Cleaning lead pot

[rcscott30]

I've been using my Lee 420 pot for about a month now and it looks like it's seen better days. How often and what is the best method to clean out your casting pots? Do you even need to clean them?

 

[Duk]

Put lead in it heat it up scrap the sides skim the crud of the top

 

[Gtrubicon]

I only cast clean, already smelted bars in mine. It still gets a little dirty from use. I just scrape the sides and flux with a little paraffin wax.

 

[Iceman]

I’ve never drained mine to clean it if that is what you are asking. 15 years of using it, heavily at times.

 

[jdw276]

As they say, flux, scrap, skim repeat several times. When you think you might have gotten it clean, do it again. I leave it about a quarter full to do this. That way I can get the bottom and corners well. When you think you got it, drain about half out to clean out the bottom pour. Lead as hot as possible. You are not casting, you are cleaning. Flux, scrap, skim and drain a bit more out.

Consider it clean myself at this point. Do it oh every 40 pounds give or take. If I am using store bought clean lead not so ofter. Lead I scrounged, cleaned etc maybe less. Others may have different routines but my spout clogged once. Not fun project to get it back open.

 

[oldwood]

I quit using open led ladles 40 yrs. ago. I prefer the small Lyman with the spigot on it that automatically cuts off the dross when it's tilted. Every now and again , I take an old soup spoon and skim any excess dross off the top of the pot , and pitch it away. Most dross and unwanted alloys float on top of the lead pot , and are easily spooned off for round ball casting.

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I drop a few ingots in, heat it up to max, then drop in some wood shavings (Pat Martins).
It loosens are the build up on the sides and bottom. then I pour it all out. 99% of the yuk comes out.

 

[trapper555]

i had my LEE 4 20 MELTER AND I KEPT IT CLEANS AS I COULD IT WAS BRAND NEW AND I ONLY USED IT 3 TIMES BEFORE THE HOUSE COUGHT FIRE BAD WIRING THEY SAID AND NOW I HAVE TO START OVER AGAIN

 

[Rifleman1776]

Put lead in it heat it up scrap the sides skim the crud of the top

Enuf said.

 

[TDM]

Put lead in it heat it up scrap the sides skim the crud of the top

Yep.

 

[oldwood]

Many 1960 era buildings and house trailers , had aluminum wiring in the walls.If too many current demands were powered on , like space heaters on 2nd floors , the wiring overheated and caused fires. I installed a new radiology unit , (xray machine) , in a fairly new built imaging center from the early 1960's , where even the incoming heavy gauge line wire runs were heavy aluminum , and the xray units wouldn't run. Current draws were too high for the wire , though the specs said the wire size was , ok. All was changed to copper , solving the problem.

 

[ZUG]

Aluminum wire is a great conductor of electricity, but it is dangerous in house wiring. The connections in the breaker box tend to get loose and then causes shorts which in turn creates fires. To solve this issue, they would pigtail copper wire to the aluminum wire.

 

[leadhoarder]

Aluminum wire is a great conductor of electricity, but it is dangerous in house wiring. The connections in the breaker box tend to get loose and then causes shorts which in turn creates fires. To solve this issue, they would pigtail copper wire to the aluminum wire.

Exactly. Aluminum conducts just fine. It is the connections that are the problem.

 

[dave951]

The real issue with aluminum wiring is corrosion and oxidation, especially at connections and anywhere exposed to air. While clean aluminum is a great conductor, the points where it corrodes, not so much meaning resistance and with electricity, resistance = heat. More resistance, more heat, more heat, fire.