After melting down another 300 or so pounds of wheel weight the nozzle appears to be clogging a little. I opened up the hex head screw a turn or 2...didn't really seem to help it much. I am thinking about laying it on its side and using a very small drill bit and giving it a cleaning. Any thoughts? suggestions?? Cookie recipes you would like to share??
RCBS pro melt nozzle clogging...any ideas??
- Thread starter icehunter121
- Start date
don't use a bottom pour pot to melt wheel weights... It will clog the nozzle to the point of almost no repair. Use a frying pan, or a cheap stainless steel pail from princess auto and a weed burning torch...
Drain the pot, and clean it up by taking apart the nozzle (assuming you can). If I remember correctly use vinegar to clean the pot if there is yellow stuff around the walls of the pot.
And if your using the pot to "smelt" wheel weights, don't, do what amosfella said.
And if your using the pot to "smelt" wheel weights, don't, do what amosfella said.
To echo the others, don't melt WW with your $400 Pro-Melt. Use a thrift store/garage sale cast iron pot or dutch oven and Coleman stove/camp stove to clean WW and cast clean, ready to use ingots suitable for use in your Pro-Melt.
Back in the eighties, I scored 45 gal. drum of w/w's, before zinc was invented. They were all melted in my RCBS furnace, which looks like hell, but is still going strong.
It took too long to pour through the nozzle, so I simply picked up the furnace with welders mitts, and poured the lead over the side. It blistered the paint on that side, but there's not much paint left there anyway.
When your bullets are coming out dirty, it's time to clean the pot. Dump out the lead, and after the pot has cooled, pour boiling water into it. Most of the salts and lead oxides are water soluble and will dissolve in the water. After about ten minutes, dump out the water, and the leaded goop that is left, is easily scraped off with a screwdriver. DON'T use a steel brush in a power drill to loosen up the crud. That raises a lot of lead dust which is easily inhaled.
It took too long to pour through the nozzle, so I simply picked up the furnace with welders mitts, and poured the lead over the side. It blistered the paint on that side, but there's not much paint left there anyway.
When your bullets are coming out dirty, it's time to clean the pot. Dump out the lead, and after the pot has cooled, pour boiling water into it. Most of the salts and lead oxides are water soluble and will dissolve in the water. After about ten minutes, dump out the water, and the leaded goop that is left, is easily scraped off with a screwdriver. DON'T use a steel brush in a power drill to loosen up the crud. That raises a lot of lead dust which is easily inhaled.
I got it done,rather easily...I drained the pot as much as I could into ingot molds. Then I bent a spoon and wearing gloves and eye protection got it down to within 1/2 inch of bottom. Then I took a steel 5 gallon pail and turned it upside down....grab the pot and poured quickly. The pail bottom grabbed all the lead. Let the pot cool down,lifted the handle and cleaned out the orifice with a small drill bit...scraped the inside down with above said spoon...Dug around inside it with a small pick where the fill needle and spout is. A little compressed air....and life is great again...Pours just like it was brand new...
