Lee melter

[tim56]

Iv got a Lee production pot iv thats given good service for many years but is starting to drip badly from the spout, to the point where more lead is going on the bench than in the moulds. Its easy enough to clean the sides and bottom of the pot when its empty but i cant seem to be able to get to the sealing face where the valve rod sits to stop the flow. Anyone know of a cleaning substance that will dissolve hard lead dross?

[LONG REACH]

I've just replaced the pot and flow control rod on mine and it was a very cheap fix. You can get them directly from LEE, or Midway UK have a selection of spare parts. I will say that the pot and rod are from the newer version of the production pot and are slightly different in size, but Lee assured me they would work just fine, with a little adjustment. Well they were right, except I had to make 2 new brackets (P clips) for the flow control rod lever, but it only took a few minutes (used brass) I have also replaced the heating coil and thermostat and it's now as good as new. I think it cost me a total of around £15.00 incl the p&p (I got some parts from LEE and some from Midway UK
Mine is the older type with the rectangular pot support body that houses the switch, thermostat etc, not the newer type with the hexagonal (I think ) body.
Hope this is of some use.

All the best
Baz

[tim56]

Thanks for the imfo Baz. Had a look at the Lee web site and the bits come out at 3 dollars for the rod, 8 dollars for the pot body plus 4 for handling and another 35 percent for post and packing. 20 dollars (ish) in total. Phoned Midway but they dont seem to be there on Saturdays so will ring em on Monday. Tim

[LONG REACH]

No prob's Tim
One thing I will say about Midway UK, it takes ages for their stuff to arrive, so I reckon it all comes from the States, therefore I think it would be better in the longrun to get all of your parts from LEE. I found them very helpful and willing to talk you through things (via email) if you were having problems.

Glad to help

All the best
Baz

[Mousemann]

Try Lock, Stock & Barrel in Nebraska. They're cheaper than anywhere else (definitely loads cheaper than Midway UK) and they have a vast selection of stuff including 220V lead melters.

[tim56]

Thanks for the link. Had a look and the prices are exellent. Tried to get a shipping price though and it came up not available to uk. Given that they list the uk in the drop down posting list it may be its turned off due to the time difference. Will try again tonight. Tim

[Mousemann]

Yes, they calculate the postal prices afterwards but even those aren't extortionate. Reckon on about $8 for, say, a small box of bits about 6" cubed and weighing under 1/2lb.