Aluminum pot OK for smelting?

[ShooterAZ]

I just acquired a large heavy duty aluminum pot from the second hand store. Before I got any unwanted surprises I wanted to find out if this is OK for smelting range lead and alloying. Thanks!

[bfuller14]

ShooterAZ,
Yes you can at your own discretion. But understand that aluminum
melts at about 1220 F. Aluminum will not let you know in advance
that you are in the melting heat range. When you reach that point
it all goes out together.
Don't ask how I know.....


Be careful,
Barry

[geargnasher]

NEGATIVE! melting lead in an aluminum container is very dangerous. The temps, particularly the flame temp on the bottom can get near the melting point of aluminum, and the aluminum fatigues over time. Sooner or later it will fail and 50-100 lbs of 700 degree lead going everywhere is a VERY serious situation.

Use steel, stainless steel, or cast iron. Cast iron can shatter, especially hot, cheap cast iron, so be careful tapping on it when it's hot (like knocking the dross off of your ladle).

Gear

[uscra112]

Aluminum gets soft and weak at elevated temperatures far below the melting point. Good chance that the weight of the lead in the pot will bulge and then burst the bottom. Don't do it.

[prs]

NO!

prs

[ShooterAZ]

Thanks guys! I'm glad I asked. I won't use it for that. It only cost a buck, so no great loss.

[geargnasher]

Sell it for three times what you paid for it at the scrap yard.

Gear

[ShooterAZ]

I think I'll just use it for cooking 45/45/10.

[zomby woof]

I have a heavy duty dutch oven I've been using for years. It works for me. It may fail one day. i'll let you know.

[bosterr]

Copper bottomed stainless steel sauce pan... seems to transfer heat pretty well.

[ShooterAZ]

I'm not sure if I would trust that one either...and it would need to be much larger than a sauce pan for what I need.

[stubshaft]

You can't go wrong with a cast steel pot! The stainless will work but the sides are thin and it doesn't maintain heat.

[trk]

I USED to smelt WW's in a 2qt sauce pan on a Colman 1950. It smoked so much (the WW) that I'd light it and leave. Why I never burned the place down only God knows.

One can get GOOD iron, steel pots and pans at Goodwill or other thrift shops for a buck or two.

[sledgehammer001]

I also don't recommend using enameled steel cookware either. Bad experience with one. Enamel had cracked and started to separate from the pot. No hazard, just a pain.

[prs]

Mine is a heavy pressed steel stock pot of about 8 quart size or so. Anyway, it has nice handles rivited to the sides and when I get it filled right up to the bottom of those rivits I have almost exactly 100# of lead alloy. 100# batches makes the math easier fer this here local edgikated boy. The turkey deep fry propane burner is like a jet engine under that little stock pot. I did have trouble with losing heat to cold air and gusty breezes until I found a 30 gallon galvanized garbage can with the bottom rusted out. I set that can upside-down over my burner and pot with a few rocks propping the rim slightly off the ground to allow air to the burner and voila, fast melts with little propane. Its a good thing.

prs

[fredj338]

Tough to beat cast iron.

[DLCTEX]

The old propane tank with the top cut off makes a cheap, large volume pot.

[Longwood]

I used a big aluminum cooking pot that had a 1/2" thick bottom for a couple of years to smelt in.
I was extremely careful to slowly get a small amount of molten lead in the bottom before turning up the heat. I always left a small amount of lead in the pan to act as a heat sink when reheating, to keep the aluminum pot bottom from over heating.
I was never worried about the aluminum pot melting, because I saw water boil in a paper bag, when I was in skool.
Now, I use a cast iron dutch oven or a big ten inch by four inch deep stainless steel pot.
The stainless pot works real well on my Coleman camp stove that burns propane.
I smelted close to 1000 pounds in the stainless pot one year for other projects.
I redid about 200 pounds of those projects for bullets last summer in the same stainless pan.
I never leave any type of container on a hot fire while it is empty.

[45pro]

I use a stainless steel pot, it works well

[GP100man]

NO , trust me brother NO !!! & don`t ask !!!

[warf73]

If money is a factor get ya a pan from dollar general for $2 make sure its the steel one. I've melted alot of metal in those before I made my propane smelter.

[oldfart1956]

hmmmm...don't think I'd try it...again. Many years ago b.i.l. and I were doing some smelting using a 3 qt. thick cast aluminum pot. Had it about 3/4 full'a melted lead as I recall and for whatever reason I decided to move it to another burner on the gas stove. Grabbed the handle and started to carefully slide the pot and noticed the top&sides were sliding...but the bottom stayed put. GAHHH! It actually flexed enough to see it. We dipped out the lead and tossed the pot. Audie...the Oldfart.

[MikeS]

I use a cast iron dutch oven I bought from Harbor Freight. From what I've heard on the forum, I'm nervous using even that, as I hear the chinese cast iron can crack very easily! One of these days I'm going to buy a better pot to melt down lead in. For small amounts I also have a Lodge cast iron pan, it's 10" around, but only 3" high, but I have lots more faith in it than in the chinese dutch oven.

[kenyerian]

I've used a Cast Iron Dutch oven since 1984.

[MT Gianni]

I use a piece of scrap 10" pipe with a cap welded on the bottom. I put 3/4 angle iron on the sides for legs. I have no problem fitting over 100 lbs in there.