Pots to avoid for smelting

[Steven66]

Are there (former) kitchen pots that shouldn't be used for smelting? I think the non-stick pans would be undesirable, but should you avoid plain aluminum too? I never see cast iron pots and pans at my local second-hand stores.

[toallmy]

Yes avoid aluminum , use steal if possible .

[tigweldit]

Aluminum could be a messy or dangerous choice. Stick to steal (garage sale or thrift shop large pots), or cast iron.

[greenjoytj]

How about those cast iron pots or cast iron Dutch ovens that are coated inside and outside with a ceramic coating? Some high end European cookware has a colourful coating on the cast iron. Will the coating flake off? If it does I sure it could be skimmed off.

[country gent]

Cast Iron has been used for years and the trick to using it is to heat it to full tem slowly. A heavy duty burner full bore can heat cast iron to fast causing it to crack. aluminums melting point is close to leads and can collapse under the temps. Enamel or ceramic coatings that flake off generally float to the top of the melt and are removed with the other dross. Look for a steel pot or cast iron. If you have access to a welder a piece of schedule 80 black iron pipe and 1/4"-1/2" plate you can make a very nice pot. A lot use a cut off 25lb propane tank, besure and flush tank several times and use a non sparking tool to cut it. Flush 3 times dish soap and water. then let sit for a few days and lush one more time.

For used pots watch garage sales estate sales and such. Flea markets can be a good source also. Unfortunatly cast iron utensels bring a premium today in a lot of areas.

[ReloaderFred]

I tried most everything for smelting and finally settled on cutting propane tanks in half. I shoot the top half with a .44 Magnum and allow it to vent for a couple of days. Then I used a cutoff wheel in a 4" angle grinder to cut it off just below the seam. It takes most of a cutoff wheel to cut one in half.

I smooth out the edges with the grinder and add handles to two sides. I don't know what kind of paint they use on propane tanks, but it takes a lot of use before it finally burns off. Until it does burn off, it turns to chalk and gets on anything it touches.

The bottom line is, steel propane tanks have worked best for me, and I've smelted several thousand pounds with them.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Bazoo]

You can use a steel stock pot.

[D Crockett]

Steven66 steel is the only way to go. aul pot will fail on you I had that happened to me. I would avoid cast iron pot to. I hit the side of a cast iron pot that was hot with a ladle and cracked it what a mess. the aul pot I did when I was around 18 and before computers were around to teach us the cast iron pot I did about 25 years ago. went to a steel pot and will not use any thing else. one thing you want to avoid is getting liquid lead on you it can do some nasty things to you so be careful when doing this thing of ours. D Crockett

[Grmps]

Aluminum FAIL

[lightman]

Steel is best. Cast iron works ok but you need to bring it up to temp slowly and treat it gently when its hot. Aluminum is like an accident waiting to happen. A cut off propane tank is a favorite. Or you can search for a local welding shop and have one built from a piece of pipe and steel plate.

[Steven66]

Thank you all. I will get steel or cast iron, because the older I get, the more painful stupid becomes! I cast Keith-style SWCs for a S&W 28 back in my college days. I think my pot was a Lyman (cast iron) then. Had to sell the stuff, particularly my RCBS Lube-a-Matic, because of a typical student episode of impoverishment. I expect to get around to buying another Lube-a-Matic, but I really miss the one I had, mostly because the price was so much lower then (even though my income was much less). It's hard for me to get over the way the price of everything has gone up over the years!

@ GRMPS: thanks; your picture sums the issue up very nicely.

[Nick Quick]

Someone above stated that aluminium melting point is close to the lead one. Well, I'm not really sure about that. But anyway I smelt using a cast iron big pot I found brand new for just few bucks. Other than is heavy like heck no complaints whatsoever. I bet it will last me forever and ever.
I keep finding pewter trinkets at my local thrift store and due to small quantities I smelt it in a tiny aluminum pan. I keep the temperature as low as possible and I never had an issue with that lil pan.
Just sharing personal experiences.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Lead: Melting point 600.61 K ​(327.46 °C, ​621.43 °F)
Aluminum: Melting point 933.47 K ​(660.32 °C, ​1220.58 °F)

They're not that close, temperature wise; The problem is that, for some reason the bottom cracks up & falls out of an Al pot. Maybe hot Aluminum just plain doesn't like being heavily stressed by the sheer WEIGHT of the lead? I am guessing it's something like that. If I'm wrong, no need to call Ripley's, though.

[crandall crank]

I use a 20# steel propane cylinder that I cut off the top. Had the propane guy remove the valve. Brought it home and filled it with water and let set for a couple of days. Drain the water out and cut the top off with a cut-off wheel. Total cost...free! I have another cylinder waiting to be cut so I can use it to smelt SOWW by themselves.

[mold maker]

If using a steel pot, don't trust the handle to lift or pour. It isn't intended for such weights and what may easily handle cooking weights will fail when leat is involved. Many handles are only held by a spot weld in thin metal.

[D Crockett]

If using a steel pot, don't trust the handle to lift or pour. It isn't intended for such weights and what may easily handle cooking weights will fail when leat is involved. Many handles are only held by a spot weld in thin metal.

that is the reason I will not put handles on my smelting pots. if there is less than 1 inch of lead in the bottom of the pot I use 2 pair of vice grips. and I clamp them on real tight to get the last little bit of lead out. of the pot I know some of you have herd me say this before and I will say it again SAFTY FIRST above all else be safe those few bullets or ingots is not worth getting hurt over. D Crockett

[ReloaderFred]

When I add handles to a cut off propane take pot, I use heavy duty handles and they're mounted using 3/8" bolts drilled through the side of the pot. They won't come off, and they won't slip, but I also don't use the handles to pour lead into ingot molds. That's done with a 5 pound capacity ladle designed for the purpose. The handles are for ease of handling when the pot is nearly empty to get the last bit out of the pot, and to clean debris out of the bottom and to move it around when not in use.

A half propane tank smelting pot will hold over 100 pounds of molten lead, and it's nothing to trifle with. Like D. Crockett says, SAFETY FIRST!

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Steven66]

I probably will never cast near the volume of boolits many of you do, so the half-a-20lb-propane cylinder is probably way too big for me. But in reading about them, it occurred to me that a throwaway 1lb propane torch bottle would be somewhere around the right size for a smelting pot. But it seems like it would be at least difficult or close to impossible to get it completely empty and clean. I could probably shoot a hole in the top of one, I guess. If I knew what minimum safe range to shoot from, that is.

[ReloaderFred]

Those disposable propane bottles are pretty small, and pretty thin. Someone gave me one that had been converted into a ladle and it had rusted through in a short time. If you're looking for something that size, Lyman makes a small cast iron lead pot that works for small amounts. In fact, I started casting with one of those in 1968, using a propane torch and Lyman dipping ladle and a single cavity .38 Mold. Fast forward to now, and I own well over 200 molds, a Master Caster, a Bullet Master, a Lube Master (all Magma machines) and numerous Star and other brands of sizers & lubers. One never knows where the trail may lead...........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[RogerDat]

Harbor Freight Dutch Oven https://www.harborfreight.com/catalo...f&q=dutch+oven

Handles 100# of lead cost less than $25 with the % off coupons always available online for Harbor Freight. The pot will have to be turned to where the little feet drop through the burner stand but they work very well. yes you can crack cast iron if you heat it super fast, or cool it super fast. Using a wet rag or setting in snow to cool off would be a bad idea. Beating on it with a ladle is also a bad idea. Sharp rap from steel ladle could crack it, most of the time I have a pot or bread loaf pan for knocking crud off the ladle on so I don't have to use the edge of the pot, but so far no crisis from the times I have forgotten.

I will say do NOT pick that hot pot up by the bailing handle. The handle will take a lot of weight but it will be very hot and press hard on gloves so the heat comes right on through. You will be amazed at how fast you can set the pot down if you pick the Dutch oven up by the wire handle in an attempt to dump out that last bit of lead. Don't ask how I know, let's just leave it at I'm still pretty quick for my age.

Stainless steel pot with stainless steel handle will be most durable from thrift store or salvation army or garage sale.

I don't worry about that last little bit of lead, I let it cool pop it out, label it and drop it back in bottom of pot next time I do that sort of lead. It can help get the burner heat transferred to the scrap being melted if it is sitting in a puddle of molten lead saved and set in bottom of pot next smelting run.