Urban casters where/how do you smelt?

[wb_carpenter]

I recently moved to an urban environment(townhouse) and I have a large porch and casting is no problem but smelting would be a huge problem.

Looks like I'm going to go portable and take it to the woods somewhere. I see my main problem is I sold my truck for a car so I will not be able to get to far off the beaten path. I guess I would just bring a fire extinguisher and my usual setup(propane stove) I may buy a turkey fryer to speed up the process.

How do you urban guys do it?

[fryboy]

put it inside a chiminea :-P ( ummm while that was a joke .... mite actually work hmmm...) i think ( plz dont quote me ) that this could possibly be why alot of folks use a dutch oven with a lid ? something on the concrete would be wise ( like a thin sheet of aluminum ) to minimize future clean up times , i smelt either outside or just inside the garage door ( weather dependent )

[NWFLYJ]

I recently moved to an urban environment(townhouse) and I have a large porch and casting is no problem but smelting would be a huge problem.

Looks like I'm going to go portable and take it to the woods somewhere. I see my main problem is I sold my truck for a car so I will not be able to get to far off the beaten path. I guess I would just bring a fire extinguisher and my usual setup(propane stove) I may buy a turkey fryer to speed up the process.

How do you urban guys do it?



What if you get a barbq grill or better yet a cheap smoker and smelt the same day that you cookout. You can't help it if your a bad cook and it smells.http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc45/marklamon/YJ%20Yard%20Sale/stirthepot.gif

[GARCIA]

I can feel for you!

I live in a subdivision and have not encountered any problems as of yet. Try to get my smelting done during the week so as not to offend any one. Coleman stove and a dutch oven works great so far.

Purchased an old style oil drip pan from a local Auto Zone. Do both my smelting and casting on it. Super easy clean up.

I think I would stay away from going out in the woods and trying to do any smelting. Might be a very uncomfortable way to meet the members of your local law enforcement. Some good meaning civivilian may think "METH LAB" and call you in.

Wish you the best!

Tom

[wb_carpenter]

I can feel for you!

I live in a subdivision and have not encountered any problems as of yet. Try to get my smelting done during the week so as not to offend any one. Coleman stove and a dutch oven works great so far.

Purchased an old style oil drip pan from a local Auto Zone. Do both my smelting and casting on it. Super easy clean up.

I think I would stay away from going out in the woods and trying to do any smelting. Might be a very uncomfortable way to meet the members of your local law enforcement. Some good meaning civivilian may think "METH LAB" and call you in.

Wish you the best!

Tom

I was thinking the same thing so I've decided to just do it at home.

I have a stainless pot with a lid so ill keep it covered or light the smoke to try to keep it down.

[roberto mervicini]

Hi casting is new for me, I reloads since over 30 yrs but never cast till now, lately I had build a 45/70 using as platform a Siamese mauser action, and I prepare 30 lb of lead ready to cast.
If smelting is the process of melting down lead in my case ww I did it on my back porch.
On a metal wire I hook up my cast iron pot and melt down the ww with a reg. butane torch, with a table spoon in a wood handle with holes drill in the spoon part, scoop out the metal clamps, after I ad the tin 50/50 solder wire, steer remove impurity, in go the parafine and light it up . Scoop out last impurity, whit the wise grip I clamp and remove the pot to poor the lead in a small metal muffin pan.
Use a clay flower pot to hold and dispose the hot clamps and impurity and some bricks under the muffin pan... since the first time it made some marks on the wood of the porch!!
One pot take up +- 13 to 15 min to process ( 5 to 6 lb of ready to cast lead.)
_______
roberto

[sargenv]

You might see if there is someone on the board local that has a place a bit more remote and ask to do it there. I live in the burbs and do it in my back yard... thankfully the neighbors never complain but I always light off the smoke when I can and flux it well with wood chips so it just smells like I am cooking on a fire.

[Intel6]

I try and do it in the middle of the day during the middle of the week. Hopefully there is also a slight breeze so the smoke doesn't hover.

[geargnasher]

It doesn't have to be a flaming, smoke-belching operation. Smelt with a lid, flux with sawdust/woodchips only if needed. Most WW come pre-coated with reducants, just sort out the trash and valve stems and smelt them down in a pot with a lid. also, doing this during the middle of the day as has been mentioned may be a good way to go. I'd suggest doing it at midnight, but that might freak everyone out if they smell foul smoke in the neigborhood, and lots of places forbid any type of fire after dark.

Gear

[Cowboy T]

It doesn't have to be a flaming, smoke-belching operation. Smelt with a lid, flux with sawdust/woodchips only if needed. Most WW come pre-coated with reducants, just sort out the trash and valve stems and smelt them down in a pot with a lid.

I actually do use the reductants that come on the WW's themselves (paint, road oil, grease, etc.) whem making my ingots. It works remarkably well. However, I don't use a lid because of the thermometer. You might miss a zinc weight, and if you hit 787 deg. F., that's one ruined batch. I tend to keep my melt at 600, which also cuts down on the blue/purple oxidative formation (at about 650 deg., it starts forming).

[35isit]

I too live in a subdivision. I gather up scented candles that have been burned to the bottom. I take what is left and add a little at a time, even before the lead is liquid. My neighborhood smells like lavender and jasmine when I smelt lead.

[CiDirkona]

I live in a subdivision with an HOA. I smelt in my front yard.

Oh, does it make any difference that I nominated myself and voted myself onto the Board of Directors? :D

[Crash_Corrigan]

I would shure do it outdoor and make sure the wind is blow away from your house. I did some a few years ago on a 2nd floor balcony on a gentle breeze day and choked out the pair of pit bulls across the street. Their owners left them on the balcony for weeks at a time during the day the barking was driving me nuts.

Sorting out the ww's from the detrius and junk in the bucket is a messy job but does pay off in lessened smoke and less fuel wasted. I am also pretty good at clinking a suspect ww onto a pair of big pliers and if the noise is too crisp then I toss the ww rather than including a possible zinc ww into the pot. To protect the surface of the balcony from molten alloy I cover it with multiple layers of newspaper taped down with duct tape and a layer of aluminum foil under the first couple of layers. When I am done or getting near the end I scrape off the drips and spills and put them back into the pot.

I flux with Pat Martin's CFF as it smells wonderful and gets the job done and disguised the nasty smells eminating from the cast iron pot. I use a thermometer to keep the temps at about six hundred degrees or so and I scoop off the clips once everything is melted but before the temps rise above the magic numbers.

[82nd airborne]

I went thru a whole bucket of ww in my youth by smelting them in a 10lb lee bottom pour. I would throw the ww in, pick the clips out, add stick ons by weight, flux and make boolits. In a pinch that would work.

[cajun shooter]

As Crash stated , use Pat Marlins wood shaving flux. It smells great and I always leave some burning on top. It is sent in a USPS and my box is over 18 months old. Mostly casting but some smelting.

[Matt_G]

I smelt in my subdivision and haven't had any complaints yet.
Maybe the "Whiners will be shot on sight" sign has something to do with that... :kidding:

[HeavyMetal]

First a "TownHouse" is a Condominium or your basic apartment complex.

This usually means very limited outdoor space and shared common areas which usually means some ones kids are in the area.

This s a NO GO situation!

The suggestion to use a chiminey is not a bad one IF your place happens to have a fireplace.

Flux with wood chips also a good idea then you can tell everyone your a BBQ freak.

If you don't have a fireplace then smelting inside on a gas stove is the next idea. The range hood will let you get rid of any smoke and, if your married, you'll quickly find out who the real boss is!

Getting over that hurdle I'd thrift store a couple smaller iron pots that I would use to make smaller batchs in. It will be easier to smelt inside that way and you'll have more control over smoke and smell.

As a last idea you need a bud who has a back patio area that can allow you to do this, and maybe smelt his to, once in awhile.

You have my sympathy I did the apartment thing once and the HOA thing once, and will never do so again!

[Rock]

Driveway in full view of the street so that nobody thinks the house is on fire.

[WILCO]

What if you get a barbq grill or better yet a cheap smoker and smelt the same day that you cookout. You can't help it if your a bad cook and it smells.http://i213.photobucket.com/albums/cc45/marklamon/YJ%20Yard%20Sale/stirthepot.gif

That's how I do it on some days. Smelt and BBQ @ different ends of the driveway. [smilie=s:

[wb_carpenter]

First a "TownHouse" is a Condominium or your basic apartment complex.

This usually means very limited outdoor space and shared common areas which usually means some ones kids are in the area.

This s a NO GO situation!

The suggestion to use a chiminey is not a bad one IF your place happens to have a fireplace.

Flux with wood chips also a good idea then you can tell everyone your a BBQ freak.

If you don't have a fireplace then smelting inside on a gas stove is the next idea. The range hood will let you get rid of any smoke and, if your married, you'll quickly find out who the real boss is!

Getting over that hurdle I'd thrift store a couple smaller iron pots that I would use to make smaller batchs in. It will be easier to smelt inside that way and you'll have more control over smoke and smell.

As a last idea you need a bud who has a back patio area that can allow you to do this, and maybe smelt his to, once in awhile.

You have my sympathy I did the apartment thing once and the HOA thing once, and will never do so again!

I have a rather large patio about 20ftx20ft and I am also on a golf course(not open till january). The problem is the porch is partially eclosed(roof/screened in) so the smoke wont have an easy escape. I have decided to simply smelt on the edge of the golf course with the wind blowing away from the townhouses probably at night time. I was lucky enough to trade some soft stick ons for already ingoted clip ons for I am good to go for a while. Although I would like to have "extra":-).

[lawboy]

I smelt at night. Late at night. At night, people are inside. If it is hot they have the A/C on and the house is buttoned up tight so they cannot smell your smelting as their systems have filters on them. If it is cold, they have the heat on and the house is buttoned up tight. Same scenario as above.
I do sometimes smelt during the day but I prefer the night because sometimes my neighbors are in their backyards swimming, cooking out, etc. I will shut it down if they are outside out of courtesy.
Now, I do have one neighbor behind me who was a major pain and without even telling me there was an issue, sent the police to my house one night about 11 p.m. because he had called in a meth lab. The cops who responded were jerks and thus began an hour long ordeal in which I had much fun with them because I know my rights and I know their procedures and POST rules etc. Ended up getting an apology from the shift sgt. when he showed up and a promise to make a notation on the address so they would not respond to any future call.
After that, I had strong words with the neighbor. After THAT, when we both cooled down, I invited him over and showed him the process and what I was doing and told him if he is going to be out in the yard let me know and I will shut down. Been a year since then, no more problems.

Let me add that I smelt A LOT. Thousands of lbs a year, as in 4-6k. It can be done. You just have to deal with the issues.

[Hamp54]

I saw a guy on UTube using a fish fryer and a big cast iron skillet for smelting. It looked like he took the whole works out to the local park and worked out the back of his pickup truck. Like you, I have a car instead of a truck but I think all of this stuff will fit easily

[Texasflyboy]

35 gallon metal galvanized trash can. Cut a 4 inch hole dead center in bottom Attached a 4" flanged duct pipe connector. Pop rivet in place. Use a 4" to 2" reduction piece on the flanged duct. Find a 5 gallon or better wet/dry vac. Dump about four or five bounty dryer sheets inside. You might want to wrap a few more around the filter with rubber bands. Connect the vac hose to the trash can via the reduction fitting (use duct tape). Place the garbage can over the smelt and flip on the vac. The vac will suck up the smoke and filter it faster than you can create smoke.

You can also get HEPA filters for some vacs to filter even more. Make sure the can is high enough so you don't kill the smelt flame if you're using a turkey burner.

I once used the exact same setup at a large airport (I mean a big airport) and I was setup in the basement under the baggage claim area facing an open door. The HVAC intake system was about 75 yards away and no one ever complained about smell.

There was virtually no smoke or smell even when I fluxed.

As fast as I made smoke the vac sucked it up, filtered it and spit it back out clean. I changed dryer sheets about every 15 to 30 mins to keep the area smelling laundry fresh.

FWIW.

[Markbo]

I saw a guy on UTube using a fish fryer and a big cast iron skillet for smelting. It looked like he took the whole works out to the local park and worked out the back of his pickup truck. Like you, I have a car instead of a truck but I think all of this stuff will fit easily

I've seen the same... or an open field or lot. Going off into the woods means the smoke might linger... you want it to go away. You can use your car as a wind block for the fire and once the smoke gets up it can blow away from you/the car.

I'm one of the SUBurbanites. I just make sure the breeze is blowing toward my one A**hole neighbor on smelting days. :p

[SciFiJim]

During the middle of the day during the week works for me. I have a rotating day off, so once a week I am home when none of the neighbors are.

[GLL]

wb:

Fort Lauderdale ! It is time for a weekday "cookout" on a deserted beach ! :) :)
Take your grill along with some beer & hot dogs to use as "cover" !

Jerry

[Bob J]

Another vote for middle of the day in the middle of the week.... I also wait for cooler weather when most houses are closed up and the heat is on....

[grullaguy]

On the back deck on the side burner of my barbecue. I only do 4 lbs of range scrap at a time and it doesn't even smoke until I flux. For the first smelt of range scrap I often even skip the fluxing.

A few years ago I build a wood fired blast furnace for casting brass and aluminum. I tested it in my back yard. Smoked like a demon, until I hit the air blast. With the air on, it sounded like a jet engine and shot a flame six feet in the air. I did it at night thinking I could test it without most of the neighbors even knowing. Well, that sucker lit up the better part of neighborhood, and those that weren't alerted by the light were sure to notice the smoke a noise. The next day I moved it out onto a friends acreage.

[roberto mervicini]

Since my first trial I improve my smelting. production... found a cast iron camp pot about 10" diameter and 6" high with cast iron cover, I use the large burner on the side of the BBQ and it take about 35 to 40 min to melt other 5min to skim the metal clips and the wheel w. that is not melted (zinc alloy ?), now I am producing a good 23 to 25 lb per pot. Till scooping time the pot is cover with the lid, so no smoke, as I opened I add one pce of wax and light it, then I scoop and flux virtually without smoke.
Use the old small pot with a wise grip as handle to pour the liquid lead in to small muffin pan to make pellets.
I leave in a dense populated area and still perform the smelting on the porch in my back yard. No neighbor ever know about.
_______
roberto