Tried smelting my 1st batch of lead and....

[AFK]

decided that what I had, which is a small propane camp stove, just wasn't gonna cut it. I put about 15 lbs. of SOWW in a cast iron pan on the stove outside, where it was about 36 degrees, and waited.....and waited....and waited. The burner was on high, but it just wouldn't get hot enough. I then moved it to the side burner on my grill, which is 12000 btu. Although it did finally melt the lead, it took a long time and I would have liked to get it a little hotter. It was liquid but around the edges of the pan would get a hard again as soon as I put the ladle in it. It seemed it wouldn't flux well either. So I decided I needed a turkey fryer burner. I stopped at Walmart on my way to work today to see what they had. I found one marked for sale at $49.99. I asked the guy stocking the aisle if they had any other models. Christmas is just about here and money is a little tight. Anyway, he said that was the only one they had and the tagged price was the Black Friday price and it has changed. I asked him to please check it out and let me know what it is. He came back and said it did change, it was now $25.00, are you still interested? I said "SOLD!" Threw it in my truck and off to work I go. I won't be able to try it until next weekend, but I think it should do the trick.

[knobster]

Yep, turkey fryer's are the thing to use. They get plenty hot and, starting cold, I'm fluxing the molten liquid in less than 15 minutes.

[MrWolf]

Put up some type of wind screen to keep the temp up. Good luck it is addicting!

[AFK]

I assembled it tonight and I will get the LP tank filled tomorrow. The one on my grill is getting low anyway. Good idea on the windscreen. Thanks

[country gent]

Next will be building a pot from an old propane tank to take advantage of the extra heat and melt even larger batches.

[WRideout]

I have been smelting in a friend's shop. I discovered that ambient temperature makes a big difference when melting large batches. Even when it is only just cool inside, it is much harder to get a clean melt. I had to fire up the wood stove and heat the room, to get my lead up to temperature with a WalMart hot plate.

Wayne

[novalty]

Just make sure the pot is supported well enough with the turkey fryer. While you will save some weight with the propane tank for a melting pot over a cast iron dutch oven, the lead capacity will get you right up there in weight. I use a 12" dutch-oven from Habor Freight, which you can get for about $30 shipped--it holds around 100lbs in wheel weights.

[AFK]

Yeah, right now I have a cast iron skillet. Once I collect more lead, I plan on getting a dutch oven. I have been keeping my eye out in thrift stores and flea markets.

[sojerguy]

What a coincidence! I just did my first smelt ever (haven't cast ANYTHING in about 12 years), but had a buddy donate 'a lot' of lead sheathing of various types.
Dug out an old propane burner, a garage sale pot I'd picked up, the dollar store muffin pans and slotted spoon and went to town.
BTW the OVE gloves are a godsend.
I had forgotten how heavy the pot gets when even just 1/3 full of lead ... Filled the muffin tins and endured the smokey sent of charring plywood (under the muffin tins). Lots to relearn, but I did have an old metal dross can handy ... Result: 15 uneven looking but clean ingots of lead (I did cast a few bullets so I can do a Brinell test).
Today is a medium sized mound of various old cast bullets, pulled bullets, donated cast oddities ...

[zuke]

I use a stainless steel pressure cooker I picked up for $1.00 at a thrift store

[lightman]

Your first melt went about like my first one! I got a couple hundred pounds about half melted and that was it, a heavy half melted blob in my pot. Not enough burner. I built a stand and burner and now I do about 400# at a time.

[SSGOldfart]

check a see what pressure it operate at? I have a couple that to low so it takes forever to melt my lead but I also found one that runs on 10psi it takes a few mintues to melt 25 to 50 pounds of lead in a LP gas tank cut in halfmaybe 10mintues start to finish( it would hold about a 100 pounds if I needed to smelt that much ) add a lid loosely over the top helps too. it doesn't have to be the right cast iron lid for your pot just a old cookie sheet works here or roofing tin well you get the point

[sojerguy]

Did a second batch today. Melted down a bunch of scrap bullets, some older ones for cartridges I no longer shoot etc... Got about 15 muffin pan ingots out of it. I see the comment about the muffins 'tinning' themselves to the pans has some truth ... and near the end a spider was headed down a line to warm "obliteration".

Having had one 'June bug' flash fry/pot explode in a small pot about 1985 while stationed in Kansas, I quick swatted that critter down and stomped it. No Tsunami of molten lead headed my way thank you.

[AFK]

I hooked up my turkey fryer last night to check it for function. It should do nicely. It sounds like a jet engine when on high!

[lightman]

My home made one is very loud too.