Lead thermometer inside a stove

[guninhand]

Hi folks,

I plan to melt wheelweights inside a woodburning stove. I don't want the alloy temp to get high enough to melt zinc. Can a Lyman thermometer give me the correct melt temperature, given all the heat and flame around the read out dial??

[Three44s]

I don't think you can accomplish your objective that way. I see lots of pitfalls.

And the thermometer is going to give up the ghost in my opinion.

You need a gas burner for your lead pot or an electric hot plate and an old cast iron skillet (dedicated to lead).

Three 44s

[kelbro]

It will probably smoke the lens.

[nanuk]

if you know you have no zinc, can you overcook WW?

[Lee W]

I hope this stove is not in a house...Your best bet is a thermocouple and digital indicator of some sort. Keep the cable out of the flames and you should be good to go.
Look here.

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=3&products_id=22

http://www.auberins.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=14

[guninhand]

Thanks for the replies. I got the stove for free and there is enough wood on my property, so my objective is to transform the WW to ingots at low cost. A friend of mind has done this in a woodstove in his basement, but he doesn't have a thermometer. I have to wheel the stove out of my garage and use the driveway, insurance won't let me set it up in the garage.

If it doesn't work out I can borrow a turkey fryer.

[imashooter2]

IMO, you'd have less problem with an open fire than the wood stove. After the lead melts you have to skim, flux stir and pour. Seems like all of that would be an enormous PITA inside a wood stove.

[*Paladin*]

Just make sure you're next to the pot when the lead goes molten. Once it does, everything floating is either steel, zinc or other contaminants. Skim it out before it gets a chance to melt...

[waksupi]

IMO, you'd have less problem with an open fire than the wood stove. After the lead melts you have to skim, flux stir and pour. Seems like all of that would be an enormous PITA inside a wood stove.

I really agree with this. I think trying to work with the melted lead in a wood stove would be a hazard. I make char cloth in my wood stove, and it is hard enough to get that light tin out of the fire, let alone dealing with lead.

[leadbutt]

Yea, please do not use the wood stove. Install it in your casting shack. I REALLY think it would be better melting your ww in a camp fire. Wont damage your therometer or poison your kids with the fumes rolling round your house like your friend. Be safe, kick up a fire in your back yard and have a few beers.



L.Bottoms

[Jim]

..... Be safe, kick up a fire in your back yard and have a few beers.
L.Bottoms

With or without the project, that's a great idea!

[GP100man]

Is it a stove like a buck stove with removable eyes???

If it is just remove an eye & watch for floaters in the pot as Paladin suggested.

The heat will be more controllable with electric or gas , just keep it under 1,000 & the paint ,oil & rubber fumes are ya biggest concern & they`ll keep ya upwind anyways .

When smelting I bend up a coat hanger & stik in just enuff to get a reading , I don`t leave it in the pot.

[guninhand]

Happy to report it turned out ok. The WW melted and temp measured at 800F when I cleaned and fluxed. I had the fire going for about 2 hours before putting in the first pot. I can do about 15 lbs at time, not much but takes 30 to 40 minutes. I'm not that familiar with wood stoves and never got the fire going all out as I expected, even though I had the damper out and the door slightly cracked to get in air.

I was going to put the pot on top of the stove to clean and flux but it was snowing so I left it in the stove and it was not hard to ladle out that way nor to use the thermometer.
It works fine if you already have the stove and free wood and can tend to it every 20 minutes while doing other things.

http://i238.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/guninhand_2007/ww.jpg