Smelting with fire.

[Bazoo]

I have been giving this some thought and I want some opinions from others that might have ideas or even may have done something similar.

I have been thinking on how to smelt using wood for fuel. I've been reckoning that If I build sort of a rocket stove for my propane tank pot to set on, it'd work.

I have a steel wheel that im thinking i'll use as the support for the pot, and use either bricks or concrete blocks to support the rim and block the flow of air from all but the bottom. I would cut the rims center out, so that the base of the pot would fit down in it, and it would allow a solid connection so that the pot wouldnt slip against he rim. This would allow the fire to be directly against the bottom of the pot, and the smoke/heat would rise up around the side of the pot, also heating it.

I seen a video on youtube where someone smelted with a fire, and used concrete blocks in this fashion but using a steel grate for the pot. In his case, it was a large skillet. I figure the steel wheel though will make things run great. What say yall?

~Bazoo

[RP]

I smelt with wood, a plain old fire will melt lead add a fan it will speed it up. Not sure about using blocks since they tend to break when heated you could use Fire rated bricks but I would keep the moisture off of them as much as possible.
For the cheap I say a 55 gal barrel fan in the bottom. Load it up with some wood it will not take as much as you may think so I would start small you can always add more. Cutting the fan off will kill the heat to a point allowing you to flux or dip. A block wall between you and the barrel to act as a heat shield will help out too. Now this all depends on how much your going to use it and how often.
If I am smelting a small about around one or two buckets I use my gas burner If I have more then that I fire up the wood burner. Oh your fan will not have to be much a hair dryer will do a lot to boost the heat.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I seen a post, with photo, of someone smelting with a cinder block setup (rocket stove?), but of coarse I can't find it now...I did find this, propane tank with blower.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post3118072

[country gent]

Using coal or wood to smelt cast there are some things that need to be done a little differently. I have smelterd with stoker coal and a cut off propane tank. You need 2 grates one for the pot to set on and one for the wood and or coal to set on up of the ground. At the ground fuel area you want 3 sides so fuel can be added under the pot, 6"-8" is plenty here as this will allow for a good bed of coals to build up and ashes to drop thru to the ground. The area above the fire pot should be completely enclosed around pot with 4"-6" around the pot open for fuel to burn around sides of pot. I did this with heavy concrete blocks one layer in a C a heavy grate and another layer in a c for the fire pot the grate for the pot to set and a couple complete rings to just under the top of the pot. I then used stoker coal and built the fire in the fire pot and around sides of the pot I used a shop vac for a blower to "boost the out put and get a really good bed of coals going. With good hard wood this will help also. I was melting 400 lbs a crack and could have it molten and ready to flux in an hour. I did 3-4 pots a day each weekend for several weekends of range lead that was given to me like this. Several things to keep in mind. You will have the normal dross to dispose of for sure, Also ashes from the burning fuel wether coal or wood. Some areas have burning restrictions duiring certain times of the year. Neighbors may complain about the smoke from your fire also. Anchor your blocks in place with steel rods stacking them in place in the corners. This set up does work very well if you can get out in the open away from other houses and people and are safe in your set up. One thing is it does set up pretty quick almost anywhere.

[rancher1913]

the rocket stove would melt lead in a hurry but you will have a way hot heat source and could get zinc contamination real easy. seen a thread were a guy used a 55 gallon barrel, put a big pot in the top and built a fire through a cut out hole in the bottom for adding wood, neat set up and I want to copy it someday.

[Bazoo]

I seen a post, with photo, of someone smelting with a cinder block setup (rocket stove?), but of coarse I can't find it now...I did find this, propane tank with blower.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...=1#post3118072

Thanks for the link. Man that barrel stove thing is sweet.

Thanks for all the replies. One of the things that is dictating my set up is what I have on hand. I have a steel wheel already.. but I aint got a 55 gallon drum, or a welder yet. I can weld, and could probably get my hands on one.. if I could cobble all the pieces together.

As for what im thinking, I realized I could set the rim "hub side" up and set the pot down in it, and it would direct the heat up around the pot and help keep a more consistence heat. The base of the propane pot though doesnt set solidly on either the outside or inside of the rim, so im going to cut the hub portion out large enough to accept the base. That will make it secure and I could use it either direction.

I will try to get some pictures whenever I get started on the setup. Been pondering it a while, and I'll report back as to how well it works.

I aint worried about zinc as I have hand sorted with crimpers every weight.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Steel wheel?

I've seen a BBQ fireplace made with two automotive wheels.
http://www.handimania.com/diy/recycl...-fire-pit.html

[trapper9260]

I smelt all my lead with wood.I use a cut off freeon tank and also a cast pot. The thing you need to have with the Freeon tank is to keep the hot coals around it other wise it will be too slow.As for a cast pot.It will hold the heat better and able to work with it better.It depends on how much I need to smelt.The thing is it is best to use hard wood if possible. it will make better coals for you to melt the lead or alloy.You do not want it too hot like stated because if you do WW You will also melt the zinc.It is slow at first.As for how i set up is just make a so call camp fire and make sure you got the hot coal and just set the pot on it and then just keep the fire going and go at it.I also have cast that way in the past also.But slow.Used a ladle when I did.But will work.

[P Flados]

See my "pine cone disposal / smelting system" at post 12 of

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...lt-range-scrap

[GhostHawk]

I don't do it anymore, but back in the 70's when I was starting out a 7" cast iron pan on an open fire was what I used. Fill full of wheel weights, bring it up to temp, start scraping and fluxing.

Takes some patience, a good fire, and long handled tools, but it is one way.

I did recently buy my first turkey fryer, and I now have a large cast dutch oven.

Looking forward to a nice smelting session one of these days.

[beagle]

Old fire brick works fine as a stand and firebox and a used vacuum cleaner works as a bellows. I've done that outdoors with some greasy wheel weights. Works well./beagle

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Not sure about using blocks since they tend to break when heated you could use Fire rated bricks but I would keep the moisture off of them as much as possible.

I think this is an important point. Pressure on those blocks is going to be heavy, and I wouldn't trust concrete under strong heat. The nature of accidents is that they creep up on you when you don't notice progressive deterioration. Proper firebricks are expensive, and the modern cut-them-yourself vermiculite doesn't have much mechanical strength. Still, it isn't a forge or blast furnace, and clay house bricks should be OK.

Having the pot suspended from a tripod or steel beam would take the weight off the structure. It could be lifted to drop in fuel from the top, and only have ventilation holes lower down. I'd still prefer something tubular and all metal.

[Bazoo]

Thanks all.

I have some regular house bricks that i'll probably use instead of cinder blocks.

[Bazoo]

IM EXCITED! It worked! I finally got set up, and smelted my first batch.

I thought it all out pretty good, and set my bricks up a good week before I did anything.

I Had some bricks that was made into columns 2 bricks thick. Each piece is about 10"x20"x20". I set them on edge, 20" side up, in a tryangle of sorts, so that there was an opening just on one corner to feed the fire. Got a fire going, and then put the rim, hub side up on top of the bricks directly over the fire. Then, I set the half propane pot in the rim. The center of the rim let heat directly to the bottom, and the outer holes let heat come up all around the sides of the pot. After I figured out how much fire I needed, it went well. I didnt smelt much, as it got dark on me.

I have a lot of scrap from work, that is about 16" long, and it worked well to stand those up at an angle in my brick triangle. It didnt take nearly as much wood as I would have originally thought.

[ascast]

Maybe too late, but... I once used a piece of broken concrete culvert pipe. It had a big chip out of one end so wood access was good and a small pot would hang right down inside. It was about 1 foot or 14 inch inside diameter. You see these around farms or salvages yards, . I made a lot of ingots off that one. good luck

[Bazoo]

Thanks ascast. Sounds like it was just the ticket.

[country gent]

I did a lot over a stoker coal fire. I liked the bed of hot coals better than the flames. I got the fire going good with the pot in the rims and coals all around and under it the put a shop vac for a blower blowing from underneath to "boost" the heat level once molten was started to see or the cold dropping good I would shut down the vac and start getting ready to flux and clean the metal. In a 16" truck rim a propane tank sits nicely with a little room around for a bed of coals. With wood once the coals are established a small shovel can be used to fill around the pot also. The blower really depletes the wood faster though.

[Bazoo]

I forgot to mention, that the bucket of ww I was working out of, as I was sorting, I found a MAC 5/16 punch and a good 1 1/4 ratchet strap. Sprinkles on top of the icing... as the half of a bucket was given to me.

[Elkins45]

We need pictures.

[Bazoo]

Pictures finally happened today.

Here is the rim with center cut out to accept the base of the propane tank pot.


I did trim some of the weeds as I was waiting for the lead to melt.


The wheel barrel is there because I had some gravel exploding


I used a 5 gallon bucket of wood scrap from the shop to do about 30 pounds of lead.