Smelting pot conditioner

[BEN BODEY]

Is there anything I should use to condition a stainless steal pot with before I start smelting lead?

[robertbank]

Nope, but if you can get your hands on a Cast Iron pot you maybe better off with it. Your stainless steel pot will work though.

Take Care

Bob

[wcb_gabe]

Nope, just lead.
Unless you want to make one more batch of mashed potatoes before turning your pot into a smelter. If that's the case I recommend butter. But for bullet conditioning just lead, tin and antimony will work. Welcome to the board. Lots of good info and people here.

[imashooter2]

If that is the same 9.5 deep x 14 diameter pot you mentioned in your other thread, you should really reconsider the safety of putting that much molten lead on a turkey fryer.

Forgive me for mentioning it if you've already gotten something smaller.

[BEN BODEY]

I don't plan on filling it up to capacity. I figure if it will hold my 155 Lbs, it will hold a 5 gal. bucket of WW lead and have room to melt down. A trial run with about 50 Lbs of WW first is the plan.

And thanks for looking out for my well being. Seems to me the older I get the more I appreciate it. It conrtibutes to getting even older. I have never been the kind of person that won a lot of awards, but the Darwin Award is one I don't want.

[robertbank]

The last thing you need is 50 lbs or more molten lead heading your way. Wouldn't hurt to drop down to 20lbs and see how it goes from there. Not a whole lot of advantage of doing much more than that at a time. The clips can be a real pain to remove. You likely got more time on your hands than you have unscarred feet.:mrgreen:

Take Care

Bob

[500bfrman]

I used a turkey fryer that I bought at china mart to melt down wheel weights using a cast iron dutch oven. With the weight of the oven and stuffed full of weights I was easily over 50 pounds. worked fine. .02

[44woody]

I usualy have about 600 to a 1000 lb of ww to melt down on the turkey fryer needless to say it does take me a while I usualy end up with about 125 + 5lb ingots made the best way to get the clips out is a magnet then I flux with bees wax or candle wax then I take all the dross out and pour ingots with a ladel I use 6 ingot moulds by the time I am done I have 2 -5gal buckets full of the clips which I give to the junk man that comes around I never let them go to our land fill and that is the way it goes for me :castmine: 44Woody

[NVcurmudgeon]

One thing I never see mentioned among casting and smelting safety precautions is that both activities are safest when done standing. That way, if necessary, you can say, "feets, don't fail me now!" and get out of harm's way.

[VTDW]

One thing I never see mentioned among casting and smelting safety precautions is that both activities are safest when done standing. That way, if necessary, you can say, "feets, don't fail me now!" and get out of harm's way.

Interesting observation. I smelt standing a sit casting. Hmmm

[largecaliberman]

Is there anything I should use to condition a stainless steal pot with before I start smelting lead?


If you use or plan on buying a stainless steel pot, do the magnet test first. I once bought a "stainless steel" pot from a swap meet and in time, the metal started to rust. In the interest of safety, I discarded the pot because I did not want to take any chances of the metal giving way - could have have a molten river of death.

Apparently, this particular pot was made of inferior material meaning, it was merely a stainless steel coated pot. The magnet test will determing if the metal is stainless steel throughout and not coated. Stainless steel is non magnetic.

[rebliss]

...the best way to get the clips out is a magnet ...

That's a great idea. What kind of magnet do you use? How do you remove the clips from the magnet? Does your magnet get rusted or coated with bits of lead when using it?

[RU shooter]

The magnet test will determing if the metal is stainless steel throughout and not coated. Stainless steel is non magnetic.

Correct me if I'm incorrect or someone that has more metalurgy knowledge than I ,but I do believe some lower grades of SS can hold a magnet like Irons and steels. also SS can indeed corrode and oxidate and "rust" especially in the presence of dissimilar metals, All really depends on the Grade and what went into the mix in the furnace. Also your Pot may have been Chrome plated instead of SS as the plating I have never seen anything clad in SS especially not something used in the kitchen , But then again I have never seen a million dollars either But I cant say it dosent exsist..........................RU

[felix]

RU, you are not incorrect. Correction not needed. ... felix

[montana_charlie]

This thread started with a question about 'conditioning' a pot prior to melting lead in it. Well, I (sorta) have an answer for that.

I thoroughly cleaned my Lyman Mould Master (cast iron interior) last spring, and did a job on my Lyman dipper at the same time. Both had the 'yellow scum' affliction.

I had just recently started using spray-on graphite on mould exteriors, so the can was 'calling to me' from the shelf as I was wishing there was a way to keep them looking good.
I sprayed both liberally with the graphite, and now (six months later) they look much better than they would have without the 'conditioning'.

I've only had the pot empty twice since the cleaning, and did not see a need to re-apply. I don't know how long one can go before it's required again.

As for stainless steel containers...
If you do a search for 'steam table' on eBay, you will find a variety of shapes and sizes...some of which look like interesting choices for smaller jobs like casting and alloy mixing.
CM

[piwo]

This thread started with a question about 'conditioning' a pot prior to melting lead in it. Well, I (sorta) have an answer for that......

...I sprayed both liberally with the graphite, and now (six months later) they look much better than they would have without the 'conditioning'.....
Where did you purchase the "spray" graphite? I've seen it in little dispensers you "squeeze", but not sprayed.



I've only had the pot empty twice since the cleaning, and did not see a need to re-apply. I don't know how long one can go before it's required again.


Does this mean you leave lead to harden and remain in the pot until another session? Guess I could be reading this wrong.

I have a brand new steel pot I will be using and might as well do it right from the beginning. I've wanted to know what type of maintenance to do on these pots before and after use.