smelting WW in aluminum?

[Char-Gar]

I need to smelt some WW and have an aluminum kettle. Not one of these cheap pans, but a fairly thick kettle. Will this work?

[Ed Barrett]

If you want to set and watch it, it may work. I don't like to be around the fumes that come off of smelting WW's. (plus anything else that might fall into the bucket, like rubber patches and valve stems and the sweepings from the floor) but it's free. if you have ever seen pop or beer cans that have been in a paper fire you will see it doesn't take much to melt aluminum. Just my opinion.

[wills]

Didn’t someone report an aluminum pot melting and spilling the alloy?

[imashooter2]

I hear standing in a puddle of molten metal is unpleasant. Why take an easily avoidable risk?

[Newtire]

I need to smelt some WW and have an aluminum kettle. Not one of these cheap pans, but a fairly thick kettle. Will this work?
Hey Chargar,
I have used the aluminum frypan method to melt down my wheelweights and to cast in for a long time but I'd be standing there. Conceivable it could melt but just have never had it happen.

[Dale53]

Aluminum doesn't melt at the temperature that lead melts (aluminum takes 1200 degrees or so). The problem is that the aluminum loses a great deal of strength at elevated temperatures (within the temps that you use when melting lead). You don't have much "fail safe". It is a risk that should not be taken. Just because some folks have gotten away with it does not make it a wise decision.

A cast iron dutch oven will work well with little of the risk that aluminum poses.

FWIW
Dale53

[sundog]

Newtire, if one let go whilst you were standing there, you'd get it all over you and your stuff. Not someplace I would choose to be. sundog

[Shepherd2]

I saw a pretty thick aluminum pot turn liquid in a campfire once. Complete meltdown. I only paid $13 for my imported cast iron dutch oven. That's cheap insurance.

[redneckdan]

amway stainless steel pots work good too. my casting pot is a 4 cup model and the stainless is about 3/16" thick.

[rebliss]

More things I didn't know. It never ceases to amaze me what I learn here.

Has anyone ever tried taking a paper dixie cup (unwaxed), filling it with water, and holding a match, or other flame under it? It won't burn because paper chars at around 400 degrees, and water boils at 212 degrees. So, as long as there's water inside, the paper won't char.

I'm no expert, but it doesn't it stand to reason that as long as you're keeping your lead temps below that of aluminum's melting point, you're not in danger of melting your aluminum pot?

[357maximum]

Aluminum pans and molten lead do not belong together. period. Don't believe me!! Let me show you my right calf , stemming from an incident while melting ww's for bank sinkers as a kid. If you melt lead in aluminum after what all the above posts tell you it will be YOUR scar to carry. The thicker the aluminum pot the worse it is ,,when it fails, it fails all at once with no advance warning. Molten lead in the top of your boot hurts alot, just like stupid always does. Just say NO

[wills]

Looks like that one ought to be a sticky

[JohnH]

I've read of a few people who have had cast break on them. I know that sounds kinda incredible, but if there is an internal flaw, heating and cooling are just other forms of working, and enough work will make any flaw in metal break. Cast metals are particularly suceptable to cold shuts, areas or lines that don't "bond" when cast.

Safest way is to go to the weld shop and have a pot made from large pipe or plates welded together. Sheet plate (pipe is simply rolled sheet plate) is drawn hot. the drawing, uniforms the molecular structure, the only way this fails under heat is at red hot nad greater.

I'm still using a cast pot, and I'm a welder by trade. Got two lengths of 10" square tube here, never made my pot as yet. Too busy casting and shooting.

[rebliss]

That's good info, 357 Max. Just goes to show that experience is king, and I'm not so hard-headed to prevent me from learning from the experience of others.

[MGySgt]

I use to use an Aluminum pot, an old Club Aluminum Pot, held about 50 pounds or so for smelting down WW.

One day when I was cleaning the dirt and grit out of it getting ready for more WW, I noticed that there was piting on the sides near the bottom and on the bottom INSIDE of the pot.

Some were along the way I read that molten lead will eat the Aluminum, slowly, but surely.

I used a cast iron pot from them on until I came up with a SS pot that holds about 140 pounds.

Just my .02 worth.

Take your chances, I won't. How long had I used the pot before I noticed it? about 500 pounds worth done 50-60 pounds at a time.

Drew

[Teach]

If there's a pipefitters' union apprenticeship program in your area, I'm sure they would be willing to weld up a smelting pot for you. I've seen some nice pots made from 10" or 12" steel water pipe, probably 200 pounds or so capacity, with a welded-in bottom of 1/2" steel boiler plate. No chance of melting that pot! I'm using a 20 pound capacity cast iron pot for alloying right now, but I'm about to use some surplus 6" black iron water pipe and some 3/8" plate to make a pure lead melting pot for my muzzleloader bullets. Of course, I worked as a pipe welder for several years, so installing the bottom plate isn't a problem. With a little tinkering, a pour spout and a carrying handle can be added.
Jerry

[rebliss]

What type of setup for the pour-spout would you recommend? I've seen some other posters using then hanging rod plugging the hole in the bottom. Could a valve of some sort be used?