Insulating the melting pot

[Gunslinger]

My casting master insists on insulating the pot with rock wool everytime we smelt... he says otherwise it takes far too long.

The result is that everytime we end up melting the gas tube on the spout of the fryer.

I see The Antimony Man offers heat shields. Does anybody use these? Or any other form of insulation??

PS its always a minimun of about 55 degrees when we smelt....

[MT Gianni]

I know that the gas needs to burn and vent to work. I believe that the heat shield should be mainly to prevent wind deflecting the flames from staying on the pot. I would think a longer melt time would still be better than replacing the gas tube. Gianni

[mooman76]

I am not exactly sure what you are talking about but I don't do that and I don't think it would make that much difference. Try it without and see.

[snaggdit]

I use my turkey fryer outside at 0 degree temps and it melts fast enough. 10 pounds at a time maybe 15 minutes. Maybe a wind shield would help on a windy day, but otherwise negligible.

[Charlie Sometimes]

I use a propane burner unit from a deep fryer/smoker that's really heavy duty and burns pretty hot and melts pretty fast with a cast iron pot that will hold around 100 lb. each batch. There is some gap around the pot and I think the pot gets a little too much air around it from time to time.
I had a fella at a local welding shop make me a shield that sets down within the edge of the unit and around the pot to help concentrate the heat better on the pot. Seems to help melt a little quicker- the flame doesn't dance around the pot as much as it did. If you go that route, allow some for fit, unless you can take your unit to someone. Mine was very tight fitting when I put it on. It goes to the top of the pot or just a little more.

Blocking any breeze from getting to the pot helps just because you're not loosing heat and wasting your energy, but if you are damaging something that needs replaced evrytime, then you may have too much of a good thing. Is it worth it to you?

[docone31]

Mostly, insulation helps keep moving air from cooling the heat, and melt.
If you can make some kind of metal shield that you can work around, that might help.
It will be interesting to see some inovation addressing that need. You also have moisture in the air. That would increase the heat drain.
Keep it simple. It works better.

[NoDakJak]

When I first began using my turkey fryer it took about 45 minutes to melt approximately 50 pounds of wheel weights in a cast iron pot. By simply placing a one inch steel ring that is about two inches larger diameter than the steel pot and then centering the pot in it has reduced my melt time to about twenty minutes. Amazing difference and it sure saves on propane. Neil

[Pepe Ray]

Plain old fashioned stove pipe, found at any good hardware store . comes in sizes up to 12" or more in Dia. x2ft L easily cut to L. Easy to rivet/screw a handle on it to move when hot. Leave it unclinched if you need larger Dia. or gap for access.
Cheap ,light, needs no clean up, fire proof.
Pepe Ray

[missionary5155]

Good morning
I took a metal coffee can and wacked it off about half way down to place on the outside of my lead pot to keep my propane burner heat up around the the pot. I also have an old aluminum pot top that is about 8 inches in diameter I place on top of my coffee can heat trap. When the pot gets up to temp the top is done and I turn the buner down. Saves my heat up time by about 20% and the pot stays hot.
Mike