Lee bottom pour cleaning

[WKevinD]

I have a Lee bottom discharge pot that is not behaving. Any good suggestions on how to clean it and give it a tune up.

Kevin

[P.W.Berkuta]

This is a problem that 95% of the people have with the bottom pour pot at one time or another including me. I solved my problem by selling the pot and buying a Lee 20 lb dip pot for casting and I use a 12" steel wok and a turkey fryer for cleaning lead & casting ingots. I like the dip method for casting bullets .

[Dennis Glazener]

I have a Lee bottom discharge pot that is not behaving. Any good suggestions on how to clean it and give it a tune up.

Kevin

Me too! Plus it drips! Most aggravating, I hate it! I went back to my tin can and and an old Lyman bottom poor ladle. Much better to deal with.

[EC121]

I set a Lee ingot mold under the spout and let it drip.  Put the drips back in the pot.  I emptied the pot and cleaned all the rust out of it.  That helps for a while.  I also wired the plug to the center of lifter to keep it square with the spout hole.  This helps stop the drips.  While heating the lead, I used a bent hacksaw blade bent in a sort of "C" shape with a flat spot to cover the spout.  Hook it from the top of the pot to the spout  It will cool/seal the spout and stop the leaks until it gets to pouring temp.  I haven't tried it yet, but I believe adding more weight to the handle would help in drip control.  I can pour a 100 or so good quality balls out of a single cavity mold before my carpal tunnel pain says to quit.

[smokinbuck]

I take the rod out periodically and clean the bottom end. While it is loo out clean the inside of the pour spout also. A shallow can catches what drips and I put it back into the pot.
Mark

[Daryl]

I drained my 20 pound Lee pot, then used an impact driver and a self-tapping #6 machine screw to plug the hole. It no longer drips and I use a dipper, now casting the 1st through hundredth bullets or balls perfectly -(I do preheat my moulds).
The handle of the old Lyman dipper is seen poking out from underneath the pot's left side.  This pot used to be a bottom pour and is now a dipping pot only, as noted.
Shown is a hammer handle which I purchased (35 years ago) just for striking the sprue plate and now, for the last 20 years, it is only used for striking the handle's hinge to loosen balls that do not drop from the mould on their own. I wear heavy, lined leather work gloves for opening the sprue cutter gate.

[Daryl]

These are .570's from my Lyman mould, which was pre-heated prior to casting.  None had to go back into the pot. They do look like gems. Anymore, I rather dislike casting balls or bullets. I prefer just to shoot them, so when I have to cast projectiles, I try not to cast ANY that need to go back into the pot.
Should also note I spray the mould all over, inside and out, with moly modern bullet spray coating - MS Moly is the brand I have, or the Lyman brand, which seems exactly the same stuff.

[jamesthomas]

This is a problem that 95% of the people have with the bottom pour pot at one time or another including me. I solved my problem by selling the pot and buying a Lee 20 lb dip pot for casting and I use a 12" steel wok and a turkey fryer for cleaning lead & casting ingots. I like the dip method for casting bullets .

 I have the same pot, I use a cast iron pot to melt my lead and clean it, use a big dipper to pour the lead into a cast iron corn bread mold. I have close to or over 500Lbs. of lead in clean ingots. Bass Pro also has a nice size dipper you can buy.

[Hungry Horse]

 Bottom pour lead pots were invented by somebody that has stock in a pharmaceutical company that specializes in ulcer meds. They are way more trouble than they are worth.

        Hungry Horse

[Standing Bear]

Been using my Lee bottom pour over 30 years. Several hundred to 1,000 balls and minies a year.  Once a year I drain the pot into an ingot mold, remove the and clean the pot w wire brushes on a hand drill. Running real clean lead helps make it to the next cleaning. I keep the ingot mold under the spout to catch drips and over runs. Hammer handle and screw driver are right there to stop the drip. 

Pour 25 then put sprue heads, drips etc in the pot.  Mold goes on top and examine the 25 then start again.  Helps keep the carpal tunnel and sore back away.
TC

[Dave R]

By using the dip method and keep the ladle slightly away from the mold spru plate hole and pour for a split second after the mold is full and slightly overflows you will SIGNIFICATLY  increase the % of nearly perfectly weighed balls!!