Can a stainless or aluminum pot be used for smelting lead?

[duckey]

My pop gave me an old cast iron pot for melting lead but I found a hole in the bottom:sad:. I have been unable to find another used pot but I do have a heavy gauge medium sized aluminum pressure cooker pot...thicker walled than most aluminum pots. Can I use this? Will it burn through eventually? Also can stainless pots be used? I have a Restore near me and they usually have older kitchen pots available.

[hermans]

Many threads here telling you to stay clear of aluminium pots for smelting. I have been using a stainless steel pot for many years, no problems at all.

[duckey]

Stainless it is! Thanks.

[el34]

Walmart, stainless 6qt stewpot w/lid, $6.79.

[country gent]

If you have a outdated propane tank and a hack saw they make great lead pots also. Steep and a domed bottom. Cut at the hieght you want an go. Cast iron, steel, stainless steel all will work. At the tyemps to melt lead aluminun can weaken with the wieght of lead it may collapse.

[RogerDat]

If your talking about a heavy (approx. 1/4 inch) cast aluminum and it does not have a huge capacity it might not have the problems typical of aluminum cook pots getting weaker from the heat and bulging from the weight until they pop. My mom had a pressure cooker that was aluminum and it was thicker than my HF dutch oven.

[bedbugbilly]

I'd avoid aluminum regardless of the thickness. You're dealing with molten metal that could cause a lot of injury if the pot should have a problem. Stick with what has been suggested. If you don't have an outdated propane tank - check with a facility that refills propane tanks - they may be able to help you out with one that is outdated that you could cut down.

[MrWolf]

Go the propane tank route. Check with places that refill them and ask for the ones that they would not refill due to wrong fittings. Look on net and see how to remove valve safely. I used a sawzall and cut it like butter.

[Wayne Smith]

Avoid aluminum - it is the slump temp that is important here and no matter how thick it is there is only a matter of time before it goes.

[too many things]

the cheap SS stock pots are NOT SS they will rust once heated to the 700* so good for some melts but not for long term use.
the propane tanks have a {built in heat ring} the base. and work good . can find many on old grills at yard sales .
take valve out fill with tide and water let sit in sun and cut next day with a sawsall

[zuke]

I picked up a pressure cooker at a flea market for $0.50

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/pressurecookermeltingpot066.jpg

Here's an idea on how big it is. When I use it I fill it with molten lead to the handle rivet's. I don't know how much it weigh's at that point but it make's for a consistant alloy.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/pressurecookermeltingpot067.jpg

[taco650]

Another vote for stainless. I got a small 1.5qt pan at Walmart and have been using that for smelting and casting. It isn't ideal but gets the job done. Plan is to upgrade to a Lee 20lb bottom pour in future. Check your local thrift stores for cheap steel or cast iron pots.

[duckey]

I have about 100 lbs of lead to smelt, so for now I just need something safe to use. I'll check out some second hand stores. Thanks for all the help. I do have a Lee 10 lb production pot but I do not want to smelt in the pot. Also, since I do not have a PID controller wired in what number do you keep your dial at for a good temp 5 or 6 ish? I do not have a thermometer yet.

[country gent]

The numbers on the dial are more refrenece than an actual temperature. I used 3 diffrent lee pots and all had slightly diffrent dial ettings for the same temps on the same thermometer. A cast iron chicken fry pan ( large dia deep sides) will work and probably hold 25-30 lbs. A dutch oven 6 quart will iold over 100 lbs. A stainless pots or pans will work would pefer heavier walled ones though. An old out of date propane tank makes a great pot also. One thing to do is if your smelting more than one pot at a time is ID ingots as to pot batch. If you do 10 lb batches and smelt 10 pots full. you have INgots from 1-10. I ingot from each batch into the pot will keep each pot very consistent from pot to pot.

[afish4570]

the cheap SS stock pots are NOT SS they will rust once heated to the 700* so good for some melts but not for long term use.
the propane tanks have a {built in heat ring} the base. and work good . can find many on old grills at yard sales .
take valve out fill with tide and water let sit in sun and cut next day with a sawsall

First follow the safety procedures for making sure tank is empty. A mini grinder for $9.99 from Harbor Freight on sale with a coupon and a $1.00 cutoff wheel. Takes a few mins. and less than half a wheel to cut the tank up. Do a search on this forum for some more descriptions....i wrote a few myself. afish4570

[duckey]

Well I bitt the boolit and bought a brandy new 3 quart cast iron pot (Lodgeware) at Wally World yesterday for $25 and a nice big stainless spoon for skimming. I couldn't find a used cast pot locally. I'll set my aluminum pot to the side.

[duckey]

Smelted 61 lbs of range scrap I bought for $25. I believe I have about 45-50 lbs of ingots. The whole process took about 3 hours. Skimmed a lot of copper off. It sure made a differance using a large cast pot rather than a small electric melting pot which I have been doing for a couple years now. Can't wait to cast up some boolits!

[zuke]

Keep that copper to bring to the scrapper for money or trade for lead.

[Markbo]

I use a a propane tank. I use the cut portion as a pot top. Just like cooking it holds heat in when needed.

[WD2A7X3]

You can have the hole in the cast iron brazed closed with brass if you want to keep it around as a backup.

[mjwcaster]

Not sure on the pressure cooker, but I had a thick bottom aluminum pot that the bottom delaminated on the second smelt.
Now I have a thin bottom aluminum pot and a couple of circular pieces, one steel one thin aluminum.

Matt

[Boosted98gsx]

What's wrong with a cast iron dutch oven? I am certain you can find one in a flea market or a garage sale for $5.

[Markbo]

Absolutely nothing.

[1911KY]

What's wrong with a cast iron dutch oven? I am certain you can find one in a flea market or a garage sale for $5.

Cast iron is rivaling gold around these parts, I couldn't find a pot for less than $30. So I found a 4" deep skillet for $15 to use until I can cut up a helium tank I have.

[QIDPlb]

Stainless Steel will do. Cast Iron is great, but hard to find cheap.

[zomby woof]

I've been using a thick old aluminum dutch oven for years now. Yea, I know, any day now.

[fastfire]

Started out using the HF cast iron pot, Now use the bottom 1/2 of a propane tank.
I can get 120lbs from each smelting.

[kerreckt]

I use a cast iron Dutch oven I bought at a yard sale for $5.00. I have used it for more than 10 years and it will probably last forever, barring anything really, really stupid on my end. I can process about 120lbs of alloy, at a time, in it.

[6bg6ga]

Has to be cheap has to be steel or cast iron. Aluminum won't do.