archeryrob Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 How do you clean out a bottom feed meting pot? My pour tip is clogged with the junk metal from wheel weights and melted shot. I need to clean it to reopen the pour hole. I thought about drilling it and figured I could destroy the pot. I figure someone has had this problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cadman Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 The way I would clean your pot is like this. Empty all of your lead into mini muffin pans or something where it will fit back into your pot again. Unplug your pot and it will slowly start to cool. I then wait a bit for the cool down. I try to work with a warm pot as it is easier to clean, so don't wait till it gets cold. Also wear cotton gloves to protect your hands. Unscrew the plunger and set it aside. Take some abrasive steel wool and clean out the inside of the pot walls and the bottom of the pot. Next clean out the hole by gently rubbing steel wool into it. It will come out really well. Once that is done, clean the tip of your plunger by rubbing it with steel wool. Empty all contents of pot. Screw in plunger and then fire it up and put your lead in. Should be as good as new. I do not recommend drilling the hole open in the pot, as you will damage the relationship between the plunger and the hole, in which it may pour way too fast. Just my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 X2 don't drill it, ask me why You can chuck the plunger in a drill and use some lapping compound in the nozzle seat if your still having dripping issues. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archeryrob Posted January 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 It is clogged shut right now. It was slow the last time I used it and now it plugged up. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 You may need to break the nozzle loose while it's still hot otherwise you may risk damaging it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted January 11, 2014 Report Share Posted January 11, 2014 (edited) What model pot do you have? Heat the bottom of the pour spout w/ a berz o matic tourch. Take some .040 spinnet bait wire and put a right angle bend in it.Hold the wire @ the bend w/ a pair of needle nose pliers and us upward pressure into the noozle as you heat. I have a Lee Pro4 20 and drilled my spout out 7 years ago-one size bigger then stock. Works like a dream and rarely clogs. On average ,I pour lead 2-3x a week. The pot gets completely emptied and cleaned 3x a year and lapping compound is used as needed to stop dripping. BTW- stop using wheel weights and flux your lead to remove excess dross. edited for spelling. Edited January 11, 2014 by smallmouthaholic Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
edgecrusher Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 I do the same with some 051 spinnerbait wire, if it slows I pus it up and wiggle around a bit to loosed whatever is stuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
archeryrob Posted January 12, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 I ahve the Lee bottom feed pot. Looks like the Lee Production Pot on cabelas. I have some .047 wire and its not moving. Heated the pot on 10, tried in from the bottom and in frm the pot and nothing moves. Letting it cool and thinking of flipping it and removing the base and drilling open the tip with small bits in varying stages. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted January 12, 2014 Report Share Posted January 12, 2014 Be careful remember that the nozzle is offset on an angle it's not straight up and down as the plunger angle shows. If possible I would heat the pot up and try to remove the nozzle to work on it obviously dump the molten lead first Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLT Posted January 13, 2014 Report Share Posted January 13, 2014 If you clean the wheel weights right, they are not an issue. Use them all the time mixed with good lead. I use a 3/0 saltwater hook to force into the opening when I have an issue pouring the larger 2+ oz. jigs. Can't help you with the Lee pots, don't use them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kdog Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 I have a old production pot, bottom pour that I started using in 1978. Last fall, I got tired of the dripping, had gotten to the point where I felt it was a safety issue. Tried all sorts of cleaning suggestions and finally said F*))& it. Looked at Lees site and bought a replacement pot ~$12.00 took mine apart, installed the new pot. maybe 15 minutes total. New pot works great, wish I had done it sooner. Looking at the old pot, I still cannot figure out why it was leaking. There must be some corrosion or erosion in the gooseneck area that I cannot see. I will say that after changing the pot, and seeing how easy it was and how effective the repair was, I bought a spare to put on the shelf along with a spare for my 20# melter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted January 14, 2014 Report Share Posted January 14, 2014 Don't they also have some type of repair offer or something I thought I read that somewhere? But that's what I did just replace the pot at least mine the nozzle is integral I thought they were replaceable when I had my problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 A non-pourer question. If slag from dirty wheel weights causes a problem, does it pay to have a separate pot just to melt down and flux your lead, so you keep the dross away from your pouring pots? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSC Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 Mark You Really Need another Pot to Clean Your Lead In ... Still Flux the lead in your pouring pot as well but melt down and clean up scrap & etc in a seperate Pot just for this purpose. Saves a Mess. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gone2long Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 X2 I use an old cast iron pot on a crab cooker helps hold the heat, flux then pour ingots for charging the pot I use a non stick mini muffin pan makes the perfect size ingot to fit the pot without hanging out the top. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kasilofchrisn Posted January 15, 2014 Report Share Posted January 15, 2014 I use a cast iron dutch oven to melt down wheel weights. I melt them then use a magnet on a 3' piece of all thread to remove the metal clips. After cleaning out the dross I flux with beeswax and clean again. Usually I flux a second time with beeswax and clean once more before making ingots in my 1# ingot molds. I wouls never think of putting scap directly into my bottom pour pot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mark poulson Posted January 16, 2014 Report Share Posted January 16, 2014 Would mounting a magnet inside your pour pot, near the pour spout, help keep the lead clean of the fine stuff that seems to be the problem? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Donnie Posted January 18, 2014 Report Share Posted January 18, 2014 I had this same problem last year, I would always use a piece of welding wire to clear the spout hole. Ive done this countless times, but as murphys law would have it during the production of a big order I broke a piece off inside the spout. Tried melting it out, drilling it out , to no avail. I ended up buying a new insert and for $8.00 online and had it back up in running in a day, pours a lot smoother now that I replaced that piece since it had been all gummed up with crud Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cz75b Posted January 20, 2014 Report Share Posted January 20, 2014 As already stated, only put clean lead ingots into your bottom pour pots. Raw wheel weights and other lead items should be smelted fluxed and cleaned in a different pot. That said you will still need to occasionally empty and clean your bottom pour. When empty, I run a brass round wire brush at slow speed to scour our the crud. Additional work on the stem and pouring hole to clean really helps. I spray the rod with mould release and that helps it stay cleaner a little longer. And you can't flux enough. Bad advice about avoiding wheel weights, at least the old style lead ones, they will fill a mould better than pure soft lead every time because of the tin content and the antimony will help the finished product be a little harder than pure lead. If you want to learn all you can about using lead alloys for casting, check out the cast bullet list. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
smallmouthaholic Posted January 21, 2014 Report Share Posted January 21, 2014 "Bad advice about avoiding wheel weights, at least the old style leadones, they will fill a mould better than pure soft lead every timebecause of the tin content and the antimony will help the finishedproduct be a little harder than pure lead." You don't want hard lead to fill small jig heads. Lead w/ antimony and tin is fine for spinner-baits and buzz-baits that require harder lead so they do not loosen up on the wire shaft after several bass. http://www.ebay.com/gds/Soft-or-Hard-Lead-for-Casting-jigs-lures-and-sinkers-/10000000014054796/g.html Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
