pot haemorrhaging lead.

[JeffinNZ]

Team.

I'm a ladle man. I won't lie to you. My main pot (Lyman 20lb) and my sprue pot (Lee 10lb) were both bottom pour but to prevent "dripitis" I removed the plungers, plugged the holes and bought a ladle. This worked brilliantly for years...........only this evening.

I fired up both pots and pre warmed two moulds prior to dinner. Put the girls to bed and retired to the garage. The CBE 313 215, CBE 316 175 and Lyman 225462 HP bullets were near prefect straight away and I was progressing well until the 20lber suddenly began pour lead from the bottom. For a brief moment I looked at the silver stream with bemusement thinking to myself "you know Jeff, I am sure you plugged that orifice some time back. HANG ON! I DID"

So there I stand, lead pouring out ad nauseam and nothing to catch it in. For a while I caught liquid silver in my ladle and transferred to the Lee 10lber until an epiphany befell me that the Lee pot was nigh on full Right. Time for action. I grabbed a steel plate from under the bench and jammed it under the pot then bolted to my lead store, grabbed the ingot moulds and commenced to empty the pot.

Turns out that way back when I converted the moulds I the ever so handy object used to fit exactly into the hole in the bottom of the Lyman pot was a spend 12 gauge primer. Real snug fit from memory and prefect for the job...........until the cup burnt through this evening. After I stripped the pot down and cooled it in water I found a counter sink 5mm bolt and matching nut and installed them for a long term solution.

On the bright side I made 56 of each of the bullets before the excitment began.

[Tertle]

owwwww no,

i take it there was no special black dog to get under your feet!

you still good for tomorrow morning?

[fredj338]

I have a Lee 10# & 20# BP pots. They rarely if ever leak. The key IMO, don't let the pot get more than 1/2 empty & don't smelt in them. That way any crud in your alloy stays away from the spout.

[Duckiller]

Serves you right for using perfectly good bottom pour pots with ladles. Unplug those spouts and use them as God intended. Only ladles that work for me are soup ladles to pour ingots. Assume no major injuries. Glad you are well. You really should try bottom pour casting. Much easier than having the alloy solidify in the ladle.

[Tertle]

well trust me it didnt in any way interfer with his shooting early this morning.....

[stubshaft]

Serves you right for using perfectly good bottom pour pots with ladles.

When did Lee start to make perfectly good pots???

The only good thing I can say is that they also make solid bottom pots to correct the deficiency of having a hole in them.

[JeffinNZ]

When did Lee start to make perfectly good pots???

The only good thing I can say is that they also make solid bottom pots to correct the deficiency of having a hole in them.

Thank you.

The best pot Lee makes has one hole. The one you put the lead and the ladle in.

[stubshaft]

Thank you.

The best pot Lee makes has one hole. The one you put the lead and the ladle in.

Yup, Good old top pours!

[Jack Stanley]

My LEE ten pound pot got fixed years ago with a quick swipe of the heli-arc torch across the hole on the bottom .

nice thing is ... it ain't never leaked since

Jack

[olafhardt]

I starrted with Lee, had no problems, so stuck with Lee.

[JeffinNZ]

I starrted with Lee, had no problems, so stuck with Lee.

Your time will come. Buy the ladle now and be prepared.

[firefly1957]

I am a ladle man myself that is why my Lyman pot sits unused and I prefer the coleman stove and cast iron pot when casting.

THE GOOD NEWS IS LEAD IS EASILY RECYCLED

[WildmanJack]

I started using a bottom pour AKA Drip o matic, and it didn't take long to switch to a ladle. Nicer boolets, better fill out, NO MORE FRIGGIN drips!!! That was the best part!!!
Jack

[olafhardt]

My hair fell out. Used it to flux a pot of WW. Really stank but it worked. You could say I smelted it.

[michiganvet]

I have several lee bottom pour pots and plan to get another. One is older and leaks a little, one is newer, entact, and has my Lyman #2 in it, another is NIB, but I want to have one for each alloy I use. I used to use a dipper and made a lead pot to fit one burner of a coleman stove. (welded pipe with cap bottom and lugs welded on for support) (what would you expect frpm a pipefitter) Worked well but I decided after I tried it, botton pour works better. Lee is inexpensive and lasts a long time. I do all my smelting in a plumbers furnace, so excessive slag is not much of a problem. When the flow rate gets too low, I drain into an igot mold and clean the vent from the bottom with a drillbit turned by channelocks.

[Ausglock]

G'day. I have an old Lee 10lb bottom pure pot.
It drips. I have learned to love it.
I just sit 1/2 a plastic tube (from a white lable BAC Lube stick) under the spout and when I finish casting, squeeze the tube and the ex-drips drop right out. no mess, no fuss.

[Mal Paso]

G'day. I have an old Lee 10lb bottom pure pot.
It drips. I have learned to love it.
I just sit 1/2 a plastic tube (from a white lable BAC Lube stick) under the spout and when I finish casting, squeeze the tube and the ex-drips drop right out. no mess, no fuss.

Boy There's a lot of you shooting upside down!

Cheers!

[skeet1]

Come on now Jeff don't you know that a bottom pour is nothing but a large self contained ladle.

Ken

[threewheels]

Coleman and cast iron pot does it for me too. Less than 10 buck invested been working for years and it melts quicker than a electric pot.

[Ausglock]

Boy There's a lot of you shooting upside down!

Cheers!

Mal. Try using a bottom pour pot upside down.