Coleman Stove for Melting Wheel Weights

[Dipperman]

I picked up a used, 2 burner, Coleman camping stove to use for melting wheel weights, thought it would be a step up from my old electric hot plate.

Anyone here have any tips or thoughts they would care to share about keeping one of these things burning for an extended period of time, so I don't blow it up or burn down my garage?

Thanks in advance.

AL (aka Dipperman)

[Wayne Smith]

White gas or propane?

[imashooter2]

Burn time is limited by fuel reserve and flame height. Use a full tank. Crank it up to get your initial melt and then turn it down to maintain temperature while pouring.

[Dipperman]

The stove I bought uses white gas or the Coleman liquid fuel.

Sorry I didn't think of that when I posted the original question.

Thanks,
AL (aka Dipperman)

[wills]

You might be happier if you invest in a propane rig to use for your smelting.

[beagle]

I've used a coleman stove for melting.

The fire hazard is there with the gassers.

The problem that I had was with a full pot of lead, it almost exceeds the weight limits of the stove grill which is designed for a griddle or at lease a fairly wide pan.

It will work and does pretty well. Just keep the garage door open and apair of leather gloves on so you can pick it up and toss it outside if you have a catastrophic failure. I've had that happen and don't trust Colamn stoves for this purpose./beagle

[fourarmed]

I have one that I use for this purpose. I have been using regular unleaded gasoline in it, as I have plenty of it available for farm vehicles. It works fine, in fact I cooked on it in the house for a week following a big icestorm that took out power lines all over eastern Kansas right after Christmas. If your stove is in good shape - not rusted out, no leakage where the delivery tube fits, etc., it should be fine with 20 pounds or so on it. If in question about the strength, you could rig up a heavier grate and support it on bricks alongside the Coleman.

[imashooter2]

I've used a coleman stove for melting.

The fire hazard is there with the gassers.

The problem that I had was with a full pot of lead, it almost exceeds the weight limits of the stove grill which is designed for a griddle or at lease a fairly wide pan.

It will work and does pretty well. Just keep the garage door open and apair of leather gloves on so you can pick it up and toss it outside if you have a catastrophic failure. I've had that happen and don't trust Colamn stoves for this purpose./beagle

I agree that grill strength is an issue when melting large pots of lead on a Coleman stove, but what is the fire hazard?

[Ed Barrett]

I use a liquid gas colman stove for my smelting. with the price of LP gas around here I can't see how some guys can afford to smelt lead with it. I bought 6 one gallon cans of colman fuel two years ago on clearance at walmart. It never seems to go "old" like regular galoline. They must doctor it with something as a life extender.
Make sure it is on a ultra sturdy table. make sure you are outside with no pets or kids around. I use a garage sale cast iron dutch oven. I fill it up heaping with wheel weights when they melt down level I put the top on. come back in 10 minutes and skim off the clips. then put the flux in (wax) stir and let it get the scum on the top and skim that off, and repeat. Make sure your ingot molds are close to the pot and dry.

I usually put off smelting as long as possible since it's not my favorite chore. I was given 650 lbs of pure lead in ingots last year so I don't have to melt down any roofing lead for a few years.
Hope this helps.

[Goatlips]

I do as the other posters with a camp stove and dutch oven on the sidewalk, but I add BTU's directly to the ww's with a propane weed burner. The flame quickly turns the clips cherry red and carries the heat into the weights. Speeds things up considerably and adds to the fun.

Goatlips

[Wayne Smith]

For white gas fueled stoves keep the 'generator' clean. This is the tube that runs from the tank to the burner, and has a small hole and wire sticking out of it at the burner end. It atomizes the gas and is the critical component.

I use a 20 lb pot on the grill of a propane stove and it holds up well. I've been using it for a couple of years now. I'd be careful using a dutch oven, you can get a lot of weight in one of those. Make sure your base is stable and have at it. The advise to do it out of doors or with the garage door open is because of the lead, not necessarily the stove. You don't want to be in an enclosed area without ventilation because of breathing lead fumes.

I smelt ww in the 20 lb pot I got from Lyman and haven't had a problem. It's not fast, but it gets the job done.

[waksupi]

"You don't want to be in an enclosed area without ventilation because of breathing lead fumes."

This is one of those old myths we'll try to kill right here. The crap that is on your wheelweights, such as dog pee, copenhagen, and tire stems will stink up the place. Unless you actually bring the lead to a boil, you will be producing no lead fumes. And if you aren't putting in on a forge, you aren't going to get anywhere near that heat. Lead contamination in the body comes from handling oxidized lead, and transferring it to your mouth. So, don't eat or smoke when you are casting and handling bullets, and wash your hands when you are done. There are quite a few here who have had thier levels checked, and lead in the blood is very low, usually lower than the general population, because of our awareness of the possibilities.

[sundog]

Waksupi, purdy much right on. I just changed doctors, and the new one agreed a lead test was in order. Thirty years and still normal. The lead in the blood, that is. Anything else is open to conjecture. Ventilation is mostly to keep you from gaggin' on the burned dog pee.... sundog

[StarMetal]

Boy you two, Sundog and Waksupi, about the dog pee. Man if that isn't the truth. Maybe you two know a tip on how to keep your male dog from pissing on your tires? The stuff is kinda hard on mag wheels ya know.

Joe

[BD]

I used a Coleman stove exclusively for the first five years, and still use it for pre-melting ingots when casting with the Lyman bottom pour. The best money I ever spent on it was $15 for the propane adaptor, which I then cut and spliced into a bulk tank regulator so I can run it off a 100 lb. bottle. This same adaptor now can also run my home made 200 pound smelter on a turkey fryer. Insulate the pot with rock wool and keep the lid on. I drilled a hole in my lid so I can stick a thermometer in and watch the temp without removing the lid. BD

[waksupi]

Joe, I did hear an urbN LEGEND YEARS AGO, ABOUT GUYS WIRING THIER WHEELS TO AN ELECTRICAL CURRENT FROM THE BATTery somehow. It apparently is one of those things that would knock a dogs' dick in the dirt, if true. I'm sure it would break them. I only had to pee on an electric fence once when I was a kid, to be broke of that habit.

[StarMetal]

Ric

Hmmmmm...I suppose I'll have to ground my wheel then being it sets on rubber. Good idea, I'll get on it straight away.

Joe

[Char-Gar]

I am scared to death of Coleman gasoline stove. I know there are many, many is use or many many years, but I know two that blew up. A friend of mine had on on the beach in Atacames Ecuador and it blew up and caught his wife's clothes on fire. They put the fire out by drenching her in the surf. There was so much bacteria in the water, she got massive infections in the burn wounds and died of the infections in utter misery. She was 33 years old.

That is the last Coleman gasoline stove or lamp I ever want to see. The other stove that blew up plus one lamp only caused minor injurys. I guess if they are maintained and use properly they are safe, but not none of me!

[wills]

[QUOTE=Wayne Smith]For white gas fueled stoves keep the 'generator' clean. This is the tube that runs from the tank to the burner, and has a small hole and wire sticking out of it at the burner end. It atomizes the gas and is the critical component.

QUOTE]

If the generator clogs, you can take the lid off the tank, open the valve and blow through the generator to clear it. I have found it helps to let the thing cool first.

[carpetman]

My dad had Coleman stoves and lanterns that he frequently used that he had as far as I remember back. I was 50 when he died. Yes,they can be missused. Stick your finger in a light socket and electricity becomes unsafe. Put the cap back on properly and wipe off any spillage before you light it. Have your match lit and in place before you turn the gas on. Turn it on first and fumble around a few seconds and then put the lit match in place,you might have a problem. Same with lighting gas applinces--have the ignition source ready. I found the generators last longer if you do use Coleman fuel,however,using unleaded gas is enough cheaper to offset the cost of replacing the generator from time to time. Some Coleman products have a gizzie(that means I dont know proper term) that you rotate a few times and leave at a certain posistion while lighting. What this is is a generator cleaning device. When you rotate it,it moves the cat whisker in the generator in and out of the tiny orifice to remove carbon. When using a Coleman lantern for example,the light will dim and rotate that cleaner and it brightens back up. In the wrong posistion your lantern will go out. But this is NOT how you turn them off. Many people make that mistake and you have a slow seepage of gas fumes. A very dangerous situation in an encosed area. There is an accessory item you can add to a lantern for lighting them. You push it up to where it is near the mantle,turn on the gas and twist the wheel on it and it makes a spark like a cigarette lighter works. When the lantern is lit you pull it back down away from the mantle. Now if you dont pull it back down,and leave it near the mantle. It will get hot. It will burn you. Duh. A guy used mine one time and didnt pay attention to the instuctions. He left it in posistion--near the mantle. Used it to turn it on,so that must be what to use to turn it off. He had ruined my starter. It was now melted aluminum on the business end. Played hell with his fingers when he grabbed it to turn it off a few hours later. Properly used,they are pretty safe. Get careless with them and a hazzard.