Smelting: Top Ladle or Bottom Pour

[wv109323]

I got to thinking( which is dangerous and leaves me with a headache) But I got a question on Smelting.
Which is the cleanest/safest method to smelt your lead? Use a ladle to dip out of the top of molten lead or use a smelter with a bottom pour spout?
It seems in theory that if you used a bottom pour smelter that your lead ingots would have more impurities in them because it is difficult to flux lead.(especially when in a deep container)
Also I would think if you fluxed your lead quite often and used a ladle to remove the lead off the top you would get "cleaner" lead.
I am pondering building a smelter because I use a Coleman stove now.

[Hammerlane]

I have done both and the lastest is what works best for me. I have a bottom pour outside smelter. The biggest Cajun Cast Iron Dutch Oven I could fine. $ 79 off Ebay. Drilled a hole, rig a threaded rod with a point on it. Used the 2 holes where handle attached, To this attach the pot and also bought the 1/4 pipe off Ebay. Banjo burner from Northern tool. For right at $ 200 I can smelt 1000 in 4 hours. I flux with wax from the flea market and goodwill. And if need be I can Ladle off the top. I can get the lead very clean this way. The banjo burner get the temp on the lead up which helps with the fluxing. No problem with pot depth and I have had over 75lbs in it time. Just need a cool day to fire the bad boy up

[Springfield]

I've thought of putting a tap on my smelting pots but, how do you get the lead into the ingot moulds, hold them by hand? I'd rather not. Ladling with a 3 lb ladle works fine. I have enough ingot moulds to do 75 lbs at a time, no waiting to cool, and my pots hold almost 200 lbs. I like to smelt at least 500 lbs at at time to make it worth the time.

[onesonek]

I ladle ingot.

[Hammerlane]

I have a few fire brick under the spout at the right height and just slide the molds along

[geargnasher]

Better than either is use a pot with no hole in the bottom of it to ever cause issues, and a large Rowell-type bottom-pour ladle on a long handle. Clean ingots and no bottom-pour catastrophies.

Gear

[dragon813gt]

Better than either is use a pot with no hole in the bottom of it to ever cause issues, and a large Rowell-type bottom-pour ladle on a long handle. Clean ingots and no bottom-pour catastrophies.

Gear

This. I really need a Rowell ladle for smelting and smaller one for casting for a just in case scenario.


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[mold maker]

It all depends on the volume you want to do at a time. Small volume= small tools. Huge volume = huge tools. They don't intermix. You'll be wasting energy and time with the wrong size tools.
I only ladle pour when smelting.

[ZigZagMarquis]

I have done both and the lastest is what works best for me. I have a bottom pour outside smelter. The biggest Cajun Cast Iron Dutch Oven I could fine. $ 79 off Ebay. Drilled a hole, rig a threaded rod with a point on it. Used the 2 holes where handle attached, To this attach the pot and also bought the 1/4 pipe off Ebay. Banjo burner from Northern tool. For right at $ 200 I can smelt 1000 in 4 hours. I flux with wax from the flea market and goodwill. And if need be I can Ladle off the top. I can get the lead very clean this way. The banjo burner get the temp on the lead up which helps with the fluxing. No problem with pot depth and I have had over 75lbs in it time. Just need a cool day to fire the bad boy up

Photos? Please!

[Defcon-One]

I LADLE pour 5 pound ingots because I am a bit cheap and haven't built or invested in a bottom pour smelting setup yet.

More important, I think that your logic on clean lead is backwards. Everything floats in lead so all of the crud is on top. If you flux well with sawdust the metal coming out of a bottom pour spout will be much cleaner and more homogenious than what is coming off of the top.

With a good flux and stir all of the ash, crud and dross is on top.

Bottom poured lead will be cleaner!

Both methods have safety issues and pros and cons!

[mongo]

I ladel pour ingots also, I flux with wax, then flux again with saw dust. When I melt the inguits I flux again with the wax and saw dust in my drip a matic before casting.

[bleukahuna]

I do my smelting in a Rowell#9 ladle. It easily holds 50lb of alloy
and is easy to use. Couldn't beat the price, we used to pour a lot of Babbitt at the shop. The new insurance carrier flipped out when they found out about it and said we had to stop it. The owner gave me $100 to make all the casting gear and supplies(Babbitt, lead and lead wool) disappear.

[shadowcaster]

I got to thinking( which is dangerous and leaves me with a headache) But I got a question on Smelting.
Which is the cleanest/safest method to smelt your lead? Use a ladle to dip out of the top of molten lead or use a smelter with a bottom pour spout?
It seems in theory that if you used a bottom pour smelter that your lead ingots would have more impurities in them because it is difficult to flux lead.(especially when in a deep container)
Also I would think if you fluxed your lead quite often and used a ladle to remove the lead off the top you would get "cleaner" lead.
I am pondering building a smelter because I use a Coleman stove now.

Actually..... your cleaner lead comes from the bottom of the pot. All the impurities and the junk float to the top. When set up correctly, bottom pour is much safer and the only way to fly! I only have about $80 invested in my pot and $50 in the turkey fryer.

To see my full setup of a bottom pour pot I built.. check out this link.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...r+smelting+pot



Just a taste to wet your whistle!

Shad

[Bigslug]

If you're designing and building a smelter, bottom-pour will be preferable. As previously stated, all the crud floats upwards for skimming. Also, any oxidation will occur at the top. I would also tend to think of bottom-pour as safer, since you won't be lifting ladles or tilting pots. You only have to manipulate the spigot and the ingot mold.

[alamogunr]

I do my smelting in a Rowell#9 ladle. It easily holds 50lb of alloy
and is easy to use. Couldn't beat the price, we used to pour a lot of Babbitt at the shop. The new insurance carrier flipped out when they found out about it and said we had to stop it. The owner gave me $100 to make all the casting gear and supplies(Babbitt, lead and lead wool) disappear.

You must have arms like Popeye and a back to match. I use a #5 Rowell and 500 lbs or more just about puts me out of action for several days.

The table I set my ingot molds on is too high for comfort but even if I made it optimum it would still be very tiring.

[bleukahuna]

While the guns are quite impressive, I still look like a wimp next to an expierianced pipe fitter. I usually smelt just 2-300 lbs at a time. My smelting area is set up so I don't have to bend when I'm pouring, only when I'm adding, fluxing or skimming.
I did process 1100 lbs once, which is why I do the smaller batches now.

[geargnasher]

Shadowcaster, that setup kicks donkey! Might make me reconsider the smelting ladle. Thanks for sharing.

Gear

[John Boy]

Cast Iron Dutch Oven Pot with lid - remove Dross - Flux melt - Dip out melt with a Chinese Wok Spoon = One spoon fills hole in a 2# muffin tin

[shadowcaster]

Shadowcaster, that setup kicks donkey! Might make me reconsider the smelting ladle. Thanks for sharing.

Gear

Thanks Gear... It makes pouring ingots a pleasure.