Help w/dutch oven?

[fishnbob]

Hey Guys, I just bought a Dutch Oven from Harbor Freight and I want to cut the legs off so it will set flush on the Bass Pro Shops Fish Fryer that I have ordered. I am thinking about stability but I wonder if cutting off the legs will compromise the integrity of the pot when it is loaded with lead & hot? Do any of you have any experience with this?

[Bob J]

I can't speak to the integrity after you cut the legs off but I use a Harbor Freight dutch oven with my Bass Pro fish fryer and it seems to work fine.... I just spin it a bit until the legs fit between the main fryer base supports.....

Only thing I wish is that the regulator on the Bass Pro fed gas fast enough to give me a bigger flame.... I also have an old turkey fryer base that heats things up right quick and the bass pro seems to be much weaker even at full tilt.....

[Doc Highwall]

Another thing you can do is put some sheet-metal stock around it to help keep the heat next to the pot, that way when there is a slight breeze it will not blow the heat away adding to the time it takes to melt the lead.

[Bob J]

Thanks Doc.... Will give this a try....

Another thing you can do is put some sheet-metal stock around it to help keep the heat next to the pot, that way when there is a slight breeze it will not blow the heat away adding to the time it takes to melt the lead.

[fishnbob]

If you have a metal yard around, buy a scrap 10" length of steel pipe and a scrap piece of 1/2" plate steel to weld to the bottom of the pipe. After I had a scare with cast iron, I went down to the metal yard and found what I needed, since I bought the stub ends of pipe and scrap piece of plate they only charged me .20 cents a pound. A little welding, a handle, and much more piece of mind. Save the dutch oven for cooking biscuits.

If you decide to just keep that oven and cut the legs off, keep them cool as you are doing it. Frankly hardening three spots on the bottom could be a potential disaster waiting to happen.

No scrap yard nearby, plenty of machine shops, bought a 1" piece of angle about 6' long cost me $10 yesterday. Your homemade pot would probably cost me $75.

[Mntngoat]

has anyone considered taking an EMPTY 20 lb propane tank and cutting it in half to give you a good size smelting pot?

ML

[fishnbob]

I don't see why that wouldn't work. May be too large in diameter?

[pjh421]

I left mine on too. If you had a partial pot of molten alloy and for some as of yet unforeseen reason it was bumped into, the legs might be just enough to hold it in place and prevent trouble.

Paul

[BeeMan]

has anyone considered taking an EMPTY 20 lb propane tank and cutting it in half to give you a good size smelting pot?

ML

Yep. Done it a couple times, after suitable venting for safety considerations. The resulting pot holds plenty and works fine with a propane burner.

No risk around here of cast iron cracking and dumping molten lead.

BeeMan

[Doc Highwall]

What ever you do, do-not make the pot out of aluminum!

[BeeMan]

You can often get empty 20 lb propane tanks for the same price as stubs of angle iron - scrap price down to free. Ask at the local bulk propane dealer. They may just give you an old tank without the overfill protection device. They usually drill a hole in it to prevent re-use. Make sure the hole is not in the bottom half and you're set.

[hammerhead357]

I have cut the legs off of a dutch oven for just this use. I used a cut off wheel on an angle grinder. It worked fine and have not had any problem but I think I am going to build one out of steel pipe because of the few cracked dutch ovens that have been reported....Wes

[10 ga]

I just used a file and hack saw to cut the feet off dutch oven. Start a notch with the file then use the hack saw. Dosen't take as long as you'd think. I've been using dutch oven and a dipper ladle for casting for over 40 years and never had a problem (with the dutch ovens). 10 ga

[durango]

Any stickys or how-to threads on using an old water heater tank for a pot? How thick are they-usually? Thanks, Steve

[357maximum]

I built this after a few bad incidents with aluminum/thin stainless, and cast iron.



It is 14in diameter and 12 in height X 3/8 in thick. I normally just do 2-5gallon buckets of ww at a time in it...though it will hold a bit more.

I also made one that will hold 450lbs...but i seldom use it, unless making a large blended batch of 50/50 ww/pure.