Lead pot

[armoredman]

What can I use? Does it have to be cast iron? Will any small cast iron pot do? Can I use a steel pot, (I know no aluminum), or will that not work as well? Down to the last few items needed, I think.
Any casters in the Tucson area?

[scrapcan]

tell us what kind of burner you have? Is it a small coleman single burner that mounts on top of a small propane bottle? Just trying to judge what Kind of weight you can reasonably hold with your burner. You can use a steel pot but you loose alot of heat, cast iron will hold heat better.

Just don't get to big of a pot. You can try salvation army or that type of thrift store also. Another option is to find someone who can make you a pot out of a piece of pipe and plate. You might be able to stop by a welding shop and talk them into making you a small pot pretty cheap.

Hope you have a fellow caster in close proximity. The comraderee in shooting is pretty good, but those who cast is even better.

If you have not already taken a look, you should look at the LASC website
http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm
Down towards the bottom is apicture of an RCBS cast iron lead pot that you can use for reference.

[GP100man]

like manlyjt said a cast iron pot that fits the burner weight wise & size wise.
only thing i can add is absolutly no alumminum pot af any size or thickness!!!!

GP100man
:cbpour:

[armoredman]

Nobody close that I know of, two people who USED to cast, no longer, and no old equipment laying about, bummer.
I will have to stroll through the local resellers, see what's hidden. I have a single burner Ozark Trail camp stove, in my BOBox, (SHTF supplies), and about 4 bottles of fuel, so I hope that will work.
Getting there!

[44man]

The cast iron pot is great for making ingots and casting too but for casting, the Lee 20# pot can't be beat. Why fool with stoves and fire when you can just plug the pot in? Of course, you still need a cast iron pot for melting WW's. But even a stainless pot will work for that.

[scrapcan]

44man,

Armoredman is just getting started and doesn't have all the resources he would like to purchase everything new, or that is what I gathered from reading his series of posts. Do you have anything stored away that will help the budding caster to move along a little quicker?

I am trying to dig some stuff out to send along as I remember what it was like when I started 20 plus years ago and had little or no money and even less knowledge available.

Armoredman,
Hang around and ask if some have unused equipment that could come your way. I bet there is a chance you will receive some feedback (as you have already found out).

And if all else fails the lee that 44man suggested (20lb bottom pour)is about 65 plus shipping. A dipper type pot can be had for $28 (lee 4 lb) or $55 for a lyman minimag furnace (10lb), plus shipping of course. those are prices from www.midwayusa.com

[wills]

Use an iron or steel pot untill you can save up $140 or thereabouts to order a Waage!
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=8225&highlight=waage
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?p=91633#post91633

[montana_charlie]

I have a single burner Ozark Trail camp stove, in my BOBox, (SHTF supplies), and about 4 bottles of fuel, so I hope that will work.
Ozark Trail is the WalMart store brand for camping gear. Without a picture, it's anybody's guess as to who made that stove.
Does it look like this? http://www.s177422185.websitehome.co.uk/Data/150607/794katrina6katrinax-51-x1410/1.html

If so, you are going to get tired (real fast) of melting lead on it. The 'trivet' around the burner doesn't look strong enough for a good sized cast iron pot without lead in it.

Do what you think best, but I would look for something tougher, and save that little jewel for camping or SHTF emergencies.
CM

[duckndawg]

ok im new at this why not use an aluminum pot to melt with? i purchased an aluminum pot just to melt ww down to make ingots, did i boo boo?

[45nut]

an aluminum pot WILL eventually fail and let the contents out in a rather nasty way and with troublesome timing I bet.

Do us all a favor and dump it, after you destroy it so it cannot be used for any other purpose.

[wills]

ok im new at this why not use an aluminum pot to melt with? i purchased an aluminum pot just to melt ww down to make ingots, did i boo boo?

If you use the search feature you can see we’ve had this discussion on the board innumerable times. The melting point of aluminum is such it can be weakened at lead melting temperature. If you have a lot of weight in the pot it can fail. If I recall correctly that has happened to at least one of the members here.

[warf73]

What can I use? Does it have to be cast iron? Will any small cast iron pot do? Can I use a steel pot, (I know no aluminum), or will that not work as well? Down to the last few items needed, I think.
Any casters in the Tucson area?


If you would like I will send you a http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=637732

if you PM me your name and address. Call it a gift from one caster to another.

Warf

[Whitespider]

armoredman

I’m real green at this molten metal stuff, I melt and cast with an old electric kitchen stove using cast iron “cookware”. I found my cast iron pots at antique stores. I work on the road and when I see an antique store I just swing in, a guy can walk through one darn quick if you ain’t got your wife with. Sometimes the stuff is over priced and I pass. Here’s a list of my “cheep” cast iron finds;

1-qt saucepan - $7.50 – melts 10-15 lbs
2-qt saucepan - $4.00 – melts 25-30 lbs
Large dutch oven - $12.00 – smelting WWs
Large fry pan - $2.00 – great for dropping sprues in
Muffin pan - $3.00 – ingots
Large lead ladle (holds 2 lb) - $8.00 – pouring ingots
RCBS casting ladle - $1.50

The rusty and/or worn stuff is the least expensive and work just fine. The wire handle was missing on the Dutch oven and the lid has a large “chip” in it. The “good” Dutch Ovens sell for $35-50.

[armoredman]

Warf, that is an offer I cannot resist at all, PM sent, HUGE public thanks.

BTW, it's not an Ozark Trail, (which is what almost all of my SHTF gear is, cheap WallyWorld I-hope-it-won't-get-me-killed stuff), but some other off brand propane rig single burner camp stove, runs off the taller bottles. I was concerned it may be too tall to cast with, might fall over, and THAT would be bad.
But thanks to a very generous offer here, I don't believe I will have to worry about that.

Someday, I will be to the point where I can be the one sending gear to the new guy. Someday soon.

[wills]

Be sure you use that for casting, not for smelting.

[warf73]

Warf, that is an offer I cannot resist at all, PM sent, HUGE public thanks.

BTW, it's not an Ozark Trail, (which is what almost all of my SHTF gear is, cheap WallyWorld I-hope-it-won't-get-me-killed stuff), but some other off brand propane rig single burner camp stove, runs off the taller bottles. I was concerned it may be too tall to cast with, might fall over, and THAT would be bad.
But thanks to a very generous offer here, I don't believe I will have to worry about that.

Someday, I will be to the point where I can be the one sending gear to the new guy. Someday soon.



No problem I'm happy to help out.

Warf

[357maximum]

ok im new at this why not use an aluminum pot to melt with? i purchased an aluminum pot just to melt ww down to make ingots, did i boo boo?

Flashback to the mid 80's, you would see me with a huge ol aluminum pot mom used to de-feather chickens with. Anyway it was full of alot of lead ww destined to be wasted in the bottom of a local river for cat sinkers. Woosh right into my boot on my left foot. Big scar lotsa pain, the pot simply got tired and the hole side went out (picture a silver Mt St Helen). No warning no feel of impending doom , just woosh. Still got the pretty large raised red scar to remember it by. Aluminum WILL at some point fail you, use steel or cast iron please destroy the pot if you have already used it, and dispose of it. As bad as it was, it could have been far worse if say my 6 yr old lil sister had been around. The gamble is simply not worth it.

[armoredman]

Be sure you use that for casting, not for smelting.

OK, I'll bite - what are you referring to, sir?

[BABore]

It's not good form to smelt and cast in the same pot. Your smelting pot will collect alot of dirt and other nasty crap that's hard to get out. This is fine for making your ingots, but you want a nice, squeaky clean pot for casting out of. Size is also an issue. Your smelting pot will typically be larger, holding 60+ lbs of alloy. This will keep your alloy lot size large for consistency. I bought a cheap, ching-ching 4 qt dutch oven from Gander Mnt. for smelting. Think I paid 7-8 bucks for it. Holds about 100 lbs of alloy. For a casting pot I made my own 40 lb stainless pot. I just recently picked up a cheap steel pot for a second alloy. The local Menard's and Home Depot have bean pots in there grill dept. It's a 1 qt steel pot with 2 riveted bail handles. It's got a non-stick coating on it that I'll burn off first. Think it cost around 5 bucks and is another ching-ching slave product. I use a turkey fryer burner for both smelting and casting over. I picked up 5 of them at Menards "end-of-season" sale for $16 each. Add a RCBS finned ladle and a thermometer and your rolling.

[armoredman]

Ah, I didn't think of that. Thanks.

[armoredman]

Thank you to Warf! The Lee furnace arrived today! Looking forward to trying to start tomorrow!

[warf73]

:-D

Hope you get many years of service from it.

Warf