getting lead out of big pot

[winchester85]

i built a smelter out of a 100# propane bottle. today i loading it up with some range scrap, when i went to pour it out i could not get the lead to flow. i heated up the outlet and then i had lead splattering all over the place. there is about 4" from the bottom of the pot to the elbow that goes outside the tank, there i have another elbow with a 10" nipple on it. i figured i would just turn the pipe until the lead flowed out. didnt work out so well.
should i just ladle it out of the pot, or what about some kind of valve to control the flow?

the pot will probably hold a few hundred pounds if full. today i only had maybe 30 or 40 pounds in it.

[ShooterAZ]

If it was me, I would get my wife's large SS ladle and and several of her muffin tins and get busy. Then I would go out and buy her some new ones right away. Then I would figure out what went wrong and devise a solution.

[RickinTN]

I usually ladle out of my smelting pot (using a large stainless soup ladle) and may pour out the last few pounds, but my pot is nowhere as big as yours. I'm thinking your nozzle is too long and the lead is "freezing" on the way out because it is not close enough to your heat source to keep it in the 550-600 degree range. Short of rigging something up to keep your nozzle up to temperature I'm thinking you may have to ladle. How big are your ingot molds? My soup ladle probably holds 2 1/2 to 3 pounds and about all I care to handle at one time.
Good Luck,
Rick

[D Crockett]

would probably help if we knew what the heat source is. I make smelting pots but the biggest tank that I use is a 20 lb propane tank I would think a 100 lb tank is a might to big for what you want to do a 20 lb tank cut just about a inch above the wield will hold around 150 lbs of lead would probably work better using a turkey fryer for the heat source D Crockett

[winchester85]

today i just used some scrap wood for heat. it is set up to be used with a weed burner, but i didnt need it except to heat the outlet. the problem is not getting lead out of the pot, the problem is getting it out in a slow controlled fashion.

a ladle would certainly be easier, but pulling lead off the bottom ensures that i do not get any jackets or other debris.

[winchester85]

my smelter is built from a 100# bottle. i cut the top off about 6 or 7 inches below where starts to neck, turned that over and set it on top of what it left of the tank. at the bottom of the tank i cut a 4" square hole on 2 side and used a 2" hole saw for where to insert the weed burner. the weed burner is bent at 90* so the burner is upright and the inlet comes out the side of the tank. the inlet pipe is welded to the tank. where the tank valve was is now a pipe going down and turning 90* to get out of the tank.

today i just cut up a handful of sawmill edgings and some paper and melted the lead with that. it was not much wood. i used another weed burner to heat up the outlet. i need to build some bigger ingot molds, today with 30 or 40 pounds in the pot, it worked well. i think i could go to easily 100# or maybe even 150#.
my plan is to smelt as much as i can for a personal stash and trading stock. i can get thousands of pounds out of the local range with very little effort.

[Bullshop Junior]

today i just used some scrap wood for heat. it is set up to be used with a weed burner, but i didnt need it except to heat the outlet. the problem is not getting lead out of the pot, the problem is getting it out in a slow controlled fashion.

a ladle would certainly be easier, but pulling lead off the bottom ensures that i do not get any jackets or other debris.

you should deal with a smaller pot...that big of a pot would be a pain...I wouldnt want one that could hold any more then a five gallon bucket. It should be easy to skim off any debres and jackets and what not off the top of a smaller pot when fluxing. A 100lb propane tank is just too tall to have to reach down into.

[winchester85]

the reason i used a 100# tank, besides that i had it, was that it IS tall. the pot is up off the ground. top of the pot is about 3 feet tall, the pot itself is only about 12" from the very bottom to the rim. the pot sits on top of the large portion of the tank. the pot is really not that big. it may only hold a five gallon bucket.

i am not melting in the base of the tank, the pot is the cut off top turned upside down.

[oneokie]

Use a gas valve on the spigot. Or a stop/waste water valve, just make sure you install the stop/waste correctly so you don't have leaks when the valve is closed.

[jsizemore]

Do you hold the ingot mold by hand under the spout as it pours or do you slide it across the top of a table as the spout pours? Do you use custom molds or muffin tins? I'm trying to picture your setup and how you want it to operate. I ladle about 2 lbs a scoop and after pouring into my muffin tins it's still liquid even after pouring 6 2lb ingots.

[lmfd20]

I used a half inch bronze plug valve with about a 3" nipple to the side of my Dutch oven. Has a handle like a garden hose. Works well except I changed it from the side to the bottom of the pot on a 45

[winchester85]

i have many valve laying around, but i think they all have a nylon seal. but i have not looked at the gas valves.

[D Crockett]

that set up sounds real top heavy be careful molten lead will melt the skin off you right down to the bone and is not forgiving when mistakes are made so be careful be safe just a idea wield some out rigger type legs on your base going in 4 directions would make it safer could you post a picture of your set up I am just wondering if I have it pictured right in my head D Crockett

[dikman]

I agree with Mr. Crockett. A photo (or two) would be nice, as how I'm picturing it puts a big question mark over its stability. It's surprising how easily a big heap of molten lead can upset something that looks stable!