[gat0r]

Thanks again Hawnjigs and Sagacious and others who have contributed ideas. Didn't mean to hijack your thread. Was just learning a lot on in one thread and figured might as well get all my newbie questions out there. To think I've been pouring leadheads for 2 years now and didn't know half this stuff.

[Fatman]

gat0r

Like I told Hawn earlier in this thread, I've been pouring (almost 35 years now) since I was a kid and had never fluxed my lead, kept the different hardness leads seperate and used what worked in my molds but never fluxed.

Now that I've tried it I LIKE IT!! You can learn new things to make things easier.

On the Lee bottom pouring pot (production Pot 4) I wear heavy gloves and heat the pour spout with a propane torch and have an old jighead with a L bent in it that I clear the pour spout with, when you're pouring and need to clear it out I have a small tin cup that I sit under the spout and use a piece of spinner wire really long and slide it down and run it back and forth out the pour hole. Really makes the lead flow well.

Always clean the pot after use, it really works better if you do.

Fatman

[gat0r]

Thanks Fatman.

How do you clean the pot after use? Just pour the lead into something else and clear your hole one final time? Or is there more to it than that?

[Fatman]

I have an old steel cup that I pour any leftover lead into and it makes small round plates that will fit back into my melter.

When all the lead is out of the pot I WEARING GLOVES tilt it forward to get any remaining lead to flow out the hole, I turn the pot down to about 200 degrees and then I shove the jig wire up into the hole from the bottom and remove any clogs/buildup, then I use my spinner wire and do the same from the top.

I then turn the pot off and let it cool totally, I usually trim sprues from the jigs and a quick swipe with a piece of sandpaper for any that don't come off clean.

I then pack up my jigs in zip bags for temp storage till I get to painting. I put all the sprue heads in my clean lead bucket and then to the pot. I pull the pouring bar out of the pot and use a piece of steel wool to get any crap off it and then use an old flat head screwdriver to scrape the sides of the pot down. I tip the pot over and knock all the scrapings out then use a big piece of steel wool to wipe the inside of the pot till totally clean.

I've done this with any pot I've ever had and it works really well for me, plus when you go to pour again everything is clean and ready to go.

Fatman

[Spike-A-Pike]

I don't know if there is a "Thread of the Year" award, but if there is, this one is in the running. I don't melt or pour lead, but I have a few friends that do and the amount of totally new information that I have gained has been fantastic. It is now a Wire Bait Forum Sticky.

TO ALL THAT HAVE SHARED AND ADDED TO THIS THREAD - THANK YOU ONE AND ALL!!! KEEP IT UP.

[gat0r]

Thanks fatman. Going to work on my pot tomorrow evening!

[turkeylegs1246]

Well. I think differently than some people. When I finish pouring lead, I fill my pot with lead and flux it and clean the dross. Then I turn it off and let it cool until it solidifies. My thinking is that the fluxed lead left in the pot actually keeps the pot from oxidizing when not in use.

Next time that I pour, I don't have to fill the pot. Just turn it on and start pouring after the lead melts. If you store your pot with fluxed lead in it, it should not cause any problems. And the clean up time is reduced. Cleaning the pot of all lead after each use seems mighty time consuming and seems like you are actually exposing yourself to a great liklihood of getting burned.

Is there really any need to empty the lead pot if stored with clean lead?

[Fatman]

Turkeylegs,

If you're using a bottom pouring pot I'd recommend emptying it after your done, but that's ME. There have been threads here on TU about bottom pouring pots that continually dripped, and if you've never gotten tinged with one consider yourself lucky. If your leaving the lead in the pot the pour hole is completly solidifying and it takes a while for it to clear and you'll most likely end up with the spout dripping.

The amount of time it takes me to clean the pot is well worth it, and most of it is done AFTER the pot is already cold again.

Now I had one of the old hot pots with the handle that you tipped and poured your lead with and I personnally believe that I did alot of damage to the heating coils by leaving the lead in it.

But, it's your pot and it's your decision whether to leave the lead in or not, I have two of the Production Pot IV's and one is for smelting, although with my cleaning method I can use if for pouring if I want. I've had them for over 20 years now and not a problem with either one.

Fatman

[sagacious]

Originally Posted by Fatman

Turkeylegs,

If you're using a bottom pouring pot I'd recommend emptying it after your done, but that's ME.
...
I had one of the old hot pots with the handle that you tipped and poured your lead with and I personnally believe that I did alot of damage to the heating coils by leaving the lead in it.
...
Fatman

There's certainly more than one way to skin this cat. If what you're doing works fine, well then keep on keepin' on!

However, I just wanted to weigh in with a consideration that may affect some of the lead pourers here. If you leave some lead in the pot, it's generally less strain on the heating elements, since that lead provides a 'heat sink' that better absorbs the heat from the heating elements. If the pot is empty, the heating elements initially have to work harder to melt the lead.

Consequently, the lead will also melt faster. That saves time and wear-and-tear on your equipment. Those who melt over a turkey fryer or other heat source are usually well-aware that having some left-over lead in the bottom of the pot will reduce the time required to melt the lead. Same is true for an electric pot. I call it keeping the pot "primed."

Keeping the spout clear and unclogged is a function of keeping it clean of dirt and oxides. This is why stirring the lead during fluxing is so important-- it removes the lead oxides within the melt. If you don't do that, then the oxide crud is strained out at the narrow gap between the spout and the valve rod. Result........... a clogged spout. Fluxing the lead properly, and occasional cleaning is a good way to keep the spour clear.

Good luck!

[turkeylegs1246]