LEE "Drip-O-matic" Bottom pour Pots

[vanilla_gorilla]

As a soon-to-be caster, reading things like this concerns me. I'm smelting lead in a turker cooker and a small (10#) iron pot now, and looking to see which electric pot I'm going to put my modest amount of cash into. Lee really is all I can afford right now, but reading these numerous stories really make me think I should just save my money for another, much more expensive pot and just ladle-cast out of my gas cooker for now.

[ktw]

The Lee pots are never going to be of the same quality as the pots from other manufacturers. Given the price differential, they are, however, a great value for the money and hugely popular. I wouldn't let the fact that some people insist on only top shelf equipment dictate your decision as to whether a Lee pot is appropriate for your budget at this point in your casting career.

I have one Lee pot (4-20) and have been very satisfied with it. I will be buying another for regular use with a different alloy. Even then I will still have significantly less invested in two completely serviceable pots (that may require a little tweaking now and then) than I would in one Lyman or RCBS pot.

-ktw

[imashooter2]

As a soon-to-be caster, reading things like this concerns me. I'm smelting lead in a turker cooker and a small (10#) iron pot now, and looking to see which electric pot I'm going to put my modest amount of cash into. Lee really is all I can afford right now, but reading these numerous stories really make me think I should just save my money for another, much more expensive pot and just ladle-cast out of my gas cooker for now.

I'll bet way over 50% of the members on this board use Lee pots with complete satisfaction. I know I do.

My pot doesn't drip, but if it did, so what? You're going to splash overfill onto the base plate anyway. When you pick that up the drips will come with it.

[Maximilian225]

I lapped my valve in the bottom and added weight to the handle but this helped more than anything on my 10lb pot.

Safety Wire!

-Max

[bruce drake]

MY Lee 10lb pot started dripping about 3-4 years after I started using it. Cleaned it out a couplle of times. Never completely solved the drip issue. Decided I liked ladle casting because I got a better bullet out of my molds. Plugged the bottom with a woodscrew and dissassembled the plunger and handle. I now ladle all my bullets from that same 10lb pot. Not a single complaint about the pot. It fits my needs and I get better bullets anyways.

Would I buy another LEE pot. Probably. I think they are a good product. I smelt in the pot so at times I know I have to clean it out. If I was to get a second pot, it would get the cleaned ingots only and not the dirty wheelweights and recovered berm bullets that I throw in my other pot.

Bruce

[dragonrider]

I've never uses anything but Lee pots. Had two 10 pounders for 20 years and they dripped. And I put up with it. Two years ago one pot died so I got a new 20 pounder. Just prior to that I had been experimenting with fluxes and someone here put forth the idea of sawdust and stirring with a wooden stick. I tried it and the results where very good. When I got the new pot I decided that I would never use anything but sawdust, no pretroleum distillates or waxes of any kind. After two years my pot is still as clean as when it was new. There is nothing on the sides or bottom and they are absolutely smooth. No rust either as one gets when using Marvelux. The remaining 10 pound pot was dirty, the sides where caked with deposits from past fluxes but after switching to sawdust and a stick it has cleaned up nicely. The drip of the older pot also slowed way down. The new pot does drip occaisionaly, not enough to be concerned but I always felt that the valve stems on Lee pots where way to small, that is not heavy enough. So today I made a wieght for the top of the stem for the 20 pound pot. See below.

It's only a piece of 3/4" material, drilled a hole and pressed the valve stem into it. Added some washers to take up the space and make it operate. And got rid of that foolish adjustment screw, why to you need two of them? Haven't spent any time with it yet, just got it installed and quit for the night. It adds considerable weight to the stem so I have hopes for it to work. time will tell.

[Shotgun Luckey]

If I had one that looked like shotguns i would throw it away. my .02 rick

That ain't a very nice nice thing to say....I was trying to post a picture to illistrate how I had reworked the valve assembly as the thread started had requested, didn't think I was opening myself up to some bad-mouthing.

[FieldShunt]

Dang! All these years I've been using my crummy old Lee 10-pounder and I never noticed the leaking until you guys brought it up!

[ryan richards]

Hi Dragonrider,

You mentioned the use of sawdust as a fluxing agent. I read about it also.

Can you tell use how much you use per fluxing?
Is it a teaspoon, tablespoon, half a cup or a full cup (8ozs)?

And how often do you flux your 20 lb Lee pot while casting?
Is it once, twice per pot of lead or every 5 minutes?

[catkiller45]

I have found the easiest way to prevent the drip is to keep the temp. higher than needed.. And it works for me..After 3 years and NO DRIP