New Smelter

[Mal Paso]

I went to the Swap Meet a couple weeks ago to look for a used turkey fryer. Well the Swap Meet is Hispanic now and there wasn't a fryer to found. There were however several vendors of large stainless steel pots and cooking units. They all used the same burner and I snagged one of them for $40. It's self lighting, cast iron, with 2 burners so you can simmer once you're up to temp and controls are well back. All the pots there and on the way home were wrong until Smart & Final where I found a heavy SS Insert for $26 and a SS Slotted Spoon for $1.50. I used a hand grinder to notch the pot rests so the insert can't slip. Worked great except the ingots stuck in my Walmart made in USA steel muffin pans and I had to hit the bottoms with a torch to get them out. Wasn't Teflon, maybe tin? Suggestions?
Oh, I bolted the burner to the plywood. I had only 2 1/2" of melt this time and that was 50 pounds.

[mold maker]

I suspect your pot is a little on the thin side. I wouldn't try over half full of lead. I've not seen that type burner so it will have to satisfy you. Leave your muffin pans out in the weather till they turn red and they will release just fine. I have even thought of using "Drop Out" mold release in the muffin tins, but I have plenty of regular ingot molds.
We all started out with what we could find when the casting bug bit.
Welcome to the addiction.

[Doc Highwall]

Your pot has a small base and will be top heavy and as long as you don't fill it too much and treat it as being top heavy you should get good service out of it but I would like a heavier/thicker pot.
Let your muffin pans get a coating of rust on them it will act as a release agent.

[kbstenberg]

I like the looks of the burner. But like Doc said unless the burner is bolted down it could be tippy.
Concerning your ingot molds. To speedup the rusting the interior of your molds, use some steel wool an scrub the interior of the molds.

[jsizemore]

I've seen that type of burner at the flea market. A BIG banjo burner with the legs and pot frame all cast together. As long as it's not left out in the weather it should give good service for years.

Steel and salt water should get those muffin tins to release quickly.

[bumpo628]

Try hitting the muffin tins with your torch to see if you can burn off or blacken the coating. That should help them release easier.

[Mal Paso]

I suspect your pot is a little on the thin side. I wouldn't try over half full of lead. I've not seen that type burner so it will have to satisfy you. Leave your muffin pans out in the weather till they turn red and they will release just fine. I have even thought of using "Drop Out" mold release in the muffin tins, but I have plenty of regular ingot molds.
We all started out with what we could find when the casting bug bit.
Welcome to the addiction.

The pot is a Restaurant Insert ( India ) and is the same heavy gauge as my USA equipment. Half full would be 150# and that's my intended limit. The high sides will help with roof flashing, etc. The burner is about 40,000 btu, Chinese, came complete with regulator, and works very well. I ground notches to secure the pot and the cast iron is good quality. At first I thought I needed more heat but once the melt covered the bottom of the pot and sped up heat transfer, things went fast. I found the burner on line for less using the number from the box: BUR228

Oh Yea, There's a chunk of 1/4" bar stock and bolt holding the burner to the plywood.

[Doc Highwall]

I would add a wind screen, you would not believe how much heat you can loose with a light breeze.

[Mal Paso]

I would add a wind screen, you would not believe how much heat you can loose with a light breeze.

10-4 I had a 40 inch piece of 8 inch roll flashing around the unit but moved it to make room for muffin pans.

Up until now I've been relying on very clean scrap and alloy from Rotometals to keep the pot clean. I've been keeping my eye out for a burner or fryer for some time now.

I threw everything in the smelter from battery cable ends to range scrap. After fluxing the crud, including battery bolts and cable, was very easy to remove. I wound up with 50 pounds of Alloy with an air cooled hardness of about 10 bhn. I'll add some tin and cast a few...and see.

[barodi]

I Have the same smelter and did just the same as you,but welded. a nut on a steel plate and a 20 mm steel bolt (hole in middle of the burner) just a bit longer than the notches.It will take most of the weight. I melted 130 kg,280 pounds first time time on mine.