Help with clogged Lee Production Pot

[maillemaker]

My Lee 4-20 pot does not have that feature. I made a sprue plate whacker out of a piece of 2" dowel with some leather wrapped around the striking end. When I'm done pouring, I give the valve step a small whack to help seat it. it still drips but I keep a catch plate under the spout to catch the drips.

 

[waksupi]

On my old Lee Drip-O-Matic, I would put a lit match under the spout to get it flowing again. A pair of Vise Grips on the lever also helps, to give it a bit more weight to seat.

 

[Uncle Miltie]

Plug the nozzle and use a dipper: you will make better projectiles.

 

[Reno]

my Lee pot occasionally drips, i just ajust the flow and it stops. Never really been a big concern

 

[Whughett]

Plug the nozzle and use a dipper: you will make better projectiles.

Did that two decades ago with my first pot A Used gun show buy of a Lyman Mag 20. Leaked so bad I had a guy weld up the bottom pour spout. The next, a used Lee 5 pounder, ditto, a current brand new Lee production pot is frozen most of the time but I’ve never gotten into the bottom pour thing.
IMO the big old puddle of lead across the top of the sprue cutter prevents voids in the finished bullets by providing a puddle of lead that augments any shrinkage and this prevents voids.

 

[The Appalachian]

IMO the big old puddle of lead across the top of the sprue cutter prevents voids in the finished bullets by providing a puddle of lead that augments any shrinkage and this prevents voids.

That's SOP anyway. As the bullet solidifies in the mold it shrinks and draws lead down into the bullet space. It's enough to not fully fill out the mold cavity if you don't let a puddle form on the sprue plate.

 

[FishDFly]

Plug the nozzle and use a dipper: you will make better projectiles.

The pots make really good fishing weights.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Plug the nozzle and use a dipper: you will make better projectiles.

Amen, Bro.

 

[user 55620]

My Lee pot drips. It also trips breakers so I keep a table lamp on when casting. If the light goes out I reset the breaker. The pot is on the same circuit as the fridge, so it is handy to know when the breaker trips.
This is only a temporary problem, as it appears that lead is heading towards being banned in the UK.
I replaced the pot and use a dipper which is much easier.

 

[Kansas Jayhawker]

drain your pot. when cool remove the rod and bail. chuck the rod in a drill and polish the tapered end with crocus paper till it shines.
take a 22cal bronze brush and spin it in the pour spout cavity. make sure to get the packed fumunda out . 99% of the time you will see a hole all the way through but the fumunda packs into the tapered portion and won't let the tip of the rod seat.
if using reclaimed lead with any smut on them the dirt settled into the pour channel and slowly packs.
i clean mine before every session. i hate those little stalagmites that a dripping pot makes.
the wife thinks they are cute and dresses them up for christmas tree ornaments. lose too much shooting lead that way!!!!!!!

A side issue - my Lee 4-20 just arrived and I am wondering if I should make any alterations/improvements - like polishing - before I even start?
Thanks for any advice.

 

[deerstalkert]

A side issue - my Lee 4-20 just arrived and I am wondering if I should make any alterations/improvements - like polishing - before I even start?
Thanks for any advice.

i wouldn't try enhancing a brand new pot. the chance of altering it out weighs what you could achieve. just use good clean lead or alloy and flux it if needs be.

 

[Kansas Jayhawker]

i wouldn't try enhancing a brand new pot. the chance of altering it out weighs what you could achieve. just use good clean lead or alloy and flux it if needs be.

Sounds like sound advice - In keeping with ' if it ain't broke...'

 

[Dale Allen Raby]

If you want to get the lead out, turn the thing upside down in an old baking pan while cold and then plug it in. A few minutes later you will hear a thump. That'll be a chunk of lead falling out in once piece. Leave the torch in the tool box.

I like the idea of welding the spout closed and getting a ladle.

 

[smoothshooter]

My first casting run was last week and went really well. I cast up several hundred maxis and they came out great with a low reject rate. The Lee pot ran well most of the time with the usual (from my reading here) drips and occasional minor clog. I'm using 99.9% pure lead and I get the nice color sheen on the top. I flux with wax and skim when needed.
I left about an inch of lead in the pot last time. This week things did not go well. I kept getting drips and clogs constantly. Eventually I dumped the pot to clean the rod tip and check out the pot. I gave the rod a light sanding at the tip and could see a hole at the spout. I even turned the heat up to get 800+ degrees. It didn't last long until the spout just dripped slowly and then closed over for good. My guess is that I added some old Great Plains bullets that were laying around to the pot. While i tried to brush off most of the old dried lube but there was always some left. I only added about 5-7 per pot of lead 99% but maybe there was enough crud to clog it up. I thought it would flux out and get skimmed off. My other thought is that I wasn't initially running hot enough although I used the same setting as last week.
Anyway my thoughts are 1. Turn the pot upside down and heat the out side of the spout with a propane torch and try to melt and burn out the clog.
2. drill out the spout with 1/16' drill bit. 3. open to suggestions.
I really like the speed that I can cast when it runs good and prefer not to ladle cast if I can avoid it.

There is no downside to drilling out the spout to a little larger size. I did it to mine years ago. No regrets. If I ever get another Lee pot I will drill it out before using it the first time.

 

[Brokenbear]

explain how clean lead in a molten state at a temperature hot enough to also keep the lead melted around the pour rod and orifice can clog?

I do have a Lee 4 20 ..I have had it drip on occasion but really not every session and never a gusher ..
I do like the idea of the pot sitting in a "containment pan" which I shall incorporate before my next session as anything can and will happen ..

I don't know if it is just luck that I have not had the problems some seem to have but I never allow the pot to get more than half empty ..when I stop briefly to resupply I have the one pound ingots right there and plier them into the pot stir the bottom and sides with a ladle ..skim the surface and keep casting ..at the end of the cast in session I fill the pot to max ..scrape bottom and sides ..skim the dross and unplug the pot ..I have learned the pot gets ready to pour faster( it seems to me) heating the big 20 pound slug than 20 pounds of ingots and air ..

My pot does have the little slotted rod that a quick screwdriver turn left n right seems to solve most drips

Bear

 

[SwanShot]

After putting up with the drips for 2 years, I had a friend weld the hole closed. Now I use a dipper and no problems.

Yep. This is where I got to as well. except that I just blocked the spout up with a tech screw.

 

[Whughett]

If you want to get the lead out, turn the thing upside down in an old baking pan while cold and then plug it in. A few minutes later you will hear a thump. That'll be a chunk of lead falling out in once piece. Leave the torch in the tool box.

I like the idea of welding the spout closed and getting a ladle.

I’ll have to give that a try. I do like leaving a pound or two of lead in the pot normally buy have had to leave a full pot on occasion.

I’ve got two that’s been welded shut and a new Lee 20 pounder that I’ve never used the bottom pour spout on. It doesn’t drip anymore so think it may have rusted shut. Get use to using a ladle and one can run circles around one using the bottom pour.