1287812703.4479=/html/catalog/melters.html

the production pot isnt listed and it looks like the production pot IV but only has a 2" rise under it as opposed to the pro IV ( that's why they called it IV (( 4 )) lolz )

it is that one, or some thing close,
just need the valve rod

[mooman76]

If you want to ladle cast only you can just plug the bottom of the pot.

[corey012778]

that is all I do right now is ladle, so really don;t need to fix it, seems to be clogged or plugged with something. no use learning something new if the way i been doing it works. just going to save me money on propane. lol