Questions for self made pots

[x101airborne]

Heres the deal. My auto drip has about gotten on my last nerve. I need a bigger pot for my 4 and 6 cav molds. I have a super heavy aluminum 6 quart stockpot I would like to make into a bottom pour production pot. I am looking to heat around 30 pounds of metal at a time. My problem comes in that I dont really want to use gas to heat it. I thought about using some water heater coils, but are not sure if they would get hot enough or stand up to it. I have plenty of access to 220 in my shop and I think that would be the most efficient. I already have plans / drawings for my spout, stand, adjustable roller rest for the mold, thermometer mount and a thermo coupler mount, splash guard, heat shielding, etc. If the water heater units will not work, does anyone know what else I could use? I was planning on having my heat elements inside my lead melt if it were possible. I also need a good PID controller i anyone knows how to build one or where to get one. Dont be skeered to chime in. My dad has been telling me im doing it wrong for 35 years and Im still here!

[clintsfolly]

NO Aluminum pots!!!!!!! can fail at the temp you need to keep your pour at. Bad new 30lbs of HOT lead all over and you maybe covered too. please be careful Clint

[x101airborne]

Oh, I did not know that. Thanks Clint. The only reason I thought about this pot is it is what I have been using to smelt in, but your right. I do not want 30 pounds of hot lead all over me. I will then have to find a cast iron or make a steel one.

[midnight]

I've used a large electric burner from a stove to melt 125lb of lead in a large pot when smelting range lead. It generates plenty of heat to melt the whole pot. Since you have 220, brand new burners are cheap and available anywhere appliances are sold.

Bob

[Skipper488]

Use steel, cast iron has failore failure issues too.

[Casting Timmy]

Most tubular heating elements will do the job for you. You will need a controller and a relay, which you can get off ebay.

[blikseme300]

Heres the deal. My auto drip has about gotten on my last nerve. I need a bigger pot for my 4 and 6 cav molds. I have a super heavy aluminum 6 quart stockpot I would like to make into a bottom pour production pot. I am looking to heat around 30 pounds of metal at a time. My problem comes in that I dont really want to use gas to heat it. I thought about using some water heater coils, but are not sure if they would get hot enough or stand up to it. I have plenty of access to 220 in my shop and I think that would be the most efficient. I already have plans / drawings for my spout, stand, adjustable roller rest for the mold, thermometer mount and a thermo coupler mount, splash guard, heat shielding, etc. If the water heater units will not work, does anyone know what else I could use? I was planning on having my heat elements inside my lead melt if it were possible. I also need a good PID controller i anyone knows how to build one or where to get one. Dont be skeered to chime in. My dad has been telling me im doing it wrong for 35 years and Im still here!

x101airborne,

You could use these kind of elements: http://www.mcmaster.com/#tubular-heat-elements/=bix75s

The higher the Watt density the better as the pot will return to the set temperature sooner when additional ingots are added to the melt. Using a PID setup is recommended. There are a number of build threads on this forum discussing this. Once you have used a large pot & PID you won't ever want to go back.

See what I did to get a working solution: http://bliksemseplek.com/boolits.html

Bliksem

[6bg6ga]

Could a person make a pot from stainless steel? Is there a source for melting pots?

[Skipper488]

Stainless is not really a good conductor of heat. Will it work? Sure, but it'll take a little longer and require a little more energy.

[kitsap]

Could a person make a pot from stainless steel? Is there a source for melting pots?

304 Stainless steel works fine. It was chosen because it is more readily welded. For this application the thermal conductivity is essentially the same as carbon steel.

The attached pictures show a pot that holds about 25 pounds and has a 1500 watt 120 volt band heater with PID controller. The material was 4.5 inch OD schedule 40 pipe and 1/4 rolled plate, both in 304 stainless.

DougF

[luna butte]

i just built a smelting bucket yesterday out of an old 5gallon propane tank. i bet you could incorporate one into your design pretty easily.