Lee melting pot

[Graysmoke]

So I've got myself one of these lee pro pot 4's and am finding myself asking a few questions,
first of all when the lead heats up and the dispense lever is lifted is it supposed to drip like it does?
I expected more of a continuous steam of molten lead...

I couldn't seem to get a good cast either with a 454 ball mould, just big gaps and cavities, I suspect my mould was too cold...
Should you fill the pot up with lead to the top each time it's used? I put about 5 pounds of lead in. Finally I was running it on about number 7 on the dial, is the surface of the lead (the grey bluey stuff) supposed to glow red when it's hot, it looked like small bits were smouldering in it too.

Any info would be great thanks
Tom

[Hares Ear]

So I've got myself one of these lee pro pot 4's and am finding myself asking a few questions,
first of all when the lead heats up and the dispense lever is lifted is it supposed to drip like it does?
I expected more of a continuous steam of molten lead...

It should be a steady stream. It sounds like the spout is blocked. You will find that you need an 'L' shaped bit of wire that is a nice fit in the spout hole, and keep poking it up from the bottom to keep it clear.

I couldn't seem to get a good cast either with a 454 ball mould, just big gaps and cavities, I suspect my mould was too cold...

It was too cold, you need to pre-heat it.

Should you fill the pot up with lead to the top each time it's used? I put about 5 pounds of lead in.

I usually fill the crucible up, and cast until it's all used up. But there is no need to fill it if you don't want to cast so many slugs

Finally I was running it on about number 7 on the dial, is the surface of the lead (the grey bluey stuff) supposed to glow red when it's hot, it looked like small bits were smouldering in it too.

I think you may have had the lead a little too hot. Also there was some slag smouldering in the lead. this is probably what blocked the spout. Chuck a little bit of beeswax onto the molten lead, stir it with your ladle, then skim the muck off the top. You will find that when your mould heats up with casting, you can turn the heat of the furnace down slightly.

[loiner1965]

Don't add wrinkled bullets or lead spures back in as it will cool the lead down
Put to one side and add later etc

[steve medlock]

Think mine is the production pot which may be different. I had to drill the spout out to a larger size to get a decent lead flow as discussed on 'cast boolits' (cringe).

Steve.

[Zero58]

Hi mines new to same troubles you are having dripping is coursed by slag getting into nozzle so flux melt as said by other post but to actualy stop it dripping is to rock filler neck bar side to side you have a slot at top of bar use a large screw driver don't bang bar in just rock side to side till it stops dripping I do 454 balls pouring at between temp 6-7 so 6.5 is about right yes my lead looks red hot to I wish you well don't for get to get mould hot and make sure you have smoked it

[tacfoley]

Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeease put some punctuation in there somewhere for us pedants.

tac with bleeding eyeballs

[loiner1965]

Heres some. .......

[tim56]

Found with mine i had to get the lead VERY HOT to get a flow through the tap. Even then it was a guessing game as to how
many balls could be cast before the spout started dripping or clogging up. Lost my rag with it while trying to clean out the
hole and actually pulled the spout clean out of the pot. Welded a plate over it and used a ladle. Much better but could only
reach half way down into the pot before the angle got too steep to keep the dipper full. Have now moved on to a Llyman
big dipper, only £40 ish and excellent to use. Tim

[Meaty]

I got cheesed off with the erratic flow and drip, drip, of mine. I took the whole tap gubbins off and plugged up the hole with a tight fitting self tapper and use a Lyman dipper instead. Easier to flux and skim the pot and the flow from the dipper is far more consistent. Much easier to get odd shaped bits of lead into the pot as well.

P.S. How's my punctuation?

[dodgyrog]

Throw it away and get an RCBS lead pot - not cheap but work a treat.
Don't buy a Lyman - the spares can't be had for love nor money!

[Hares Ear]

When you throw it, throw it in my direction please.

[Graysmoke]

Sorry folks, I don't plan to throw this, I managed to get it working fine with a nice bit of wire to poke in the nozzle to clear it.
Now it may be frustrating and annoying sometimes, but it's a damn lot faster than doing it with a melting pot. The grass is always greener...
I can understand buying an expensive one if I was making BP rifle bullets, but since I'm only making balls for smoothbores, I don't make that many balls, and there's plenty of range lead that can be salvaged so this is kind of ideal now.
Thanks for the tips fellas!

[Hares Ear]

Sorry folks, I don't plan to throw this, I managed to get it working fine with a nice bit of wire to poke in the nozzle to clear it.
Now it may be frustrating and annoying sometimes, but it's a damn lot faster than doing it with a melting pot. The grass is always greener...
I can understand buying an expensive one if I was making BP rifle bullets, but since I'm only making balls for smoothbores, I don't make that many balls, and there's plenty of range lead that can be salvaged so this is kind of ideal now.
Thanks for the tips fellas!

Nay come on Graysmoke, buy yourself a better one and give me your Lee.

Seriously though. Try not to let the level of lead get too low, then there's less chance of slag getting into the outflow spout. I use one to cast anything from 115 grain 310 cadet slugs up to 565 grain .590" hollow based slugs. I don't have any bother. Once you hit the right temperature in the pot and the mould. (Trial and error) I can spit them out one after another. I find it much quicker and easier than using a ladle.

[hermun]

graysmoke.
may I recommend that you only put clean lead into the lee pot, I use a old cast milk pan to clean up the salvaged lead and make ingots to feed the lee pot with. Stops all the cack plugging the outlet.
Have fun.

[Hares Ear]

graysmoke.
may I recommend that you only put clean lead into the lee pot, I use a old cast milk pan to clean up the salvaged lead and make ingots to feed the lee pot with. Stops all the cack plugging the outlet.
Have fun.

Not a bad idea.