LimpNoodle Posted October 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 I picked up a Lee 20 lb bottom pour pot today at Cabela's. Since I'm fishing tomorrow I won't get a chance to fire it up till at least Sunday. I'm hoping that it will work better than the smaller pot. Lyman has a larger bottom pour pot that has a suggested retail of $319.99, but it does have a couple of nice features. Digital control that shows the set temperature and the lead temperature. Beyond that it's the RCBS. Street price on the Lyman is $250. It would be nice if there was something between the sub $100 price point and the $250+ price point. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSC Posted October 17, 2014 Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 Saeco was a good one .. did have a little problem with the Rheo burning out ,,,, had 3 or 4 of them years ago... If they leaked one light tap and it was stopped .... Note on "Tapping" them can not only loosen the nozzle but can scar the plunger .. (Never hit one hard enough to loosen the nozzle on a Lee but was tempted to) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted October 17, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 17, 2014 I just got off the phone with Lee. Told them what was happing. They said they started using a diff. nozzle. Told me to return it to them and they would repair or replace it with new one. Couldn't tell me when they started using the new nozzle, just it wasn't long ago. That would solve one problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted October 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2014 Used the new 4-20 pot today and I'm impressed. It has a slight drip at times but I can work with that. I filled the new pot with the same lead I've been having problems with in the smaller Lee pot and it was fine. Fluxed once and I was done. The 4-20 has a much larger orifice so the pours on the bigger jig heads and slabs goes very quickly. The only drawback as I see it is that it's a bit harder to position molds under the 4-20. Again I can work with that as long as the pot works. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimP Posted October 21, 2014 Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 I had the same excessive dross problem with a Lee bottom pour pot. Turning down the heat fixed most of my problems. Still some dripping especially during initial heat up. After that no big deal. Start at a low setting and work your way up until it works for your alloy. I'm using an unknown alloy, its hard and tinny, my heat setting works good at 2 1/2. If you are seeing blue or orange tones on the surface, cut it back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LimpNoodle Posted October 21, 2014 Author Report Share Posted October 21, 2014 With my bottom pour I had to keep it around 5-6 to get the lead to flow. It's pure lead. The 4-20 also needs to be about 5 or it will not pour. I picked up a casting thermometer and once I clean the bottom pour I'm going to do some testing. I can say that the inside of the smaller pot looks like it's falling apart. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 WOW I'm glad my lee pot works good. Yes it drips sometimes but not bad enough for me to get too mad about it. I do the turn the plunger with a screwdriver back and forth trick and it stops for awhile. I use a burner and pot for my larger saltwater jigs but on the smaller stuff the bottom pour sure is nice. I too have gottten zinc contaminated lead and it sucks. I make all my ingots in a large cast iron dutch oven. I flux them and clean all lead very well before making ingots. Only clean fluxed lead ingots go into my bottom pour pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 A non-pourer question. Could any of the alloys in the lead be eating away at your pots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fatman Posted October 22, 2014 Report Share Posted October 22, 2014 (edited) When I did LEEs 1/2 price replacement on my 24 and 27 year old pots back in 2011, I got 2 of their newer pots and I haven't had any dross problems with them. I have always run them at 6 to 6 1/2. I have a small metal tin I put under the spout in between pours or when adding more lead. For drips I use a screw driver to push down and spin on the pour bar. I don't notice anything with heating up the pot as I don't leave lead in mine and clean after every use as I don't have a dedicated work area. Edited October 22, 2014 by Fatman Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted October 23, 2014 Report Share Posted October 23, 2014 A non-pourer question. Could any of the alloys in the lead be eating away at your pots? I don't believe an alloy could do this. Now there may be other contaminates from unkniown scrap lead causing issues with the corrosion. Another good reason to make ingots by melting in a seperate pot using a ladle and only putting clean fluxed ingots in your bottom pour pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slammingjack Posted November 7, 2014 Report Share Posted November 7, 2014 Just to give an update. Sent my pot back to Lee. Took one week to get it back, which is real good and fast. They replace the pot part. Top, bottom, insides and I think the outside. You can tell where they put it back together. I think the heater is the same one. Anyway works like a new one. zero dips. So right now I'm a happy camper. Will see how it holds up. Being real good about removing all the dross and fluxing. So I'm doing my part. BTW the nozzle seems to be different type. Looks more heavy duty. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottyice Posted January 12, 2015 Report Share Posted January 12, 2015 I guess I'm going to be sending my Lee's back to them too. I'm getting a lot of dross (I'm assuming dross is the sandy rusty looking stuff on top of my lead.) even after I flux the lead and pour into ingots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slammingjack Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Before you send it off, try a few things. Empty your pot do this at a lower temp. around four on you dial, just enough to melt the lead. Next clean it out as best as you can. Remove the rod but be very careful to be sure you can put it back the way was. Clean the rod and down the hole. you can do this when it still somewhat hot. Clean the hole out but don't make it bigger. The newer pots get a lot hotter then the older ones. I had mine set at 7 which was what a lot people run the older pots at. That is way too hot for the newer pots. Try running it at a little over 5. Fill the pot about half full or more. Remove the dross, not just from the top but the sides and as best as you can from the bottom. When doing the bottom push it away from the hole. Next flux the lead in the pot and the remove the dross again. If when you are pouring it starts leaking turn the rod with a screwdriver and don't baby it. Then remove the dross and flux it again. This will help a lot . The rusty lead can be because it's too hot. Hope this helps. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Scottyice Posted January 13, 2015 Report Share Posted January 13, 2015 Thanks Slammerjack, I think I got it going now. I filled the pot almost to the top, once the lead liquified I fluxed, cleaned out the bottom spout with a paper clip. Once I did that i actually had a nice stream of lead coming out instead of the drips I was getting before. I was actually able to get a few jigs poured tonight. I really think lowering the temp and filling the pot with lead almost to the top helped a lot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toad Mode Posted January 22, 2015 Report Share Posted January 22, 2015 I have the exact same problem with the newer Lee pot, and I get my lead from roto metals. I buy the 2" diameter discs. It only leaks whenever the bottom seems to melt first. I usually just put a pot under it, but I'll try messing with the plunger next time it happens. 5 is plenty hot on that pot, and when left on six for a while the lead will get that copper look on top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
