WidowMaker Posted January 16, 2005 Report Share Posted January 16, 2005 My Lee 10 lb. lead pot has developed a pesistant drip/leak. Ive turned the plunger with a screw driver.....also turned it while moving the plunger up and down. Ive CAREFULLY (to avoid causing damage to the plunger recepticle) inserted a small diameter wire into the pour spout and allowed the lead to run out while doing so. Ive also inserted several clean dry round wooden tooth picks up into the pour spout in an attempt to burn it out. Its still dripping. What else could i try before i empty it, remove the plunger and clean the plunger recepticle??? One little trick i did learn is when the lead is dripping you can cut a paper towell tube about two inches long and place it on the deck directly under the drip. This will keep the lead from splattering towards you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerkbait Posted January 17, 2005 Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 Wm, Hey another Ky boy on here! Cool. I had a local bait shop talk me into increasing the spru hole size on my Lee pot and I was afraid of making it leak but did it anyway. It makes consistant pours on big musky spinners a lot easier. and actually leaks less because there is more room for small impurities to get thru. I drain my pot into an ingot mold from time to time just to standardize the alloy mix and when I do I take a oxy/actylene torch tip bent 90deg held with vice grips and really clean the hole as it pours. The problem may be something stuck to the end of the pluger too and if it is then you will have to drain the pot to get at it. Jerk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WidowMaker Posted January 17, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 17, 2005 How much did you increase the hole size? Can you still pour the lighter 1/32 oz. and 1/16 oz. jig heads? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
texasbass1 Posted January 18, 2005 Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 After you have drained the pot, remove the plunger and make sure the pour spout is clean. Make sure you get all the old lead and impurities out. I then used a fine wire wheel for a dremel and polished the plunger that slowed my leak. It will still drip on occasion but not bad. I pour both bullets and lead baits from the same pot so I never thought about boring out the spout. Probably won't. Also fluxing the lead before you pour will help get out a lot of the impurities. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WidowMaker Posted January 18, 2005 Author Report Share Posted January 18, 2005 I dont think im going to drill it. I just got through pouring some 1/32 oz. and 1/16 oz. bullet weights with the Do-It BHB-8-3216 Bullet Head Mold and had quite a bit of lead splashing out of the gate hole and into the next cavity. But it wasnt due to the plunger getting stuck or anything like that.....just a high flow of lead. I would think drilling would really increase the lead flow. What are you using to flux with? All my lead gets melted outside first and on top of that ive always pretty much been able to use some pretty clean super soft stuff. About the only trash i would be introducing into the pot would be from the wheel weights (also gets premelted outside first) i use to harden it up with. Doing it this way ive hardly ever had to clean any of my pots. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaBasser Posted January 19, 2005 Report Share Posted January 19, 2005 I did what Texasbass1 did. Drain the pot, clean with wire brush, then ground out the hole just a little bit, using a dremel tool. It works really good. I make jigs @1/64 oz.- 1-1/2 oz. spinnerbaits using the same pot. When it starts dripping alittle, I then empty pot and clean it out well. But not as much as I did before cleaning the hole and grinding it down alittle. PaBasser Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jerkbait Posted January 20, 2005 Report Share Posted January 20, 2005 I was very hesitant to tear my pot down and go ramming a bit thru it also till I saw how slick the guy's pot poured 3/4 oz heads. I just went up one step from the hole that was in it already. I also found that the height of the lead colum above in the pot really affects the flow. The weight above really pushes more lead into the spout. This increased head pressure will make it leak more too. I usually pour my big stuff first and then when the flow slows a little I bring out the little ball head and poney molds. I dont have any trouble pouring them as long as I keep the level low. You may try using alloy solder sold in bars at plumbing stores intead of wheel weights for adding tin to the mix. It doesnt have the junk in it and is reliable in its ratio of metals. Good Luck Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tomcat Posted January 22, 2005 Report Share Posted January 22, 2005 i stepped up the hole on my lee pot and on the handle i unscrewed the knob slid a 2 oz sinker on the shaft and reinstalled the handle. that little bit of weight made a difference on the drips justin Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
