I'm looking to go to a propane burner for smelting my WW's. Typically I don't do a lot per session most would be three 5 gallon buckets. What size BTU burners are most folks using?
I'm looking to go to a propane burner for smelting my WW's. Typically I don't do a lot per session most would be three 5 gallon buckets. What size BTU burners are most folks using?
I have a 50,000 btu Bayou Classic and with a wind shield it's enough for my half propane tank pot.
Mal
Mal Paso means Bad Pass, just so you know.
Everybody has their preference and mine is one I already had in the barn. It is 35K Btu. I know a lot of people like to use bigger burners, but I like the smaller sized. Yes, it takes a bit longer to melt the lead, but there is almost no chance to melt any non-lead (zinc) WW's. YMMV
I'm in the "go big" crowd I guess. I estimate mine puts out 500,000 BTU's if turned up to full throttle. It will put some serious frost on a 20# propane tank! It will also melt 400# of wheel weights in about 20 minutes This is one reason that I hand sort my weights as this will easily melt any Zinc weight that may get trapped in the bottom of the pot.
Bayou Classic SP-1 Jet Cooker = 106,000 btuh should do anything you need .
If you want more fire the Bayou Classic SP-2 Double Jet Cooker = 210,000 btuh.
The word to look for in a burner for smelting is JET...that's the unit that really puts out the heat and it even sounds like a jet airplane when it fires up.
Bayou Classic is the brand of cooker we use to fry turkey's and have large crab , shrimp and crawfish boils ... they are good cookers .
Gary
Certified Cajun
Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
" Let's Go Brandon !"
I have the double jet burner. It really didn't do a good job of quickly melting scrap or ingots (starting from an empty pot) until I put up 360* wind breaks around the stand and an insulating jacket around my half propane tank pot, and even now I speed things significantly more by playing a weed burner over the top of the scrap.
IOW, more BTUs are helpful, but maybe not as much as protecting against heat loss.
BP | Bronze Point | IMR | Improved Military Rifle | PTD | Pointed |
BR | Bench Rest | M | Magnum | RN | Round Nose |
BT | Boat Tail | PL | Power-Lokt | SP | Soft Point |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |