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Thread: Burner design to melt lead?

  1. #1
    Boolit Man
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    Burner design to melt lead?

    Does anyone have a good burner design to heat up a large lead pot. I currently have a burner from an old hotwater tank and burners from an old furnace. Could these be attached to a propane tank possibly using the controlls from an old grill.
    would these provide sufficient heat to melt the lead?
    Thanks
    FM

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    a.squibload's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by fiatmom View Post
    ...would these provide sufficient heat to melt the lead?
    I hope so, that's about what I'm gonna do (sooner or later). I've always used a coleman camp stove, one side of it is plenty for a kitchen-type pot or fry pan. The fry pan is not very deep though.
    Where I used to work someone worked over the BBQ grill, stole the shell, we guessed they were gonna turn it in for recycle assuming it was aluminum (rough neighborhood).
    I got to take home the remains, regulator, side burner, hoses, etc. Want to weld up a stand for a ½-a-propane tank melting pot for more volume.

    Short version: yep, I think so! I think the water heater burner would be plenty. You will need a pressure regulator.

    Look around this area, there's a lot of info already posted. And maybe someone more knowledgable than me will help answer your question.

  3. #3
    Boolit Man
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    I guess my problem is if I would need a new orface for the burner. The tank has a regulator.

  4. #4
    Boolit Bub Munkeyjoe's Avatar
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    Im using a turkey fryer and a cast iron pot. More than enough heat for me!! Browse the forum and Im sure you can find a cheap easy rig that will fit your style!!

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy deerslayer's Avatar
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    Were these burners from natural gas apliances or propane? If you are switching designated fuel types then you will need to change orifices. When you say the tank has a regulator what kind of tank and or regulator are you refering to. Many larger outside tanks have a regulator that will cut propane down to 10 psi which is much to high for a burner if you want to keep your hair. This regulator at the tank allows a 3/8 propane line to feed an entire house because at the house there is another regulator that cuts it down again to usually around 1/2 PSI.
    Remember the average response time of a 911 call is over 4 minutes. The average response time of a .357 is around 1300 F.P.S.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master jmsj's Avatar
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    fiatmom,
    I just finished making a smelter using a 12" dutch oven and an old cast iron burner from a water heater, it works great. The manager of the local propane company helped me get the pressure and orifice balanced. I've got another smaller one about half done that I'm going to try and use a stamped steel burner from a newer type water heater, not sure if this burner is going to work with the rest of the set up.
    If you google "propane orifice chart" you should get some helpful information. On my first smelter I used an old acetylene regulator, on the second I used a ball valve to throttle the gas.
    Good luck, jmsj

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Yard sale turkey fryers are cheap and don't need to be refit, unless the base isn't stable. A fish fryer may not have enough BTUs.
    A wind shield to hold the heat against the pot will improve the efficiency of all of them.
    A good fitting lid will cut down on smoke and heat loss . I think it helps to reduce the oxides that are re-claimable.
    Be cautious of China made cast pots. Some are improperly cast and when heated full of lead, can crack.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master madsenshooter's Avatar
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    是做的谨慎的中国熔铸罐。 一些不适当地被熔铸和,当激昂充分主角,可能崩裂。

  9. #9
    Boolit Grand Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by madsenshooter View Post
    是做的谨慎的中国熔铸罐。 一些不适当地被熔铸和,当激昂充分主角,可能崩裂。
    It's easy for you to say!!

    Dale53

  10. #10
    Boolit Master WallyM3's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by madsenshooter View Post
    是做的谨慎的中国熔铸罐。 一些不适当地被熔铸和,当激昂充分主角,可能崩裂。
    I'm not sure about that last part....

  11. #11
    In Remebrance


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    Quote Originally Posted by madsenshooter View Post
    是做的谨慎的中国熔铸罐。 一些不适当地被熔铸和,当激昂充分主角,可能崩裂。
    Ha, ha, ha! That's a good one Ling!

  12. #12
    Black Powder 100%


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    As has been posted you do have to change orfice size for the reason of pressure. Natural Gas runs at about 8psi which is low pressure. Propane runs at high pressure. A barb-b Que will more than likley have a low pressure regulator. You need the turkey frying setup so that the regulator is set for the amount of BTU's needed. When you go to buy any parts tell them you are using all HP.
    Shooter of the "HOLY BLACK" SASS 81802 AKA FAIRSHAKE; NRA ; BOLD; WARTHOG;Deadwood Marshal;Bayou Bounty Hunter; So That his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat; 44 WCF filled to the top, 210 gr. bullet

  13. #13
    Boolit Master mikenbarb's Avatar
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    Here ya go. I made this one from a Turkey Fryer a while back. The one im currently using holds 1500lbs of lead and designed with about the same burner.


    ** Please bear with me for a day or two if I dont reply quickly.**
    Mike B.
    Gun Control= Being able to hit your target.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by madsenshooter View Post
    是做的谨慎的中国熔铸罐。 一些不适当地被熔铸和,当激昂充分主角,可能崩裂。
    Must be from South China, the last bit says 'You all'...
    Echo
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    One of the most endearing sights in the world is the vision of a naked good-looking woman leaving the bedroom to make breakfast. Bolivar Shagnasty (I believe that Lazarus Long also said it, but I can't find any record of it.)

  15. #15
    Boolit Buddy deerslayer's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by mikenbarb View Post
    Here ya go. I made this one from a Turkey Fryer a while back. The one im currently using holds 1500lbs of lead and designed with about the same burner.


    Mike, just curious how many BTU'S you have there? My turkey frier will barely produce enough heat to keep 120 molten and I believe it is 53,000. I can't imagine what it takes to keep 1500 LBS molten?
    Remember the average response time of a 911 call is over 4 minutes. The average response time of a .357 is around 1300 F.P.S.

  16. #16
    Black Powder 100%


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    Deerslayer, Here in Louisiana where the outside cooking is done at least once a week we use burners up to a 150,000 BTU. I have one that was made for me by a friend while the plant work was slow that uses a welding tip for the burner. When hooked up to HP regulator it sounds as if it is a jet engine and will boil water in a 100 g pot in just minutes. I use a 100,000 BTU when smelting and you don't wait long to see the silver screen. The big BTU's are made for boiling crab's, shrimp, and our favorite small lobster "The Crawfish" We have trailers with 4 of these burners that do boils for 100's or thousands of people. Call Goodwood Hardware in Baton Rouge at 225-926-0040 and ask for someone in the burner section. If you can't find it local.
    Shooter of the "HOLY BLACK" SASS 81802 AKA FAIRSHAKE; NRA ; BOLD; WARTHOG;Deadwood Marshal;Bayou Bounty Hunter; So That his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat; 44 WCF filled to the top, 210 gr. bullet

  17. #17
    Boolit Master hunter64's Avatar
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    Some miss information on the propane and Natural Gas pressures so I first I thought I should clear that up.

    Inches of water column to PSI conversion is X .036 to get PSI

    Propane runs at 11" WC so the regulator that is on BBQ's and Turkey fryers is this pressure or 11 X .036= 0.396 PSI so 4/10 of a PSI

    Natural Gas runs at 7"WC to the appliances and most gas valves cut that down to 3.5" WC. 7"= 0.25 PSI and 3.5" = 0.126 psi

    To convert Propane to Natural Gas you need to increase the orifice (drill it out or replace it).

    To convert NG to propane you need to decrease the orifice size.

    Obviously you need to change the working pressures either way also.


    I found and old NG water heater and took out the burner and mounted it in an old Coleman camp stove. I brazed some legs
    on the burner rack for strength and mounted the burner up near the rack. I extended the inlet with some pipe and put a
    quick connect on the end of it. In the garage I have a heater and I put a secondary line by the back door so if I want to
    use it outside or inside the garage I have a 15 foot hose with two quick connects and away I go. I put a hand operated
    shut off valve on the secondary so I could adjust the pressure to the burner and thus the flame height. No need to get
    fancy with a control valve. This will do 50 lbs easily at a time but I usually only load it with 20 pounds on the dutch oven
    that I use. My back just couldn't take much more weight than that. Packs up nice and convenient.







    Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch.
    Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote. -Benjamin Franklin, 1759

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Baron von Trollwhack's Avatar
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    For a great many years in NC it was common for anyone needing a LP burner to acquire one from an old wooden tobacco barn where the leaf was hung and cured by gas heat. The technology for curing tobacco has long proceeded and most of the old barns are mouldering down now.

    But the burners work in everything from stew pot set ups to lead pots, to pig cookers.

    This may likely be so also in other tobacco producing states.

    BvT
    Every lawbreaker we allow into our nation, or tolerate in our citizen population leads to the further escalation of law breaking of all kinds and acceptance of evil.
    Since almost all aspects of our cultural existence are LIBERAL in most states, this means that the nation is on a trajectory to dissolution by the burden of toleration and acceptance of LAWBREAKING as a norm, a trajectory back to the dark ages of history.

    BvT

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    hunter:
    nice conversion. I was using a Coleman stove as is, never thought about the weight,
    lead is a little heavier than scrambled eggs & bacon!

  20. #20
    Boolit Master GabbyM's Avatar
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    At $19 per 20lb bottle for propane around here if I melt down another ton of lead it will be off my house line NG. My old water heater is getting plugged up and it's burner has a mission. They are a bit of work to cut out but are high BTU items. Those turkey fryer burners are junk anyway.

    My big dream plan is to run a line to my carport for use with lead melter and gas cooking grill. Not at the same time of course.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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