No matter how long you are in the fishing business, cleaning your lead melting pot is not enjoyable. Thus, you might be looking for some easy solutions and searching around the web. Let us assure you that you are at the right place.
So, you are wondering how to clean a lead melting pot?
The easiest way to clean a lead melting pot is to use boiled water. If the pot is too dirty, you’ll need a screwdriver & a wire brush. Fluxing while melting is another way to clean your melting pot. You can use sawdust, lead flux, or borax to flux. This cleans the lead and your pot at the same time.
Don’t get confused. We will explain everything you need to know.
We’ve discussed the importance and the exact process of cleaning your lead melting pot in this article. Not just this, we also provided the hacks for preventing your pot from getting dirty as well.
So, what are you waiting for? Let’s start the discussion with the importance of cleaning your melting pot.
Why Should You Clean Your Lead Melting Pot?
First thing first. Your melting pot gets dirty because of the impurities in the melted lead. The melting point of lead is often much lower than the melting point of other metals.
As a result, when pouring out the molten lead, the impurities get stuck in the pot wall and nozzle. This makes your melting pot dirty.
So, if you don’t clean your melting pot at regular intervals, the impurities will accumulate. This will make your lip or lipless crankbait melting time longer. And, your lead quality will be affected. The impurities will also cause a blocked nozzle if you use a bottom pouring pot.
Now you know that cleaning your melting pot is important. Hence, it’s time to find out how to do it.
Let’s find out.
How to Clean a Lead Melting Pot?
There are numerous ways of cleaning a lead melting pot. But we’re not gonna make you puzzled with all the ineffective & hazardous methods. We’ll walk you through the easiest and most effective ways to clean a lead melting pot.
Let’s get started.
Cleaning a Cold Lead Melting Pot with Water
The easiest way of cleaning a melting pot is using boiling water. Mixing water with molten lead can cause severe explosions.
So, don’t just rush it. Let us explain how you can do it with ease.
First, pour out all the existing lead from your melting pot. Then, let your pot cool down to normal temperature. Never ever pour water into a hot melting pot.
When the pot is cold, pour at least ¾ of the pot with tap water. Make sure no water is leaking from the nozzle if you’re using a bottom pouring melting pot.
Turn it up and heat it as much as you can. Once the water starts boiling, use a wire brush to scrub the wall and the bottom of the pot.
Let the water boil until almost all the water is vaporized. Finally, pour out the remaining water & let your pot dry.
[Pro tip: You can use a small amount of soap/detergent with water to get a better result.]
Your lead melting pot should be totally clean by now. However, if your pot is too dirty and boiling water didn’t work out, follow the next method.
Cleaning a Cold Lead Melting Pot with Screwdriver
First, pour out all the existing lead from your melting pot. Then, let your pot cool down to normal temperature.
When the pot is cold, use a flat screwdriver or knife to remove the residues stuck. Make sure you pay attention to the bottom of the pot.
Use a wire brush to scrub the wall and the bottom of the pot. Finally, use some paper towels or clothes to wipe off the dross.
Cleaning a Hot Lead Melting Pot with Fluxing
Fluxing is the process of extracting the impurities from the lead. Fluxing is performed while melting your lead.
There are several ways of fluxing while melting lead. You need some fluxing agents. You can use any of the materials mentioned below:
The process of fluxing with all the agents mentioned above is quite similar.
First, heat up your lead to molten.
When the lead is perfectly molten, add 2 tablespoons of fluxing agent to the molten lead.
Then, stir the melting pot thoroughly. Make sure you scrub the wall and the bottom of the pot well. You will see the impurities accumulating at the top of the molten lead.
Scrape out the impurities and repeat the process until your lead is clean.
If you’re using a ladle, you should be okay by now. However, if you’re using a bottom pouring melting pot, there’s a bit more work to do. Your nozzle might still be clogged and you need to clean that as well.
So, how do you clean the nozzle of your lead melting pot? Let’s find out.
Cleaning a Cold Melting Pot Nozzle
If you’re using a bottom pouring melting pot, you need to clean your nozzle if it’s clogged up.
To do that, unscrew the lever bolts first.
Use any sharp tool like a needle to push through the nozzle. The tool should be strong enough so that it can push through the clogged materials.
Do it several times so the nozzle gets free.
Finally, use some paper towels or clothes to wipe off the dross.
You now have cleaned your nozzle perfectly. But what would you do if your nozzle clogs up in the middle of melting? We have the solution for that as well buddy. Let’s do it.
Cleaning a Hot Melting Pot Nozzle
If your nozzle clogs up in the middle of melting, don’t worry. Use a copper wire or a sharp tool and push it through the nozzle. The nozzle should be working fine by now.
So, we hope this article was helpful for you. Now you should be able to melt some lead split rings with ease.
Do check out the FAQs section to find out other related solutions for the lead melting pot.
FAQs
What Are The Types of Lead Melting Pots?
There are 2 types of lead melting pots in terms of operation. 1) Conventional- Uses external fires to melt. 2) Electrical- Has an internal electric mechanism to melt. Both of these types can be made of cast iron or stainless steel. Finally, the electrical pots can be bottom pouring or ladle type.
How Often Should I Clean My Lead Melting Pot?
If you regularly flux while melting your lead, you won’t need to clean your pot for a long time. However, If you don’t flux, you need to clean your pot quite often. Clean your pot if the melting time takes longer than usual or the nozzle is clogged up.
What Is the Best Way to Store My Lead Melting Pot?
To prevent rusting from storing for a long time, use long-term oil on the wall & on the bottom of the pot. Before storing, clean your melting pot thoroughly. Then, apply some WD-40 and wipe it off. Finally, apply any vegetable oil or LP3. This will keep your melting pot clean for a long time.
Take Away
We hope you now know how to clean a lead melting pot.
Cleaning your lead melting pot is not at all enjoyable. We recommend you to flux every time you use your pot for melting. It will save you a lot of time. Besides, This will not only keep your pot clean but also improve your molten lead quality.
Do let us know which method works best for you.
Happy melting.
I’m Cindy, a free-spirited outdoor enthusiast. Since childhood, Our family frequently goes on weekend camps and my father, who was a skilled hunter, used to teach my siblings and me valuable things about wildlife survival. I made this blog to share my knowledge, experiences, and tips.
