Drippy Lead Pot!

[bonza]

OK, after a many year hiatus I dragged my Lee 20lb bottom pour lead pot out of hibernation this afternoon. The reason being is I shoot 95% muzzleloaders with pure lead, which I ladle cast with a cast iron pot over a propane ring. However, I wanted to cast a batch of alloy bullets & figured I'd use the Lee. Now I remember why it was in hibernation!!
First thing I did was melt the lead & empty the pot. Then I cleaned out all the scale & debris from the pot, cleaned up the stem & adjusting screws & reassembled. Now, no matter what I do, I cannot keep it from dripping. It goes from a medium-fast drip to an outright pour no matter how I twist the stem or raise/higher it. What exactly is the purpose of the screw on the top that locates in the groove on the stem? It seems to control the travel of the stem.
Please, give me some tips.....anything I might have missed? I don't think the pot wants to be banished from my bench again!

 

[Fatelvis]

Take a paper clip and unravel it to create an "L" shape, and stick it up into the hole from underneath and wiggle it around, and then pull it out. If it doesnt work the first time, do it a couple more times until it stops dripping. (Do this while holding the valve open with the other hand). The molten lead will spatter about pretty good, but this makeshift cathider works pretty well for dislodging scale or crud that is lodged in there. Also try holding a propane torch on the spout for a couple seconds, and if it stops the dripping/flow, it means you should turn up your temperature, and keep your lead/alloy hotter. I usually keep my wheel weights and #2 at 800* while casting, (verified with a RCBS thermometer) and the spout flows freely, but still needs the cathider once in awhile.

 

[EddieNFL]

I have the same issue with my RCBS. I use the appropriate sized allen wrench. I guess it's just not possible to get all the trash out of alloy.

I usually keep my wheel weights and #2 at 800* while casting

Do you have a problem with frosting at that temp?

 

[Fatelvis]

Do you have a problem with frosting at that temp?

If I cast at too fast of a cadence, they start to get frosted. I'm not too concerned about frosting, as they shoot just as accurately as they shiney bullets. I think complete mould fillout is most important, and frosted bullets are usually perfect, except for the frosted color.

 

[EddieNFL]

Yeah, I agree. Some years ago I mixed a batch of alloy that wouldn't cast right until I ran the temp up a considerable bit. I was to lazy to remix. Came out frosted, but shot as well as the good batch. I believe they're a little harder, but I didn't notice any short comings.

 

[Cloudpeak]

Make sure your needle and seat are clean (along with the rest of the pot) and that you use clean alloy. Never smelt in your bottom pour. I also like to keep pressure on the needle valve by clamping a small vice grip on the top of the stem. The added weight helps with seating and, if you still get some dripping, you can twist the vice grips a bit to help the needle seat.

 

[evan price]

Empty the pot completely, take the valve stem out, put some abrasive paste on the seat (some moistened scouring powder works) and then chuck the stem in a drill and apply light pressure to seat the stem in the valve seat, then spin the stem both directions with the drill to lap in the valve stem and seat. Get them shiny and clean and then try to see if it leaks.

 

[Rugg_Ed]

Thought I was the only one with a bent paper clip laying around the melting pot. Cleaned mine up a bit ago and used car polish to make the seat look nice, few spins each way and good to go.

 

[rcmodel]

I just keep a little cast-iron frying pan under the spout and let it drip.

I have on occasion got mine to stop dripping by a through cleaning, but it usually is not a long-term solution like the frying pan.

rc

 

[kanook]

I keep a small aluminum pan under mine. All drips are safe and when they cool It's easy do put back into my pot.

 

[qajaq59]

My Lee doesn't drip all that much so I just leave the ingot mold under it. When I need to add metal I just add that along with it. At least it is pre-heated.

 

[twice barrel]

While I believe cleaning the seat will make the most immediate improvement I believe the best way to minimize the problem is to flux the alloy religiously.

Every time I melt or remelt and flux I get just a tad more crud lifted to the top that I can skim off. Its just that much less to jam up the works.

I'm amazed at how much sulphur exudes from some of the alloys.

TB

 

[snuffy]

My lee 20# doesn't drip hardly at all. But once it let loose a deluge, couldn't get it to stop! I tracked it down to the screw on top of the valve stem had slipped out of the slot in the stem. It kept wanting to slip out, so I used a chunk of steel tag wire to hold it tight into that slot. End of problem!

Keeping clean metal coming into the pot is a big plus to eliminating leaks. Most everything is lighter than lead, so it SHOULD float out to be skimmed off. BUT dirt and crud can get trapped under the liquid lead. When it gets into the valve seat, it causes it to leak, hence the drips.

 

[243winxb]

Lee said this.

Lead pot spout leakage

Leaking from the valve on a Production Pot is usually caused by dirt in the valve seat. Usually, twisting the valve rod side to side with a screwdriver in the slot provided at the top of the valve rod will solve the problem.

The only home remedy that can be used is to lap the valve rod in place with valve grinding compound. This is available at automotive supply stores. Remember also to keep the melt clean by frequently fluxing. This will limit the amount of sediment that finds its way down to the valve seat. Due to the corrosiveness of lead alloys at elevated temperatures, it is quite difficult to keep the valve in perfect leak proof condition.

A slow drip can be considered normal after some use. If it is excessive, we can reseat the valve. Return your pot along with $8.00 to cover the cost of shipping and handling.

 

[DMF38]

>>What exactly is the purpose of the screw on the top that locates in the groove on the stem? It seems to control the travel of the stem.

The long stem is the valve that controls how much lead pours out when you lift the handle. The silver groove screw adjusts the valve. Turn the silver groove screw clockwise to close the valve more, counterclockwise to open it more. On my Lee 4-20 pot I just turn the top of the valve stem back and forth a few times, and that cures the lead dripping. You turn it back and forth with the little crew slot on the top of the valve stem.
(Not the silver adjustment screw.)