Leaving lead in the melter

[salmonfood]

Is it acceptable to leave unused, solidified lead in either the smelting or casting pot?

I would imagine stirring would be difficult the next time you tried to melt it.

[snuffy]

Is it acceptable to leave unused, solidified lead in either the smelting or casting pot?

Of course, you do NOT have to empty the melter/smelter when you're done. The lead left in there will melt FASTER if left to solidify than dropping ingots into an empty pot. It has to do with the contact the solidifies lead has with the sides of the pot.

I would imagine stirring would be difficult the next time you tried to melt it.

Huh? Why? once it's melted, it stirs quite easily.

[Pahoo]

Snuffy + 1
In fact, I read that it is even recommended. I just can't remember where I read it. .....

Be Safe !!!

[salmonfood]

thanks

[Rifleman1776]

Could you please expand on why you think stirring would be difficult on a remelt.
BTW, as you have been told, leaving in pot is perfectly acceptable.

[salmonfood]

I understand now that leaving the lead in the pot is acceptable.

But, I previously thought that heating a pot that was completely full of solidified lead would melt the lead that touched the melter first. And it would may take a long time to melt the lead in the middle that does not contact the sides thus causing stirring issues.
I have not read anything that says too remove unused lead nor anything that says to leave it in the pot, so I didn't know.
I have not casted yet, but will begin soon.


I see now that I was wrong, so as far as I see it case closed.

Thanks for the help

[zxcvbob]

I leave the lead in my casting pot when I'm done. It will melt faster next time I use it than putting ingots in the empty pot. BUT, if the heater or thermostat in the pot ever stops working (so that it won't heat up) and you want to send it in for repairs, you are kind of screwed if it's full of lead.

[snuffy]

BUT, if the heater or thermostat in the pot ever stops working (so that it won't heat up) and you want to send it in for repairs, you are kind of screwed if it's full of lead.

Bob, if that ever happens on a lee pot, take off the cover where the adjusting knob is. There's on wire connected directly to the element, the other one goes to the thermostat. Take the jumper from the T-stat off, and off the element, then pull the wire off the T-stat. Connect the plug wire to the element directly. If it isn't a burned out element, it will heat up to whatever the top heat it can reach. In other words hot wire it! You can get new elements and new thermostats from lee, they're not that hard to install.

[reloader28]

Thats a neat trick. I figured you'd have to lay it down and torch it to melt it out.

[maillemaker]

With a bottom-pour pot, not only is is OK, it's a good idea. Pouring off the bottom avoids all the dross and contaminates floating on top. If you empty the pot, you allow that crud to get into the flow valve, which may give difficulty in getting the valve to seal, causing drip problems. I never let the pot go dry.

[GP100man]

I usually try to leave at least an inch of alloy in the pot then when cool spray some anti rust something in the rest , I prefer PB Blaster sorta smeels good as it heats up next time .

I usually put a couple of ingots in & plug it in , do a little clean up or summtin in the shop as it heats up , when melted I insert the themometer & more ingots to fill it then don`t mess with it till it hits 700f , dross dirt etc is alot easier to get to the top on a good hot melt rather than just barely melted .

[IllinoisCoyoteHunter]

I make sure that I have at least a half a pot of lead when I am done. Then I throw in a couple cold ingots which cools my pot off faster than just letting it sit there and it also allows me to have a full pot when I start next time. Just my 2 pennies.

[jal5]

I do the same as Illinois Coyote Hunter, works for me.