Ignot question

[trying2learn]

I think I bought to big a cast iron pot for my heat source. I am using the side burner on my old bbq pit. I figured if the rest is messed up slightly why not take advantage of the burner. I got the biggest dutch oven I could find. I am guessing since it would start to melt the ww then stop I am using too big a pot. It is acting like a heat sync, I managed with the help of a torch on the inside to keep the liquid from hardening. Since I had started it and didn't want to leave a giant mess in the pot. I ended up worth 4 cupcake size ignots.
I figure I get a smaller pan or something then try again. All I am trying to do right now is get clean iron so I can get some of my stash smaller till I get my mold next week.
I did just think of this idea and wonder if it would work. Put some aluminum foil around the outside to keep the heat in and not blowing away?
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[John Boy]

It is acting like a heat sync, I managed with the help of a torch on the inside to keep the liquid from hardening.T2L, since the side burner doesn't have enough BTU's to keep the melt liquid in the dutch oven ... don't let that propane tank of gas go to waste...
Buy this torch and forget about using the side burner for your heat source ...

The torch generates temperatures over 3,000 degrees F with ease when you connect this torch to any standard 20 lb. propane tank.

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html

[1874Sharps]

I looked up your link, John Boy. That is alot of torch for $20. It conjures all kinds of possibilities.

[D Crockett]

More than likely your pot is to big . if I were you I would get a turkey fryer to melt your lead on it can give off more heat to melt with. or get a smaller pot . what ever you do with the old pot DO NOT USE IT FOR COOKING . also get a themomater so you can know what temp you have . D Crockett

[Nocturnal Stumblebutt]

I heartily agree with the turkey fryer suggestion. I bought a fish frier, same burner, less frying pot to pay for. And as far as making sure you don't accidentally use the pot for food, when I have retired melting pots, I've taken them out to my range to use as a target. Put a few holes in it so there is no risk that you, or anyone else, will eat from it.

[500MAG]

I think the dutch oven you are using is just fine. You can pick up a used turkey fryer of fish fryer pretty cheap. Even with these it is best to make some kind of wind block. You can have a great melt going and it is amazing how a change in the wind can drastically drop the temp.

[trying2learn]

Yea I have no intention of ever using it for food. I am going to Texas in a week and plan to go to a outfit down there. Who knows I may just pick up a melter down there. I figure there was not enough heat to heat up my lead. Thanks for the replies everyone.

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[trying2learn]

One more question. What is the normal expected weight of a cupcake mold from wheel weights. Not looking for exact amounts just a rough estimate of what I should expect. They feel like 5 or more pounds each. I filled each told up about 3/4 of the way. Hope that isn't to vague of a question thanks again.

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[Jim]

THIS (http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Camp-Chef-Single-burner-high-pressure/productDetail/Camp-Stoves/prod71420/cat110125) is the burner I use under my commercial smelters. The frame is made of steel pipe, not flat bar. It is a high pressure propane jet burner and will cook down a full eight quart pot of range lead in 45 minutes. It comes with a hose, pre-set regulator and a needle valve. I open the valve one full turn, fire it and set a timer for 45 minutes. Just that simple.

[trying2learn]

Nice. Nice indeed

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[Huntducks]

take it for what it's worth.. Buy a good turkey fryer 45-60 thousand btu with nice heavy legs don't buy the cheap fish fryer there only about 20-25 thousand btu your side burner on your bbq is 15 or less.

10 years ago harbor frieght sold sub par stuff now they sell junk.

[John Boy]

T2L - use whatever you want. I've been melting scrap sheet lead and WW's with the Harbor Freight propane torch and a cast iron dutch oven for many years. The 3,000 degrees from the torch is plenty hot to melt the lead quickly with the dutch oven stuffed full. After removing the scrap and then drossing, I use a soup ladle to spoon the melt into 2# muffin tins that fills the holes up to the top. The spoon holds 2#'s of lead. Plus storing the torch, dutch oven and spoon take up little space
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/thumbimg_456/1259171549rPbV3s.jpg
http://www.dreamstime.com/photos-images/metal-soup-ladle.html

The spoon also fits into a 20 pound casting pot when there is excess lead after casting - needed to be made back into ingots

[Sasquatch-1]

T2L, since the side burner doesn't have enough BTU's to keep the melt liquid in the dutch oven ... don't let that propane tank of gas go to waste...
Buy this torch and forget about using the side burner for your heat source ...

http://www.harborfreight.com/propane-torch-91033.html

I bought one of these torches to burn weeds out of the patio. First time I used it I damn near set the house on fire.

Did you make aframe to use to melt lead? If so do you have any pictures?

[JD Yellowhammer]

Thanks for this! I've been looking for a good burner for a couple of 50 lb lead pigs. The Bass Pro near me only has spindly, flat steel frames. And they aren't cheap. This tube steel looks like it could handle an 8 qt cast iron pot with a pig and some tin. Plus 60,000 btu's. Perfect!


THIS (http://www.sportsmanswarehouse.com/sportsmans/Camp-Chef-Single-burner-high-pressure/productDetail/Camp-Stoves/prod71420/cat110125) is the burner I use under my commercial smelters. The frame is made of steel pipe, not flat bar. It is a high pressure propane jet burner and will cook down a full eight quart pot of range lead in 45 minutes. It comes with a hose, pre-set regulator and a needle valve. I open the valve one full turn, fire it and set a timer for 45 minutes. Just that simple.

[cajun shooter]

60.000 BTU is not a lot JD. The secret to using any propane burner is the type of burner used. Here in Louisiana we started using this style of outside cooking while the rest of the US was using Coleman stoves.
Go online as you are not here where most all harware stores are carrying anything you need.
Make sure your regulator is a high pressure and not low pressure type. It tells you this on the adjusting knob.
Buy a burner with a jet burner installed which is a welding torch tip that will boil a 100 qt pot of Louisiana crawfish, crabs, or shirmp in a matter of minutes.
Buy yourself a large ladle to use to fill any type of ingot moulds. The old iron cornbread stick pans work well. They come in the corn on the cob or long muffin style designs. Make sure that your ingots will fit into your casting furnace or they are no good.
When you are smelting your lead, dont forget to use a flux at least twice during the final process before pouring your ingots. Saw dust or the wood flakes sold by a member work great and they are cheap. Take Care and Good Luck David

[trying2learn]

Ok so I may not be able to do the bigger burner for now. So it looks like I may be having to pick up one in Texas like lee ten lb pot. Just found out my son is going to start having mri done to see wether we need to do surgery or not. It's nothing big but might be hospital bill wise. If the doctors can't make you panic they naked your wallet panic. Lol. I was looking at those Coleman camp stove that run on the small bottles. However I can't see those bottles lasting too long. Do you guys think the small 7 inch pan would be better for trapping the small amounts of heat and not letting it out? I am not concerned over quantity I don't shoot a lot. I just want to stop using the local supplier. He isn't the best business person. Always a different price then marked and I have to argue the price back down to what it should be.

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[Jim]

The burner on the left side of the table is the one I'm talking about. The one on the right has since been replaced with another like the one on the left. That's an eight quart pot on the burner and I load it full, so the burner gets a good bit of weight on it.

Note the wind screen around the burner. That's a piece of roofing tin cut and sheet metal screwed to size. It helps a lot if there's a breeze running.

The burner is on a titled platform to aid in ladling out as much as possible when I get down to the bottom. I ladle from the high side to avoid the possibility of being burned if the stand happens to tip. With four legs, it's very stable.

http://floydpics.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/dscn0922-e1346506280291.jpg

[trying2learn]

I was just thinking about putting a small piece of metal around it to help the heat stay in the area.

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[JD Yellowhammer]

Thanks, David. For casting I currently use a RCBS 10 lb iron pot, a 20 lb pot, and a Lee 20 bottom pour. I heat the pots on a little Coleman camp stove with small propane bottles. This works well for me for ladle pours into my single and double cavity molds (mostly BPCR rifle boolits). It's kinda expensive, propane-wise, but not too bad and I can regulate temp pretty easily. (I have aluminum Lyman and Lee ingot molds for smelting, too).

The thing I wanted was a solid frame turkey fryer-type setup so I could smelt down those 50 lb pigs. That's way beyond the capabilities of the Coleman. I just ordered the burner that Jim linked from Sportsman's Warehouse. Now, if I could just get a big basket of fresh crawdads, I'd be in pig heaven! :grin:


60.000 BTU is not a lot JD. The secret to using any propane burner is the type of burner used. Here in Louisiana we started using this style of outside cooking while the rest of the US was using Coleman stoves.
Go online as you are not here where most all harware stores are carrying anything you need....