Searching for a gas melter.

[eka]

I am looking for a gas smelting setup. I was thinking of the turkey fryer, but one I can't find any really good deals on them, and two I am a little worried about the strength of some of the bases I have looked at. I don't want 75 to 80 pounds of molten lead dumped on my feet. So, I checked Harbor Freight's website and came across a propane single burner with 15,000 BTU. Now, from what I can tell, a Coleman style stove has around 8,000 BTU and a turkey fryer has up to 30,000 BTU. So, this thing is right in the middle somewhere in my best guess. The price is definitely right, but would it do the trick or should I keep searching for the holy grail of turkey burners. Tell me what you think.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=35558

Thanks,

Keith

[Pawpaw]

First of all, if you are looking for a turkey fryer, go look at flea markets, antique shops, second hand shops, places like that. No sense buying one new, they don't wear out.

The burner you saw at Harbor Freight should do fine. You can melt bullet lead on a campfire, so just about any burner would do.

[grumble]

When it comes to smelter heat, more is better. I got one of the cheapie turkey burners, reinforced it with scrap angle iron, and wrapped a piece of fitted corregated steel roofing around it as a windbreak. I use a cut off propane tank as a pot, which holds about 150+ lbs of molten lead. I welded a couple pieces of angle iron to the base of the pot to make sure it wouldn't tip while on the burner stand.

Lotsa heat, solid, and strong.

[kenjuudo]

http://www.basspro.com/servlet/catalog.TextId?hvarTextId=33053&hvarSearchValue2=670&hvarSearchValue3=788&hvarSearchValue4=00&hvarTarget=search&AFID=&sourceid=&cmCat=SEARCHRESULTS

Strong unti, comes with cast iron pot, will hold 100lbs. I've been using two of them for years, about 45,000 BTU.

jim

[Johnch]

I have one of these Harbor Freight Single burners (http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=44893) .
Legs needed to be replaced IMO but price was right , FREE .

You do know you have to buy a regulater .

The neibor built his out of a Propane hot water heater burner and some scrap .


Johnch

[jballs918]

i also went with the turkey frier from bass pro. cant go wrong with it. so far the biggest smelt i have done has been 70 lbs and no problems at all. its solid and i got it for 30 bucks and i still can ook with it.

[dmdracer]

You might check Wally World, I bought one a few months ago for somewhere around $25.00 (best I recall)
They were stashed around the plant section outside, on top of a shelf. Never would have thought to look there. been there awhile...lots of dust !

I did not get a pot with it, but that's easy enough to find. Hooks up to a propane tank.
good luck on your search.
Dave

[charlie / sw mo]

I am looking for a gas smelting setup. I was thinking of the turkey fryer, but one I can't find any really good deals on them, and two I am a little worried about the strength of some of the bases I have looked at. I don't want 75 to 80 pounds of molten lead dumped on my feet. So, I checked Harbor Freight's website and came across a propane single burner with 15,000 BTU. Now, from what I can tell, a Coleman style stove has around 8,000 BTU and a turkey fryer has up to 30,000 BTU. So, this thing is right in the middle somewhere in my best guess. The price is definitely right, but would it do the trick or should I keep searching for the holy grail of turkey burners. Tell me what you think.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=35558

Thanks,

Keith
how close to sw mo are you --theres a guy over here with a gasfed smelter that came out of a printshop--its still got 100 lbs or so of linotype in it. i think he would part with it at a reasonable price.
charlie in sw mo

[eka]

Sounds tempting Charlie, but I'm in SW Virginia. At least we got the southwest part working.

Lots a difference in 15,000 and 45,000 BTU I reckon. I guess I'm still leaning toward the turkey burner idea. That Bass Pro unit looks stronger than what I've been seeing at Wally World and Ebay.

Keith