New burner?

[kmw1954]

Since I have now found a new reliable source for my lead I need to upgrade from my sauce pot and hot plate. While that worked when I was only getting and doing 25/30 lbs. at a crack and now getting 100+ lbs. I need something better.

Looked at these;
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Square-Sing...r/303585543129
https://www.ebay.com/itm/Propane-Sto...r/154003954030

Or have thought about salvaging a side burner from a gas grill. I figure a 5qt. stock pot will be big enough for what I need. So the question is will those burners generate enough heat?

[bangerjim]

To melt LOTS of Pb at a time you need heat...........and LOTS of it! A side burner will warm things up, and that's about all. You need a LARGE 50-60K BTU (100K is better!)burner for the bare minimum. And a pot strong enough to hold lots of Pb. CI is the best. Dutch ovens are always a good bet. NOT skillets or stock pots!!!!!!! And a stand that will support the weight of 100-150# of Pb + the pot!

Choose wisely. Not cheaply.

I use an old plumber's furnace that sounds like a jet engine taking off and can melt 75-100# of Pb in just a few minutes when on high.

banger

[kmw1954]

To melt LOTS of Pb at a time you need heat...........and LOTS of it! A side burner will warm things up, and that's about all. You need a LARGE 50-60K BTU (100K is better!)burner for the bare minimum. And a pot strong enough to hold lots of Pb. CI is the best. Dutch ovens are always a good bet. NOT skillets or stock pots!!!!!!! And a stand that will support the weight of 100-150# of Pb + the pot!

Not to be disrespectful but exactly why is it every time a question of build comes up it always comes down to BIGGER, BIGGER, BIGGER? Industrial strength?
Last time I was building a new bench everyone insisted that it needed to be Bigger than the room it was going it.

Now I have physical limitations and even if I had 100/150lbs I do not believe I would be doing it all at once. 50lbs at a time would be a lot of work for me.

[Conditor22]

Propane Stove-Portable Gas Cooker BBQ-Outdoor Camp Stove-Strong Cast Iron Burner
The "strong hose clamps" look interesting, not factory clamped but I would go with this one over the other one. This one looks much stronger and I prefer the double ring burner. You can smelt on a camp stove so I don't get excited over posted BTU's you don't want to go too hot in case you missed a zinker.
Looks like a better burner even though they don't list the BTU's. IF you get lead too hot it becomes dangerous/hazardous!



I now smelt in a cut propane tank

[lightman]

I think that burner in the first link that you posted will melt 50 or 100 pounds of lead. And lots of guys use a stock pot. Just make sure the stock pot is stainless steel and not aluminum.

Just be aware, when you go bigger, you may need to go bigger on everything to realize the full potential of your new set-up. Like a bigger ladle, more ingot molds, ect.

[country gent]

The side burner with a good air shield to hold heat in but may be slow melting even 20-40 lbs of lead those are a low pressure burner. 60 lbs is more mass and may take a hour or more on those burners.

If you want to do 50lb batches then a bigger burner might be needed.

I use a turkey fryer stand a cut down propane tank ( capacity is 120-130 lbs) for casting from. burner is a harbor freight weed burner ( 500,000 btus) this burner was $20.00 a few years ago. The burner was modified with a pipe elbow and 10" piece of 1/4 X 1 1/2 cold rolled flat stock and a new set of valves. it now stands upright under the stand. This set up is capable of melting 100 lbs to casting temps in 15-20 mins.

A simple garage sale propane fryer with a cast iron or steel pot will do the 50 lbs you want and most stands are at a height thats comfortable to work from sitting on a chair. The deep fryers burner puts out more than the side burner does I believe. Again the addition of a heat shield will be a big plus and speed up melting and help conserve fuel.

I am also disabled and do most work from a wheel chair now so I do know what you are dealing with but building heavier is more for safteys sake, no one wants to see a stand collapse and hot molten metal spilled and or burns. Most dont want tp see or hear of someone struggling either. For me starting the pot and going back in the house is harder for me so I use a bigger burner and heat shield and wait on the pot to heat up. I dont do steps or doors well any more. For me the fryer stand and pot work well.

[44magLeo]

Getting a propane tank is easy. Most places that fill tanks have old tanks setting around. I got mine free and they took out the valve for me. I cut it with a cheap Harbor Freight angle grinder and some cut off wheels. Took 5 or 10 minutes to do.
Most any turkey cooker you find at Wally world or most any large store like that will be fine. Just make sure it can hold up a coulee hundred lbs.
My burner is from the fish fryer I bought years ago. Don't recall the price or BTU's but it stands about 22" high, the support for the pot is about 14" in diameter. The three legs spread out to about a 24" circle so it very stable. Legs made of 3/16" thick by 1.5" steel. The burner ring is the same thickness and about 2" wide. I can stand my 200+ lbs. on it and it's very stable while doing it.
I have an old trash cab with a leaky bottom if use as a wind shield. Cut out the bottom enough for the pot to fit in, a hole I the side for the gas hose and it sets down over the whole thing.
Set up beside my scrap lumber shooting bench I built to hold the molds, dippers and such.
The burner never was exactly right, sooted up the pots a lot. I made some mods to burner to get more air flow, now burns well. I did by a propane weed burner at H/F. It has a control valve and a lever. You se the valve enough to keep the burner lit then pull the handle for the full blast. With this I can shoot the flame down in the pot to get things hot fast.
Once things get melting I can shut it down and let the fish fryer do the job.
Saves some time, and it's cool.
Once you get your lead ready to pour into ingots it's nice to have plenty. I have four of the molds sold on here. Two red neck Gold, two Cast Boolit. with these four by the time I get all four filled the first is almost ready to dump out. I do have a couple 1 lb. ingot molds that I use mostly with the Lee 4/20 when I empty it or are mixing small batches of ally to determine the blend I want for specific purposes.
So far I only done a few 50lb. batches just to test out my home made ladles.
Made them out of 1 lb. propane bottles. One holds better than 10 lbs, the other about 5 lbs.
Well I've ran on long enough.
Just shop around a bit. Check the second hand stores, yard sales and such. Never can tell what you can find cheap.
You may only do 50 lbs. at a time but a stronger one will be more stable. Don't want things tipping over with 750* lead.
If they have one on display try standing on it. If it holds you with wiggling it's ok.
A stainless steel stock pot will work, but they are thin and might not last very long. A cast iron Dutch oven is a good option.
If your looking in the cookware section for a pot they do sell stainless steel sauce pans with a very thick bottom. More than a 1/4" thick. They should hold up well. You might even find a stock pot made that way.
As a matter of fact I picked one up myself, along side the road. A bit dinged up from falling of someone's load. No handles or cover but has the thick bottom. I use it for cooking so I won't use it for lead. I might use it if a can't find something better to build a large bottom pour pot. The thick bottom should be easy to drill out and hold a spout and the thick bottom should hold heat enough to prevent the spout from freezing.
Leo

[kmw1954]

Thanks guys, Have a lot to consider and much to learn.

I do understand the need/urge for BIGGER but I'm just not there. With physical limitations I tire easily and I realize and accept that, it's just the way life goes sometimes. Which also doesn't limit me from enjoying doing this.

I just did 100lbs. of range scrap these past two days and with what I have it was very time consuming and tiring. Right now my pot will hold about 12lbs safely and working from an electric hot plate it takes a good bit to get even that melted.

So I'm guessing that a 50lb. capacity would serve me well. Should be able to melt it in a reasonable time, scoop out all the jackets, flux a few times and then pour ingots and that should be a day for me. If it takes me two days to do 100lbs. then so be it. What I don't want is to get half way thru a session and have to shut down because I am too tired to continue. The size of the melt can be controlled by the operator and how much material one is adding.

Now with that in mind what would you all really suggest, what would work?

[Conditor22]

the second one with a cheap stainless pot and some tools from a thrift store should get you going faster/handling larger volumes, you can upgrade the smelting pot at your leisure.

[kmw1954]

Ok folks you have now got me looking with a little better understanding. I know have a list of these and all are available for pick up but of course Amazon;

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Bayou-Class...-Stove/4136578
https://www.lowes.com/pd/LoCo-COOKER...ner/1000707080
https://www.homedepot.com/p/Xtremepo...25-H/313035341

https://www.amazon.com/Outdoor-Propa...ag=fsmag_os-20

https://www.amazon.com/GasOne-B-5300...772182&sr=8-18

Personally I think the 1st example from Amazon would be overkill but I like the other one as it looks like it would break the wind better. Also the one at Home Depot is about 15 minutes from me and on my way home from work.

[lightman]

Personally I like the first one from Amazon, the 200K one. That one along with a Harbor Freight Dutch oven would serve you well. The Home Depot one is the one I like the least but all of them would work ok. And it doesn't hurt anything to just turn the fire off and quit if you get tired, leaving the melted lead to harden. That is, if you have the storage space.

I can relate to tiring easily. I have MS and suffer from extreme fatigue and walking/ballance issues.

[Mal Paso]

I have the 50,000 BTU Bayou Classic, under $50 last I looked. Without a wind screen 50K was not enough (bottom photo). With the screen it works great and no lead freezing on the sides. Standard propane tank pot, the wind screen friction fits on the burner frame. Half hour to melt 100 lbs and dials down to a few thousand BTU so I don't scorch the tin while I ladle to the molds.

[country gent]

One plus to a bigger pot and smaller than capacity batches is much less splash outs when stirring fluxing. A 75 lb even 100 lb gives more lee way when doing this

[Walks]

I REALLY believe in a cast iron pot. I've seen the results from stainless steel pot "failing" at the wrong time.
My cast iron pot has a bail with a spout on one side and a lifting tab on the other. Holds about 60lbs plus. Use a turkey fryer I bought at a garage sale about 5 years ago. $20 & I got a hose & a half full 20lb propane cylinder.

I got the old Dutch oven at another garage sale about 45yrs ago. Think I bought it with pocket change.

Best way for melting down scrap and blending alloy.

I cast using old Lyman or RCBS electric bottom pour pots.

[44magLeo]

I've looked at a few of your links. The LoCo from Lowe's looks like a good one for the price. It looks to have an all welded frame. Not bolted like the other one. Less apt to get wiggly after awhile.
Having the 200K BTU's is nice. the extra heat gets the lead up to melting very quickly.
The one from Home Depot with the round frame may not be as strong as the Lowe's LoCo with the flat steel frame.
The bolt on pieces are a nice touch. Looks to help keep the pot on the burner.
So far My vote's on the LoCo from Lowe's.
Leo

[bangerjim]

Not to be disrespectful but exactly why is it every time a question of build comes up it always comes down to BIGGER, BIGGER, BIGGER? Industrial strength?
Last time I was building a new bench everyone insisted that it needed to be Bigger than the room it was going it.

Now I have physical limitations and even if I had 100/150lbs I do not believe I would be doing it all at once. 50lbs at a time would be a lot of work for me.

I and many others have found over time it is generally best to buy something a bit LARGER than your current needs dictate because you will always look back and realize what you thought was large enough at the time is definitely not. And now you have to get rid of the undersized 'whatever" thing, probably at a significant loss of $$, and buy all new "whatever" in a larger size.

This rule applies to remelting equipment, machine tools, sheds, etc. Buy or build more/better/larger than you think you may need at the present time (within your monetary means, of course). You will never be sorry. I learned that lesson many years ago!

banger

[kmw1954]

banger, I have also learned over the years that people have a habit of overbuilding, overbuying and over expecting. Example, yesterday I was reading a review of one of the fryers I had listed. The thing sold new for $45.00 and after reading his review one would think this was something he paid $200.00 and was expecting $200.00 quality. Another was complaining about the products safety as he was having a difficult time lighting it. Again maybe he should have spent more than $45.00 on one.

Lastly the one I listed from Amazon with a 200000BTU is a nice unit and again is most likely way more unit than I will ever need. Maybe you or others need to melt 100-200lbs at a time, I do not.

[44magLeo]

I have looked up a few facts on lead online. Lead weighs .4 lbs. per square inch. Also 1 fluid ounce weighs .72 lbs.
With these facts you can determine how much lead a container can hold. You can measure in inches to get the volume in cubic inches or fill it with water and find the fluid ounce capacity.
Once you know these figures just multiply by the right number.
Like a two quart pot is 32 fl. oz., so 32 x .72 = 23 lbs.
A 5 Quart Dutch oven holds 5 x 32 = 160 x .72 = 64 lbs.
A 10 quart pot, 10 x 32 = 320 x .72 = 230 lbs.
I was at Wal Mart and T-Fal sells a stainless steel 2.8 qt. pot with a heavy bottom. Like 3/8" thick for around $20. It has a long handle with pour spouts on each side with a glass top. The glass may not take the heat but the pot should be ok.
2.8 x 32 = 89.6 fl. oz. x .72 = 64.5 lbs.
The shelves at this store were about bare. At your store there may be a better selection. Over in the camping section they had a 5 qt or maybe 5.5 qt. Ozark Trail cast iron Dutch oven for $17.99.
This Dutch oven with the Lowe's LoCo burner at $49.98 will give you what you want. And not cost much.
I might suggest checking on old propane bottles. Often got for free and cut in half hold more lead, about 250 lbs.,but you don't half to fill it. The top half makes a good cover.
Even if you do fill it you don't half to pour it all into ingots in one day. Pour what you can then shut it down. The next day fire it up. Being the lead is all clean it won't take very long to melt. Then pour the rest.
I have my issues, the melting and fluxing takes awhile but doesn't tire me out much. The pouring of ingots does. I can cook up a pot full and with the 4 2.5 lb. ingot molds fill them once or twice, depending on how I feel. Then shut it down till the next day. Then fire the burner up for another session of filling ingots.
The first day I may only fill the ingots once, The second day maybe fill them twice. Then finish up the third day.
Leo

[onelight]

Kmw1954 congratulations on finding a good source for lead !
I am still looking , meanwhile I am hoarding the few hundred pounds I have for certain bullets and shooting a lot of commercial cast hi-tek they work well in most of my guns if I don't press them to hard for my twice a week indoor range time.

[kmw1954]

Once again a huge thank you to all that have provided input to this. It has helped and has provided much to think about. Have decided that I will be buying one of the fryers I had listed just not which one. I do have a friend checking for an unused tank and I also have an old helium tank laying around I can cut up also.

Still believing a 50ish lb batch should fit my needs just fine. One because it is 5 times larger than what I am doing now. So that should cut my time considerably and still be manageable to finish once started. I hate starting a project like this and then quitting before it's done. To me that is like doing the same work twice.

Yes I will need more ingot molds and a larger ladle as right now I am able to lift this small pot and pour directly into the molds. Again as at this time I am only melting about 10lbs at a time w/o over filling the pot and at that level with a cover on and if I try to fill any further than that I have trouble holding temp.

To banger, no hard feelings I hope. I research and do enough to understand what my limits are I would love to be doing 200# at a crack or load and shoot enough to warrant the need for a Dillon 750 press. When I restarted loading again I had so many people tell me I needed a press that would handle large bottleneck rifles and insisted that at some point I would load them. That was 5 years ago and I still do not own a rifle. Same was said about buying a truck. Bought a Ford Ranger and then a GMC Canyon and never found myself needing a larger truck, they both pulled and hauled everything I asked of them. .