• This community needs YOUR help today. We rely 100% on Supporting Memberships to fund our efforts. With the ever increasing fees of everything, we need help. We need more Supporting Members, today. Please invest back into this community. I will ship a few decals too in addition to all the account perks you get.



    Sign up here: https://www.muzzleloadingforum.com/account/upgrades

Which Lee Melting Pot To Buy

Muzzleloading Forum

Help Support Muzzleloading Forum:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
The lee pots need to be cleaned once in a while. Junk get in the valve seat. Between cleanings there is a screw drive slot int he valve plunger. Use the slot to grind the junk in the valve seat and stop the leaking. I destroyed a lee pot via corrosion, "Marvelflux" is horribly corrosive. Just use pieces of candle wax. You can ignite the smoke to eliminate the white cloud. If handy, a couple of granules of smokeless powder will ignite it easily. A long nose lighter works good too. I don't like it flashing on fire and surprising me, particularity while stirring the liquid metal.
 
They have an addaper so you can use a 20# tank instead of the 1#. Allot cheaper.

Yes, that's how I refill them for less than a dollar each. If you camp in campgrounds with trash service, an occasional peek in the dumpster will net you an ever growing supply of the 1# bottles.

Once I was checking and found a virtually new Coleman white gas stove. Must have been tossed by an unhappy camper.
 
How hot is too hot depends on what you're casting. When I'm casting round balls, I run the pot at about 750F for 50 and 69cal. When casting minies, its as hot as the pot will go- 900F. Minies come out looking great and low rejection rate. Different molds and bullet types cast best at different temps.
 
Simply put go with the largest Lee pot you can afford. The Lee pots hold their temperature well and do what they are supposed to do and I guess that's all you could ask for. I had one years ago and could never eliminate the drip no matter what I did but could live with it.
 
I have a 10 lb. Lee bottom spout. Had a slight leak around the spout threads. See pic of the new part, to see where I was having the leak. After a close inspection, I found the spout nut was not tight enough. I contacted Lee and they sent another part, lead pot/spout assembly. In the mean time, I disassembled the pot and tightened the spout, then reassembled. No more leaks since then.
Ron
3D07B8CD-4F6A-4F18-8D7F-319B64EA0055.jpeg
 
I agree with Hawkeye, get the biggest you can afford. Not really that much more for a bigger one. It's common for people to buy one and then wish they had gotten a bigger one.
 
I agree with Hawkeye, get the biggest you can afford. Not really that much more for a bigger one. It's common for people to buy one and then wish they had gotten a bigger one.
I went with 2 of the 10# pots.
When I just need a few bullets or balls - it's perfect.
When I am going to do a lot of casting, I fire up both of them. While casting from one, the other can be melting and heating for the next round.
Heating up a 20 pounder for a couple of hundred small balls is done much easier and faster with a 10 pounder instead.
 
I actually have 3 now. The small one, I think 4# then I bought the big 20# one and recently I seen a bottom pout 10# pot at a gun show for cheap so I picked it up. Always nice to have a spare...or two. My small one I keep soft lead in it and the large one with slightly harder alloy.
 
I am looking into casting my own .530 round balls and want some opinions on which melting pot to buy. I will buy a double cavity mould and melter. Any input would be appreciated! I shoot around 1000 balls a year.

20 pounder.
 
Get a steel casting pot and use a coleman single burner propane camp stove. I had an electric one years ago, I like the steel pot as you can set it up anywhere! Casting since 1972

Nit Wit
 
20 pounder.
If you can buy a plumbers pot that is run off propane. If you go with electric either a lyman or Lee, but us a lead dipper instead of the bottom pour. You will get a lot better results. Don't forget to purchase a thermometer run the lead around 850 deg. The thermometer let's u constantly monitor the temp.
 
Thanks for everyone's replies! I just purchased the Lee 4-20 pot, Lee .530 mold, One of the halves is loose though, I was told this is the way they are. I also purchased a Lyman Digital Lead Thermometer but I have to send it back. The thermometer is 5 degrees low(60) at 65, and 7 degrees low (205) at 212.
 
i personally would stay away from the bottom pour stuff, They always clog up, even while you are casting. I use a 10lb Lyman big dipper furnace and a simple ladle to pour my lead.
 
Thanks for everyone's replies! I just purchased the Lee 4-20 pot, Lee .530 mold, One of the halves is loose though, I was told this is the way they are. I also purchased a Lyman Digital Lead Thermometer but I have to send it back. The thermometer is 5 degrees low(60) at 65, and 7 degrees low (205) at 212.

You made a good choice from my perspective.

I own a pair of the Lee 10# bottom pour production pots, the 4-20 bottom pour as well as a Lyman "Big Dipper" picked up at a garage sale, and a cast iron plumbers pot and ladle inherited from my uncle, who was a plumber back in the day, when they used such stuff often.

I cast all manner of projectiles, handgun and longarm, modern and traditional, and by far, my go to is the Lee 4-20. If I am in for a particularly serious session and am working with more than one metal/alloy I will start up one or both of the Lee 10#s as well, and/or use the dipper furnace to have metal ready to top up the bottom pour to save waiting for cold metal to come up to temp.

I have had minor issues with leaks, generally on start up, but if well maintained and the spouts kept clean, a tweak here and there (as with the screwdriver slit mentioned above) will correct any problems. It is best to not let the level of the metal get low enough that any floating impurities might find their way to the spout. That can, after time create leakage problems.

The idea of a thermometer is a good one. I was going to suggest that prior to reading your post, and a analog one will do as well. They become particularly useful when working with alloys beyond pure lead, and will tell you a a lot about the mixture in your pot, as well as helping to set that "sweet spot" for easiest and most efficient casting with pure lead or other alloys.

It is true that one side of the mold will be "loose" to aid in alignment while casting. Also make sure to heed the instructions regarding cleaning and lubricating your mold prior to use, as it is essential to "running good ball". I usually degrease mine when new, by washing in hot soapy water, scrubbing with an old toothbrush, and then wiping with 90% rubbing alcohol on a Q-tip, but have used brake cleaner and carbureter cleaner prior to the alcohol as well. Generally I use a stick of "Alox" type bullet lube to lube my molds once warm, and also use pea sized chunks of it as a flux.

Preheating you mold by placing on top of the pot will shorten the time to dropping good projectiles. You also may need to set it aside fore a couple of moments and let it cool, as after a while the balls may become frosted as the mold heats up excessively. It can be handy to have a small squirrel cage type fan handy (from and old appliance or such) to help facilitate this cooling, or better yet a second mold that you can rotate with, and as it heats up, switch back and forth in an established rhythm.

Like I said, good choice from where I sit, and I believe it will serve you well for a long while.
 
Last edited:
Have a couple. My vote would be a Lee Magnum Melter. Holds 20 lbs of lead. I personally use a ladle.

Been using it extensively for about 5 years now. Works just as good as the day I bought it. Think they run around the $60 range now days?

During off season when I’m not casting for what ever reason, I run a brass wire wheel attached to my drill in the pot to clean it up and followed by a light coat of WD-40 for storage. When I’m ready I just turn her on and up, WD burns off and loader up with lead and start casting when lead is melted and up to temp.

Respectfully, Cowboy
 
Thanks for all of your replies! I was thinking of getting the Lyman Mag 25? but the price is up there. Are they worth the $$$?

Yes it is. Especially if you ever go into casting the big bullets used in long range shooting. The built in PID is very good at keeping the temperature even from when you start at the top of the pot until you get that last ladle full from the bottom when ladle casting the big stuff, and the adjustable flow rate for the bottom pour makes for good fill out and even weights when casting the smaller stuff like pistol bullets and round balls.
For most small bottom pour projects like round balls etc, the lee 10 lb production pot works just fine.
I had a lee 20 lb pot with the bottom pour, until one day the pour spout fell out, and let a nearly full pot run out..
 
Back
Top