Thank you Maurice Fetterman!

[Mark Daiute]

The prize find at last weekend's gunshow in Augusta, Maine, surpassing even my WWII re-build 03 Springfield at $400.00 was the lead furnace made by Maurice Fetterman of Jamaica NY. In less than 2 hours I've smelted down 49lbs. of Wheel Weights. Thank you Maurice Fetterman, whoever you are!

I have no idea how old this furnace is. It looks like it holds about 30 or 40lbs of lead, uses 110volt outlets. The plug on the furnace end has 2 sides flip it one way and it is on "low" flip it the other and it is on "high".

Anyone else ever see/have one of these?

[el34]

How does that compare with what you were using before?

[ElDorado]

I've never seen one. How about some pictures?

[Mark Daiute]

How does that compare with what you were using before?

Last time I smelted down a bucket of wheelweights I used a cast iron pot in the fireplace. This was cleaner and easier.

I just smelted down one bucket and came up with 112 and one half pounds of clean ingots and one ingot that was dirty from the bottom of the pot

[Mark Daiute]

The new furnace and a 5 gallon bucket's worth of smelting

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_1467_zpsa52b8c22.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Mayne1713/media/IMG_1467_zpsa52b8c22.jpg.html)

http://i41.photobucket.com/albums/e268/Mayne1713/IMG_1468_zpsc48289e8.jpg (http://s41.photobucket.com/user/Mayne1713/media/IMG_1468_zpsc48289e8.jpg.html)

That particular bucket yielded 106 lbs of ingots and all the clips you see in the pile on the table

[Mk42gunner]

I have never seen one, but it looks like a well built piece of equipment.

Interesting that it is labeled for both ac and dc use, and that it is serialized.

I would think a lot of these were used in the repair of vacuum tubes, for solder; along with anywhere that cast small Babbitt bearings.

Robert

[ElDorado]

Now I see what you mean about flipping the plug to change heat settings.

That thing is probably over 50 years old and still melting good, and it looks fairly sturdy. I'd say you did good.

[Mark Daiute]

I did a search and came up empty for Electro Melter but found that Maurice was born in 1905 and died in 1978.

I paid 50 dollars for the Electro Melter and have smelted down 219lbs of ingots. I've got three more buckets of wheal-weights to go then I have several hundred lbs of typemetal before I start in on the lead I have. I'm just wondering how to store the ingots cause once they are there, they are there! I paid one of my sons 5 bucks a bucket to get them from the basement up into my room where I'm doing the smelting.

[novalty]

Congratulating you on a nice find from another Mainer!

Looks like a lot easier set up than my propane cooker and dutch oven set up.