Recycling grill part for lead melting

[TWC941]

Good morning all!

This is my first post in this forum so if this has already been discussed, my apologies.

My neighbor down the street was throwing out an old grill with the side burner that resembles a turkey fryer.

My question is would this provide sufficient enough heatto be able to melt lead from range scrap if i built a sturdy enough base for it?

I am just trying to get into casting and am looking for somewhere to start.

Thank you for your input!
Tom

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[pdumont01]

I use a turkey fryer burner. The grill burner, depending on how big it is might work

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[Sig]

Not sure about the grill you have, but the Weber Genesis Gold I just put at the curb with side burner wouldn't have had the BTU's to smelt.

Maybe try to melt a small batch before building a base.

[jeepyj]

I can't imagine it wouldn't get hot enough to get you started at least with smaller melts. You may want a shroud around the base to keep the heat from escaping. I'm quite confident that it will provide enough heat. If by chance it doesn't a bit larger orifice should do the trick.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

TWC941,
welcome to the forum.

Well, you could give it a try...Don't cost nuthin' ...but any side burner I ever saw, wouldn't melt lead...

I use a Coleman gasoline campstove. you can find 'em at garage sales for 5 to $10.

http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/100_1002.jpg (http://s640.photobucket.com/user/JonB_in_Glencoe/media/100_1002.jpg.html)

[country gent]

It should do okay depending on the amount you want to melt at a time. 10-30 lbs should be okay. Alot use turkey friers and gas burners for this. I use a harbor frieght weed burner modified to work with my stand.A shroud around the pot and upper part ot the burner helps but you need to leave a space for air to get in for the burner to run correctly. A used turkey frier stand the weed burner and a old 25 lb propane tank to cut apart for a large lead pot can be done for under $100.00 if you hit up the garage sales and scrap yards. My set up for casting is a 130 lb pot with the weed burner and I can be up to temp in 20--30 mins and casting with the pot full. The domed bottom of the propane tank is about right to ladle out of too.

[edler7]

I have one I salvaged off a neighbors old grill. It will heat a small dutch oven hot enough to do the job, but it is a little slower than a turkey fryer.

[DerekP Houston]

My last grill with a side burner did not have enough btu's to cook on. It could heat a pot of beans or keep sauce hot, that was about it.

[Half Dog]

Where are you located. If you are near Dallas, give me a shout.

[Wayne Smith]

Even if it could I'd question if it had enough support to hold the weight.

[MrWolf]

176026176027Cut the base of the grill and support a turkey fryer. Weber made a great smelting station and with the lid on nobody can tell what you are doing - the full face mask, respirator, etc. may give it away.

[CastingFool]

I use the side burner on our propane grill to render wheelweights, using the bottom half of a refrigerant tank as my "pot" It does take a while, and I do have to watch the weight as the grill on the side burner will bend some, when subjected to both weight and heat. I have never figured how much lead it holds at one time, but my last rendering session, I ended up with about 125 lbs of clean coww, in 1-1/2lb-2lb ingots. I also use a piece of sheet metal around the pot, as a wind shield. Sometimes, I use my handheld propane torch to get the melt going.

[TWC941]

Where are you located. If you are near Dallas, give me a shout.
Im in southern commifornia!

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[gwpercle]

It should be enough to melt lead.....depending on how big a pot and how much lead.

I started with a discarded cast iron dutch oven bottom , about 12 inches in diameter , 6 or 7 inches tall, put on top of my mamma's gas stove burner and it would melt a pot full of wheel weights.
The bigger the pot the bigger/more btu's the burner will need to be. Try to score a turkey fryer or a crawfish boiling burner at one of those yard sales....that would do you just fine.
Melting lead is not as dangerous as some would have you believe , my doctor told me just keep cast bullets out of my mouth , and don't eat them , and wash my hands when done . Ingesting lead by mouth is the biggest danger.

Gary

[William Yanda]

I did it. I drilled the orifice larger. I found I needed to reinforce the grill to support a dutch oven full of lead.

[copdills]

good job

[Bullwolf]

Nicely done.

I do much about the same thing as JonB_in_Glencoe does, except that my lead melting Coleman stove runs on propane instead of gasoline.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_187904f3b0b4b99eb0.jpghttp://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_187904f3b0b713d881.jpg

It works just fine for melting smaller amounts of lead, where a turkey fryer might be somewhat overkill.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_187904f3b0caa9eb68.jpghttp://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_187904f3b0cbeecffd.jpg

Just have to watch how much weight you add to it is all.


- Bullwolf

[DeskPop]

Bullwolf, that looks almost exactly like what I've done when processing range scrap. Mine still runs on gas though.


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[woody1]

To those who dissent and say it can't be done, here's mine. I've been using it for years and while I don't smelt with it the pot you see holds 2 quarts. The only modifications to the burner is the shroud to hold the heat against the pot as it rises. I've posted this here before but it's been a while. The lid you see in the first photo helps speed up the initial melt prior to getting up to casting temp.