Smelting pot

[Dusty Bannister]

Dan, do you load it up with 100 pounds of alloy and a pot? I would suggest that the comments are directed to safety, not just "working ok so far". Dusty

[Dan Cash]

Dan, do you load it up with 100 pounds of alloy and a pot? I would suggest that the comments are directed to safety, not just "working ok so far". Dusty

I have never weighed the contents of the pot which I place on the burner but it is about 2/3 full of wheel weight or other smelt source. The pot is one I bought from D. Crockett and much like yours. The safety is found in having the pot close to the ground and the surrounding wind shield. You do what you want.

[Dusty Bannister]

Pretty sure Dan is not replying to me, I have not discussed my pot or burner with him. It is good that the thread does express the need for safety however, so we all agree on that at least.

[D Crockett]

Fatelk I normally do not do this but if you send me the burner and hose I will make you a stand that will hold the weight with out question. for the cost of materials and shipping the only reason I am doing this I do not want to see you get hurt . I have seen pictures of someone that had hot lead splashed on him . lets just say it is not something nice to look at and the person that it happened to was in a lot of pain. I had a old man tell me once that if you are told that something bad could happened listen these people might know something. and that is all that I can offer. D Crockett

[OS OK]

D Crockett...you are OK in my books...if fact, you just made it to the front page...top of the list!

[fatelk]

I really appreciate the offer; that’s very generous. I’m actually pretty good at fabricating things like this so you all really don’t need to worry. I take safety very seriously and won’t take any chances.

I have another fabrication project coming up at work so I’m going to be at the weld shop next week anyhow. My concern isn’t making something strong enough, but in making sure I don’t go overboard and make it way too heavy.

When my wife and I were first married, long ago, I told her I was going to make a new bed. We’d bought an expensive mattress and I wanted to make a nice bed with drawers underneath. She resisted and was clearly against the idea. I finally got her to say why, and it was because she had watched her dad make things like that for her mom over the years. He wasn’t particularly skilled or careful and it typically turned out looking like something someone slapped together in their garage.

I asked her to give me a chance, and it turned out so nice that she still brags about it 15 years later. I’m not saying I’m exceptionally skilled or anything, and I am slow, but when I set my mind to something and put in the time it usually turns out pretty good.

[Chill Wills]

Fat Elk, I too have the same burner and you will find that the legs are just fine as is. You will weaken things if you go boring holes for bolts or rivets. A heat ring will really speed up the melt and a wind screen is almost a must. The fellow who suggested half of a 30 or 55 gal. drum has the idea. The wind screen will also provide protection against spillage. I have been using my set up for about 4 years. It sits outside in all weather.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/attach/jpg.gif
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/images/attach/jpg.gif


Sometimes the things we own can do double duty. I have a charcoal smoker that works as a wind screen by using the middle section over the cut propane pot. Also, no welder? just cutting iron and drilling holes, you can fabricate a new stand or better support the old one. Just like an erector set.

[fatelk]

Thanks for the photos. That stand gives me some ideas for a design. After re-reading the product description of the burner I have coming, and reading the comments of the two people here that actually have the same unit, I'm not entirely convinced I'll need a reinforced stand. If there's any question at all about strength though, I'll make one anyhow.

For some perspective, this burner is not a typical lightweight cooker intended to support four quarts of oil and a turkey. I think it's bigger and stouter than it looks in the photo. It appears to be a heavy duty unit made for huge pots of boiling crabs and such. By my calculation a 105 quart stockpot full of boiling water and crabs would weigh over 200 pounds.

From the Amazon description:

The bayou classic double jet cooker has an 18-inch diameter cooking surface that is capable of supporting up to 105-quart stockpots. Heats boiling pots twice as fast. Perfect when entertaining large groups of people and ideal for crawfish boils. Bayou classic outdoor cookers are the traditional and reliable choice for outdoor cooking. They are portable and can be used for camping, rv's, tailgating, and backyard parties. With a one-piece welded steel frame, these are the strongest cookers commercially made. Designed for strength, function and safety.

Again, if there's any question, I'll make it stronger. I'll have a bunch of 2' and shorter pieces of 2" angle iron left over from my other project that would be perfect for a very stout stand if needed.

[MaryB]

My identical burner has held 100+ pounds of boiling sugar water MANY times with no signs of even flexing. It is designed for a 15 gallon turkey fryer so figure 60 pounds of oil plus the bird weight no problem.

[fatelk]

Thanks, that's good to know.

As I think about it, I might just building another stand either way. I'll have the materials, access to a good welder, time and know-how, so why not? No cost and it will be a fun project, maybe just what I need right now. There are also several old open-top drums at work that the boss has been wanting hauled off. I may have to cut one down for a wind shield.

D Crocket, I looked at the photos of the setup that you made for TheCaptain. Very nice! That is certainly one stout stand; it's not going to collapse or tip over.

[lightman]

Nice looking work on your smelting pot. I welded handles on my pot, mostly to help when moving it around. They are handy when you want to empty the dregs out of the pot when changing alloys. I agree, that stand looks a little flimsy. It may hold the cold weight ok, but I would worry when its red hot. It sounds like you have a plan to deal with this though.

I refer to melting scrap lead as smelting too! Its not really the correct term but we all know what it means!

[D Crockett]

some might think that was a over build on that stand but I would rather have that than have the possibility of a stand failure and it all boils down to one thing SAFTY D Crockett

[MaryB]

With the jet style burner only the very center of the pot supports get red hot. I will see if I can a pic of it Monday when I brew...be prepared for LOUD though!

[blikseme300]

I would recommend a lid for the pot. Not only will it retain heat it will also prevent the tinsel fairies big momma from visiting if a live round finds its way into the scrap.

[fatelk]

It has a lid; you can see it in the first photo.

I cut the bottle with a bandsaw so it's nice and clean, then attached the handles on the bottom half so that they make a lip on either side to align the top half of the bottle. It already has a handle and makes a perfect lid.

[blikseme300]

It has a lid; you can see it in the first photo.

I cut the bottle with a bandsaw so it's nice and clean, then attached the handles on the bottom half so that they make a lip on either side to align the top half of the bottle. It already has a handle and makes a perfect lid.

Great stuff! I witnessed the effect of a round going off while range scrap was being processed, the splash on the driveway was impressive/scary. Nobody was hurt but it was a near thing.

[kevin c]

Hmm, I have a Bayou Classic double jet burner, but the frame is round bar, the cook surface is 22" on the diagonal, and it's advertised as being able to hold a 162 quart pot, which would be over 300# if full. The model number is sp40. I guess yours has the same name but is a different model?

With the big, ~10 quart Harbor Freight Dutch oven I've had 120 pounds of isotope lead in it and had plenty of room to spare. I made a heat skirt to surround the pot and started using wind breaks and ended up using about half the propane per melt than without.

And while it is hot work and hard on the back, there is something satisfying about melting scrap of any kind and ending up with a pile of nice, shiny ingots.

[fatelk]

Well I just got the burner. The photo in the first post makes it appear smaller than it is. This thing is pretty big, makes the pot look tiny. I stood on it and jumped a little and it was fine, so I know it'll hold 200+ pounds easy. I'm still going to make some modifications, add a wind shield and such, but I think it's going to work great.

[edctexas]

Remember please that when it is very hot, it won't be as strong.

Ed C

[MaryB]

Only the very center gets hot, rest stays pretty cool...

Remember please that when it is very hot, it won't be as strong.

Ed C