Dipper handle ideas

[hornady]

I cast with an RCBS pro melt pot. But use the Lee dipper for fluxing, problem is the handle on the Lee is not long enough. I have it burnt up pretty good and think the next fluxing will be the last for it. I was thinking there should be a good was to replace the handle and lengthen it. To be honest I have not looked at the dipper real close. Is it steel or cast, if steel I could just weld a piece of rod onto it and them make a wood handle. Anyone else modify a lee dipper or would I be better off just buying the Lyman or RCBS dipper. I bottom pour and only use the dipper for fluxing. Thanks

[Ben]

I cast with an RCBS pro melt pot. But use the Lee dipper for fluxing, problem is the handle on the Lee is not long enough. I have it burnt up pretty good and think the next fluxing will be the last for it. I was thinking there should be a good was to replace the handle and lengthen it. To be honest I have not looked at the dipper real close. Is it steel or cast, if steel I could just weld a piece of rod onto it and them make a wood handle. Anyone else modify a lee dipper or would I be better off just buying the Lyman or RCBS dipper. I bottom pour and only use the dipper for fluxing. Thanks

Why don't you get yourself a long handle stainless steel kitchen spoon ? ?

Easy to stir your alloy, it can be used to keep the debris off the sides of the pot and then be able to remove any oxide that is floating on top after the fluxing is completed.

Ben

[fryboy]

i have a old spoon ( sadly not long handled ) what i did was slot a dowel rod ( a old wood broom handle will work etc ) insert spoon and drill two holes for screws/nutz to hold it still , i've shortened it a couple times and even made a new one as well , as for the lee ... same thing only instead of a slot it gets a tight hole drilled and the lil v-bent metal shank installed

[RED333]

I am a cheap SOB, I picked up a stainless ladle, bent the handle(it is 12" long)
just up from the bowl of the ladle, I ever used a nail to put a hole in it to pour out of.
The thing works great. My Son picked up a real pouring ladle and put it away as He
likes my home made one better.

[mold maker]

[/SIZE]I bottom pour exclusively, and use Wally World SS kitchen tools for all smelting and fluxing. Just be sure the joint (usually spot welded) is strong enough to handle the added weight involved. They usually last for about a year of farely heavy use.

[Alchemist]

An old iced tea spoon is long enough to get to the bottom of a Pro-Melt. I keep a small pair of vise grips clamped on the very end of the handle to keep my fingers a little further from the melt, though.

[hornady]

I may have fixed the Lee Ladle, it is steel but vary thin, un- weld able with a stick machine. I pulled the old handle off. I had a piece of stainless ¼ rod. The steel part of the Lee ladle handle is angled, I wrapped stainless wire around the handle and rod, somewhat like the old straw brooms were made, it seems to be tight, the ladle and rod have no movement. Now to see what happens when it gets hot.

[John Boy]

But use the Lee dipper for fluxing, problem is the handle on the Lee is not long enough. I have it burnt up pretty good and think the next fluxing will be the last for it.

Anyone else modify a lee dipper or would I be better off just buying the Lyman or RCBS dipper. I bottom pour and only use the dipper for fluxing.

Hornady ... give us a break! There are probably about a 100 items that can be used to stir the flux including free paint stirrer sticks at the paint or hardware store.

Use you head man, for alternatives!

[smokemjoe]

Thats why they have Goodwill Stores.

[hornady]

John Boy
If you are so disinterested why waste my time and yours even posting. I could go into why I wanted to use the old lee dipper but that to would be a waste of my time. It was a question about the Lee dipper not alternatives.

[Suo Gan]

I use a smaller serving spoon that I put an old wood file handle on as a slag spoon, an old plumbers lead pot for the slag. I like to use cedar shingles that I split...AKA kindling I use them to scrape the sides and the bottom of the pot and to stir the flux. They smell good. Don't push them under right away as they will spit and bubble. You'll get a feel for it.

[Suo Gan]

John Boy
If you are so disinterested why waste my time and yours even posting. I could go into why I wanted to use the old lee dipper but that to would be a waste of my time. It was a question about the Lee dipper not alternatives.

I didn't realize you were hung up on using the lee spoon. Take and cut the handle off, drill and tap a hole get a rod of appropriate size and bend that baby and cut it to size to match what you want. Don't know if it is feasible with the lee spoon, as I have never seen them in real life. But I have done that with larger ladles with straight short handles.

[hornady]

As with all things reloading and casting everyone dose what works best for them. I mix my alloy in the RCBS pot and use bullet lube for fluxing, I have used the above-mentioned fluxes, but have had the best luck with the bullet lube. The reason I like the Lee ladle. Being a scoop shaped I can pull the lube and air into the mix as I am fluxing. I know many on here will say this is not necessary. This is why I did not mention it. This method has worked well for me for many years. And as with reloading no one dose it exactly the same way. I could not see starting a debate as to the benefit of pulling air into the alloy.

[John Boy]

It was a question about the Lee dipper not alternatives.

Hornaday, your not doing too good on this thread, are you? One out of 11 post suggestions to modify your Lee ladle!

Have to admit - you are an anomaly. Real casters use a ladle to dip and pour lead into a mold - not to use one to just stir the flux. Again ... Use your head, man!

... problem is the handle on the Lee is not long enough. I have it burnt up pretty good and think the next fluxing will be the last for it.

Just make a longer handle from a broom stick. It's not a technical problem like developing a space shuttle!

Or buy a Rowell dipper! Here's a 2 pound one you could also use for a back scratcher!



verses your Infamous Lee Ladle ...

[hornady]

John boy
If I am such an anomaly and annoy you so much it seems rather foolish for you to keep reading my post. And as to real caster like all things on forums this is your opinion. If you are so knowledgeable why on earth are you sniping posters on forums, and not working for someone like say Lyman, oh yea come to think of it, it was the Lyman 3rd addition cast bullet manual that suggest pulling air into the alloy, guess that will not work for you either.

[fcvan]

Way back in the day, dad bought a pouring ladle. He welded on an aluminum handle from a garden spade I made in junior high. That made it longer and the aluminum never got very hot. I haven't ladle cast in 35 years having used bottom drop furnaces since then.

For large smelting jobs I use a metal coffee can on a camp stove with a sheet metal shroud around the coffee can. I bought a stainless steel ladle that looks like a gravy ladle and that works great. The ladle gets hot when fluxing or pouring ingots so I use vise grips which adds length and insulation. Frank

[jimkim]

Take it to an autobody shop and have them weld a piece of barstock to the neck. They should be able to adjust the amperage so it won't burn it up. If they can't slip a piece a tubing over the barstock and ladle neck, and rivet it in a few places. Use real rivets, not pop rivets. Three should hold nicely. Two would work, but three would be better.

You could also braze a piece of copper pipe to it.

[No_1]

Hornady and John Boy,
Take your disagreement to a PM. Consider this a warning.

[Ed in North Texas]

My Lyman dipper wood gave up the ghost many years ago. Took a welding rod, knocked off all the coating and smoothed the metal some, bent it in half to make a loop and welded it on to the metal rod "handle" of the dipper. Made it longer, works fine with or without gloves (a mite warm for extended use) and it's lasted that way for about 20 years or so.

And I use a stainless kitchen spoon and stuff too. The stuff I found years ago was solid, single piece (no rivets, no separate parts) and still works just fine.

Ed

[hornady]

Thanks for the auto body shop idea. Some shops do mig, or tig welding and would have no trouble adding a rod to the dipper handle. I will see how the wrapped wire works first. I do use a stainless spoon to remove impurities after fluxing. It seems to me that pulling air into the melt with the bullet lube speeds up fluxing time. Not saying this is necessary it just seems to work for me. And I would like to apologize to the forum and moderator for straying off topic.