Leaky RCBS Melting Pot

[Engineer1911]

Because of pleasant weather after Irma, I melted down a 5 gallon bucket of range berm mined bullets. While the scrap was melting on the turkey burner (steel wok), I filled my melting pot with the last of the ingots. The RCBS melting pot is 25 years old, has been cleaned regularly, and I cleaned the pour spout and shut off stem multiple times. Spout still leaks. Cleaned stem and hole, used valve grinding compound to lap the stem and hole, still a slow drip.

Well, after an hour of drips casting with a Lee 6 cavity mold I simply got mad about the drip. I wacked the top of the stem with my 6" vice grips (holds my table spoon for fluxing the pot). There was a spurt of lead out of the spout and THE DRIP STOPPED. An hour later it dripped again, another wack and it was drip free for 3 hours. Finally ended up with 38# of shiny 158 grain SWC and a supply of casting ingots.

Simple things work best. No draining, no cleaning, no polishing, no lapping, just hit the damn stem with a small hammer.

 

[Mad_Charlie]

I have sometimes had to do this to seat oil pump check valve balls, using an alum. rod and a small hammer.

I was going to suggest using lapping compound, but you already did that.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

Reminds me of an old lamp TV my Dad had;when the thing strated to show weird distorted image,no control buttons could bring it back on like a good whack with my fist on its top.
Too bad it doesn't work with nowadays electronics!
Qc

 

[SMSgt]

It does. Instead of your fist, use a sledgehammer.

 

[ACORN]

I had an RCBS that did the same. I brazed the spout shut, removed the stem and used a dipper.

 

[Qc Pistolero]

It does. Instead of your fist, use a sledgehammer.

I've tried it but them new tv is too thin;I missed it and the sledgehammer made a big dent on the walnut floor.My wife went 2 weeks without speaking to me....all in all it was well worth it!LOL
Qc

 

[Rpg]

Hammer!

The first tool I reach for to address mechanical problems.

 

[Alk8944]

Earlier, about the same time PC Pistolero made his post, I was going to tell you to firmly tap the end of the valve spindle with a hammer, but you had figured it out by yourself.

Dipping does tend to produce better quality bullets than a bottom-draw pot however. I gave up on my Saeco bottom-draw pot about 35 years ago.

 

[fredj338]

Many complain about leaking Lee pots. I found never drain it, never mekt scrap in it, mine dont drip.

 

[5-Shot]

Sir, you are a genius! I retired my Lyman pot about 20 years ago following the the same exercise in frustration you described in your first paragraph. After reading your post this morning in the pre-dawn hours I rushed to the basement, dug out the old Lyman, fired it up and gave it a few whacks. IT WORKED!

Thanks,
Ed