Pot for smelting lead?

[fusil]

Hi guys,
I’ve been to see a friend who makes balls for his black powder guns. He melts his lead in an old kitchen pan and it’s not cast iron. Is this safe??? :confused:
I didn’t argue the point as I’m new to this.
Any advice.
fusil

[Bret4207]

You can use anything that is strong enough to retain the melt when up to heat. I'd rule aluminum out, but most steel, enamel ware or cast iron products should be fine. Stay away from teflon too. Also, if you intend to lift the melt while molten, make sure the handles are strong enough ahead of time.

[Pepe Ray]

When I was very young and beginning my boolet casting "career", I confiscated one of my wifes heavy duty aluminum pots. It was big enough to smelt a good batch of WW. on my Coleman. Boy!! did I catch H377 for that!!
Anyhow-- I used it successfully for a few years for boolets until I needed to do another batch of WW. Filled it up, poured off the ingots and when I EMt'd it, turned it up to put it away, only to find the bottom quite bulged. I'd only JUST escaped filling up mu Coleman base with lead. And it, of course. had many places to leak out all over.
Always look over your set up with the promise that you will have an accident. Because you will. It's just a matter of prolonging the time till MUCH later.
Pepe Ray

[missionary5155]

Hi guys,
I’ve been to see a friend who makes balls for his black powder guns. He melts his lead in an old kitchen pan and it’s not cast iron. Is this safe??? :confused:
I didn’t argue the point as I’m new to this.
Any advice.
fusil

Good morning Here are a couple items I use as melting pots.
The large one is the hubcap from a Datsun / Nissan pickup truck. The small rectangle is the cover fron an old voltage regulator. The round item is an old bearing cap. If it is steel it will work.

[exile]

Someone gave me a small cast iron pot to smelt in, but it has a lot of rust on it. Can I use it as it is? If not, what is the best way to get the rust off of it so I can use it?

exile

[WILCO]

Someone gave me a small cast iron pot to smelt in, but it has a lot of rust on it. Can I use it as it is? If not, what is the best way to get the rust off of it so I can use it?
exile

Best way to clean it up is with a small wire wheel chucked in a drill while wearing safety glasses.

[exile]

Thanks for the advice.

exile

[sixshot]

Any cast iron dutch oven will work but almost all of them have a flat bottom. When I'm doing a big batch of alloy I have an old round bottom plumbers furnace that holds about 50 lbs of melt, it works great, I've done 600-700 lbs in an afternoon real easy. Runs off propane.

Dick

[imashooter2]

Someone gave me a small cast iron pot to smelt in, but it has a lot of rust on it. Can I use it as it is? If not, what is the best way to get the rust off of it so I can use it?

exile


Best way to clean it up is with a small wire wheel chucked in a drill while wearing safety glasses.

Absolutely true, but it will work just fine rusty too. Assuming it is just surface rust and not flakes anyway...