smelting pot....

[quiknot]

sounds like alot of casters are using cast iron pots and a coleman stove to do the melting...

i was going to see if there was a used smelter around, but maybe the better way to go is with the coleman..

i only cast 44 and going to 45 soon...both for pistols with WW's

BTW...does anyone have or know of a place (person) that has used 452 -230(?)or in the gr. range -RN molds for sale?

thanks

[Buckshot]

..............quiknot, welcome to the board. I don't have or know anyone with one for sale but Lee offers a 6 cavity 228gr RNPB mould. My 45ACP Witness peestol likes it very much.

..............Buckshot

[imashooter2]

I use that Lee mold as well. Weight averages 229 for me using range scrap as an alloy. They're even on sale this month for $33 a pop at Midway:

http://www.midwayusa.com/eproductpage.exe/showproduct?saleitemid=313971

ETA: I've smelted a pound or 2 of WW, cable sheath and scrap using a 2.5 quart stainless pot on a Coleman stove. It is perfectly servicable, if a little slow. On mine 2-2.5 buckets of scrap converted to clean ingots was a good day.

[L Ross]

I started with a camp stove and a 20 lb iron pot. Then went to a turkey frier burner and an old dutch oven for 60 lbs at a time but it took a couple of hours to get the full pot melted.
Then I was gifted this wonderful smelter. Now 100 lbs an hour is a piece of cake. I need to make a slotted skimmer and a better ladle but I did 450 lbs between yesterday and today while doing other chores and shooting.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/Walnuthill/100_0019.jpg


I use rummage sale muffin tins (aluminum only) to augment my supply of Lyman, Saeco, Rcbs, and Lee ingot moulds.

http://i132.photobucket.com/albums/q13/Walnuthill/100_0022.jpg

I just asked my wife if I have a tenth of what I have stored ingotized and she laughed at me

L Ross

[shooter575]

Hey Ross,nice outfit What ya using for a burner,fuel and how big is the leadpot?
Got any history on that unit also?

[L Ross]

Jim,
The unit is a Johnson out of Cedar Rapids, IA I don't know how old it is. There is a 50 gal LP tank sitting right behind it in the photo next to the wounded bowling pins and the pile of black smithing coal. There is a refractory clay lined chamber that the pot sits in. I guess if the pot were filled to the top it'd hold about 150 lbs maybe a little more. I usually fill it with weights, let 'em settle adding more without putting the cold ones in the actual melt but sitting on top of the partially melted ones. Then I leave enough room to skim off the clips and garage debris. I average a 100 lbs pour per melt.
There are three jet like burners coming up through the bottom of that clay lined base. The hood lifts off for easy loading and pot removal. I have learned to keep the fire on the low to moderate scale and it still is a cookin' fool. There is no smoke that comes from the stack as everything gets burned off inside with the door closed. Very little smell too which is a huge improvement over the open kettle on the turkey fryer.

L Ross

[DaveInFloweryBranchGA]

Here's a turkey cooker I modified to make it much more efficient. It works about the same speed as a plumber's pot now.

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/TurkeyCookerMods%20001.jpg

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/TurkeyCookerMods%20004.jpg

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/TurkeyCookerMods%20006.jpg

http://www.zjstech.net/~ddixson/TurkeyCookerMods%20007.jpg

It's not the beast Mr. Ross's setup is, but it works pretty well. I can generally go through a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights in a reasonable period of time.

[L Ross]

Nice work Dave. I had something like that in mind but can't do my own fabricating. I'm certain you are saving fuel and time. After having a hood over the cooker I am spoiled. When you open the door on a dirty melt it is just a swirling mass of flame, no smoke, little odor. It is easy to over heat the melt. I've gotten distracted and come back to glowing clips. So now I keep the regulator turned way down and monitor things a little closer.

L Ross