Camp stove

[MikeACP]

Can I start smelting with a simple Coleman two burner camp stove?

[white eagle]

sure can

[MikeACP]

Thanks I'm getting happier all the time. I wasn't sure if it would produce enough heat, for long enough. I'm trying to start up with limeted funds.

[Lead Fred]

I did, until the cost of propane exceeded the cost or a furnace.
Not I dont use the camp stove any more.

[buyobuyo]

I use an older Coleman stove to smelt. I get 3-4 hours of burn time from a full tank using Coleman fuel.

Couple of pointers... If it is a two burner stove, forget about using the secondary burner. It doesn't put out enough heat to be useful and is a waste of good fuel. Also, don't forget get re-pressurize the tank every now and then. When the tank is full 1-2 times an hour is suffiecient; when it's low you may need to do it every 15 minutes or so.

My smelting pot is the bottom of an old pressure cooker which holds around 70lb of melted wheel weights. It works good, but I've noticed that the grate on the stove is starting to bend from the weight. I'm on the lookout of a cheap fryer.

[white eagle]

here take a look this is what I use
no fancy lead melting furnace
just a single camp burner
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v730/kempobb/abc3.jpg,
see it its green
I have a spare on the upper shelf left

[Ben]

buyobuyo

Are you saying on the factory grate, you've been placing 70 lbs of alloy ? ?

I hope you've got all your insurance paid up to date.

[MikeACP]

Super, Thanks guys. As I collect things I want to get one of those turkey fryer satnds. Then an electric furnace for csating. One other thing what kind of pot can I use?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Good hints from buyobuyo
I'd like to add two more.

once everthing is melted, turn down the heat
to near Minimum while fluxing, removing clips and pouring ingots.
that'll save a little more fuel.

Leave about 1/4" to 1/2" of melted lead in pan when adding
more "dry" wheel weights. once you have added the amount
of weights you want in the pan, then turn the heat back up.

OH yeah, I don't put more than about 35 lbs in the pan.
more than that on a coleman is just asking for disaster.
Jon


http://i640.photobucket.com/albums/uu127/JonB_in_Glencoe/100_1008.jpg

[gray wolf]

Please don't use Aluminum pots

They may work for a while but have been known to fall apart without warning.
This has been said over and over again.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Gray wolf,
that's good advice.
rest assured that the photo I posted has a older
heavy weight stainless steel soup pot.
It does kinda look like aluminum,
and your advice can't be said enough.
Jon

[MikeACP]

Thanks for the tips.

[mooman76]

That's how I started. I flipped the grate over hoping it would warp back. Haven't used it much since though except for camping. Mine would last 4hrs almost on the dot. That's usually when I would take my break since I had to shut down at least momentarily.

[imashooter2]

I worked for a lot of years smelting and dipper casting off an old liquid fuel Coleman. I never paid the money for genuine Coleman fuel and just used unleaded gasoline. In my experience, a 2.5 quart pot is the limit before it just takes too long for the Coleman to melt the lead. That's pretty much a 50 pound working weight. My stock stove grill held up to that no problem with a couple thousand pounds going over her for the 20 or so years that I used it. And remember, that was both smelting and casting. It has a lot of hours on it.

[Sully]

I used a Colean 1 burner..a Sportser" model for years making BP bullets and round balls. Had a cast iron Lyman pot and ladle.

[markinalpine]

I started pretty much this way: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=512331&postcount=1
What I didn't mention was that later I found a couple of pieces of firebrick to put next to the one burner to support the grill. One half brick and one quarter brick. the quarter brick is a tight squeeze and at an angel, but it does firm up the grill.
Good luck and welcome to the forum,
Mark [smilie=s:

[buyobuyo]

buyobuyo

Are you saying on the factory grate, you've been placing 70 lbs of alloy ? ?

I hope you've got all your insurance paid up to date.


Yup. The stove I use looks just like the one in JonB's pictures. I just noticed the warping of the grate after this last smelting session, which was two days going for ~6 hrs each day. It was cooler and breezier than previous sessions, so it took longer to melt and required more heat, which I believe contributed to the warping.

[Skipper488]

I use a turkey fryer for smelting and the Coleman camp stove for casting. My camp stove will use the Coleman fuel or just plain unleaded gas.

[tall grass]

I'm still a Coleman liquid fuel stove user. I made a trivet out of 3 rods that set on the bottom of the stove and stick up through the grate slightly and spaced around the main burner. Got nervous watching the grate get red hot and sag... with all that molten led setting on top. I usually use unleaded gas in it but the stove seems to burn a little hotter with the Coleman fuel though.

Jim

[roverboy]

I am about to go look at some used molds and was wondering if a electric hotplate would be hot enough to use. If anybody thinks its a bad idea please say so. I can take criticizm.

[jcwit]

I've used the little Coleman single burner stove for years now. Here in No. Indiana Amish country we can buy "white gas" at the pump, "white gas"= Coleman fuel and/or Naptha, all the same.

I've tried the unleaded gas already and it always caused problems with the generator needing to be replaced.

[Wayne Smith]

I use a Coleman Propane two burner stove and melt a pot on each burner. This is especially true when casting two metal boolits. I've never had a problem getting enough heat. I have a 20lb bottle under the table.

[winchester94]

roverboy,

Hotplates work ok for warming your molds, but if you are asking if it will melt lead the answer is.... it SHOULDN'T. If you have a hot plate that gets that warm, somethings wrong with it.

[atr]

I am not a fan of electric....
I got a coleman gas camp stove at the local rumage shop for $2.00....after a half-hour of cleanup I started casting.

[Ben]

I'm not certain that an elect hot plate will generate enough BTU's ? ?

[Beagler]

I use and old dutch oven and propane turkey cooker to smelt down my scrap. To cast I use either my elec. pot or a coleman single burner propane stove with and old iron skillet slightly bigger than the cooker. Instead of wasting time with one pound bottles I made a welded steel stand for the coleman cooker and ran a propane line to my 20 pound LP tank. Made sure my iron skillet and pot where a generic castings not the good Erie, Walpac, Wagner, or griswold. Hate to ruin a perfectly good bacon and egg fryer

[higgins]

I've stuck with Coleman fuel (or the discount store equivalent) for my stoves and lanterns because the real fuel does not "go bad" or gum up the works when left in an appliance for a long time, even years. I'm using a can of Coleman fuel now with no problems that I bought in '01. Gasoline is probably good for short-term use, but I've cleaned out too many lawnmower carburetors to trust gasoline if it gets left in the appliance long enough.

[Smoke-um if you got-um]

If you decide to use a coleman stove ,of either type, I've found that it's best to pick a day with little or no breeze/wind. On occasion I've waited until the late evening to smelt when the wind dies down or goes away completely. It saves a substantial amount of fuel and time doing it this way. Have fun....

Mike