How do you keep a casting pot clean?

[jpuke]

I've been casting for about a year now and the biggest problem I've had is the crud that sticks to the sides of my pot.  I have a Lyman Mini-Mag furnace and the crap also collects around the heating element as a rust colored crust that decides to fall into my melt just after I've fluxed and believe my alloy is clean.  Anyone out there have an idea as to how I can keep this at a minimum?  How do you keep the sides of the pot clean?   :?

[Cheyenne Ranger]

I use a putty knife to scrape the sides and bottom of my Lee 20# pot.  I, too, have a problem with crud and mine seems to go to the spout at the bottom keeping a slow but steady stream of lead dripping out.  
When this gets to me I will pour off the lead into ingots and give it a cleaning.
For what's it worth a bottom pour will usually do better as the crud is floating on the top and you're pouring from the bottom--the above not withstanding.

[rob_helms]

I use a Lee Pot and Marvelux flux. About once a year I fill the pot halfway with water and boil it out. I set it at about 400 degrees, and let it boil for about 20 min. I do this outside as it is easy for the pot to boil over if you have too much water or heat. Pot looks like new when I'm done.

[jpuke]

Thanks guys, any tips for how to keep the inside of a casting ladel clean?  I use a different one for fluxing but the crud still builds up in my good ladel.  I use a wire brush on the outside but can't get to the inside.

[oklahomaman]

I put my pot (electric) and ladel and stir/flux spoon into the sand blaster when they get cruddy.  After about 3-5 minutes, they look like new stainless and I then use compressed air to clear off the dust.

oklahomaman.

[Lloyd Smale]

dont know I dont stop casting long enough to clean mine

[Gatofeo]

I put some of Graybeard's chili in my pot, sloshed it around for a few seconds (any longer and the pot will disappear) and then poured it out. Cleaner than a whistle!  
Seriously, I avoid the use of Marvelux flux, despite claims that it works so well. It leaves a hard, gray deposit in my pots that's the Devil to get out. Also, I don't see that it works any better than traditional fluxes.
I still use a bit of bullet lubricant, beeswax or lard to flux my lead.
When deposits build up, I empty my pot. Then, I set it at its lowest setting and leave it there for about 5 minutes. This seems to loosen the scale somewhat.
Then I turn off the heat (don't want to burn out your thermostat) and scape down the sides with an old, heavy spoon.
Cheyenne Ranger mentioned the use of a putty knife and that seems like a good idea. I'll have to try that. I think a narrow one would be especially useful.
I haven't tried the boiling water method. That sounds intriguing.
A very good post with interesting answers. Thanks for bringing up a good question.

[Cheyenne Ranger]

I agree that the boiling water idea sounds like something I'll try.  Gotta admit the cost of materials is cheap :grin:

[Paul H]

Just a little warning, the crud that develops on the pot sides has alot of the stuff we don't want to injest, ie lead dust and lead oxide.  

The best way I've found is to fill the pot full of water, and bring it to a boil.  I use a ss wire brush, looks like a toothbrush, to scrape the water filled pot.  The boiling water traps all the crud that would be airborne if you brushed/scraped the pot while dry.

I also only use bullet lube or parafin to flux.