Poor mans smelting setup.

[maglvr]

Not wanting to spend a fortune on a smelting rig, I got to scrounging around my various scrap piles in the yard(I refuse to throw away ANYTHING made of metal), looking for something that would fit the bill.
I had a 1 burner, propane camp stove(I have cooked a 22lb. turkey on it, in a roaster before).
Now for a pot, I came across some 1 gallon parts cleaners, made of steel, I bought new at auction years back and never used, I took the hinge off the lid of one and made a wire handle on it instead.
Now I needed a skimmer, off to my ice fishing bucket for the hole scoop!
Almost ready, just need a ladle! back to the scrap pile, spotted one of the disposable oxygen cylinders(empty of course) from a Bernzomatic brazing torch.
Put it in the vise, knocked the flat bottom cap off it with a chisel and hammer, then got the hack saw and cut the rounded bottom off, leaving a nice 1.50" high, "bowl", bolted a piece of 1/4" round stock to it, pushed on a wood handle and was ready to smelt!:-)
I put about 15-18lbs of WW's in at a time, and because the pot is so much thinner than a cast iron pot it uses wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy less fuel.
I can do 2 pots (30-35lbs.) of WW's on a single 1lb propane cylinder, that I refill myself at a cost of $1.00, opposed to buying them for $3.00 each.
In the course of 2 days I did 8 gallons of WW's and used 5 propane cylinders.
Might not be the fanciest smelting rig you ever saw, but it's probably one of the cheapest to build as well as operate;-)
And that leaves more money for ice cold Colt 45:redneck:

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd325/maglvr/tailgatesmelting-1.jpg

[bumpo628]

Nice rig!
Casting is one of the few activities that you can get into for next to nothing.
For all we know, that setup will serve you well for years to come.

EDIT: Sure, it could stand a little reinforcement to prevent tipping.

[nanuk]

just wondering, do you put 15lbs of WW in that unsupported pot on that unsupported stove?

I'm just thinking if it ever tipped over.......

[Longwood]

Not on a bet would I do that. I have used a lot of the small bottles for casting on a camp stove but never in he// would I use one of those stoves to melt lead.
I have one exactly like it and know for a fact that, that plastic base is near worthless as a support.
I can imagine a shoe full of molten lead.
Not good! Not good at all!!!!

[maglvr]

Actually, come to think of it, I am far more comfortable with this stove than most would be.
For the last 13 years it(or 1 like it) has been my everyday "kitchen range". Big holiday dinners and all, it seems pretty darn sturdy to me, just what you get used to I guess.

[imashooter2]

Doing a dangerous thing and getting away with it does not make it safe. Even if you've been getting away with it for 13 years. Spilling a pot of molten metal on your foot is a far more serious event than a pot of water or even oil. The metal is much hotter to start and it stays hot a lot longer.

Please reconsider building a stand / support around that thing...

[btroj]

I don't like the looks of the stove but doing it on the tailgate is worse. I keep my pot on the ground- it make tip and burn my feet but it won't spill down my entire body. The danger of serious burns over much of you body is too great to use that setup.
You may get away with it for a long time before you have a problem but hospitals are full of people with "It never was a problem before " stories.

[Longwood]

:groner:

I think you have had WAY too many of those Colt 45's.

Even DUMB LUCK will fail you now and then. Stupidity will often fail you much sooner!

Just because you have been extremely lucky and gotten away with that many times in the past, does not make it a intelligent thing to do.

I can only imagine the horrific pain, suffering and hospital bills that could be the results of an accident.

Please keep innocent children at least 50 feet away. When it goes, it could easily splash that far.

[Longwood]

The difference in ignorance and stupidity is.
Ignorance is not knowing. Stupidity is when you have been told to not do something dumb but continue to do it!

[Baron von Trollwhack]

You can't fix stupid !

BvT

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I can do 2 pots (30-35lbs.) of WW's on a single 1lb propane cylinder, that I refill myself at a cost of $1.00, opposed to buying them for $3.00 each.
In the course of 2 days I did 8 gallons of WW's and used 5 propane cylinders.
Might not be the fanciest smelting rig you ever saw, but it's probably one of the cheapest to build as well as operate

I haven't yet, But there is more than one caster here that
smelt on a campfire. It can't get much cheaper than firewood,
especially if you have a chainsaw and splitting maul.

Oh, Yeah, another caster here made a smelter that
looks like a woodstove, except it burns used motor oil.
assuming you have some scrap steel and a welder,
that'd be nearly free too.

Be careful when mixing liquid colt 45 with liquid lead,
I'm thinking the tinsel fairy is watching you.
Jon

[Longwood]

You can't fix stupid !

BvT

Lets hope that sometimes we can.
Maybe, just maybe, we will get a different president next election.

[pmer]

It looks tippy to me too. Welcome, Maglvr, maybe you can set it in a metal box till you can up grade. I just think its too narrow of a saftey margin.

We run a no skin graff zone around here..

[1Shirt]

Agree on the tip potential. Just a question of time before something goes wrong and your luck runs out.
1Shirt!:coffee:

[Ben]

maglvr

And that leaves more money for ice cold Colt 45

After looking at the photos of your " Top Heavy " smelting operation several times, I'm afraid that if you keep on using this set up, that the expense of several days in ICU will make the money you saved for the ice cold Colt 45 look very small.

This is a very enjoyable sport, it is hard to be TOO SAFE at what we are all trying to do.

[diehard]

This thread turns my stomach.

I think everyone agrees that the OP's set up looks tippy, and perhaps even unsafe. However, he came here to show us how he has overcome a low budget to get involved with a hobby we all seem to love. Instead of advice and encouragement, he got called stupid (by at least a few folks anyway) and chided for his attempt at ingenuity. I think we forget a few things here:

*in the face of lead banners and anti-gunners, casting needs more casters, not fewer. Why chase him away from the "brotherhood"(if after this post you can pretend to call it that)?

*The OP is a grown man, and in spite of the good intentions of SOME posters in this thread, he has every right to weigh his own risks and make his own decisions. The liberals haven't yet made that illegal...except maybe in New York and California. How he smelts lead is no one's business but his. Offer advice if you can. Calling him names is just plain rude.

*It is a free country, and we all have a right to voice our opinions. I am voicing mine right now in fact. The difference here is that I would look Longwood and the Baron right in the eye and tell them they have bee rude to the OP, and not hide behind a keyboard sniping folks with indignant and self-righteous comments. I would be glad to do so in fact.

Note: the comments above only apply to the select few who know quite well who they are, and if they don't they are stupider than they claim the OP is.

Mods...I am not a trouble-maker, just a guy who believes forums like this are places to help and share info, not degrade and deride folks for their decisions. You may decide you want delete this post, and I'm okay with that. I just hope enough people read it to realize that positive comments and positive, constructive criticism may make a novice caster a better one. Name calling certainly won't.

[kbstenberg]

Maglvr
My first smelter was that same Colman heater. If I could suggest. Scrounge an old webber charcoal grill (preferably the top an bottom) Cut a hole in the bottom of the grill about 3" smaller than the outside circomfrance of the burner. Then bolt the heater to the grill base with the bottom brass of the heater below the grill. You have an instant lead oven. The top placed in its original position keeps all the haet in.
PM me if you want pictures.

[diehard]

Now that's great advice!! Kudos....

[Longwood]

[QUOTE=diehard;1319837]

Note: the comments above only apply to the select few who know quite well who they are, and if they don't they are stupider than they claim the OP is.

PM sent.

[maglvr]

To each their own opinion, however I must say, at 52 years of age I think I have learned enough of life's lessons to not cook ANYTHING on a tippy stove! Whether it be a can of soup or some scrap lead!
Just because it may look tippy or wobbly in a picture does not mean it is ;)
As for doing it on a tailgate, it is at enough height I can comfortably hold 1 handle on the pot so there is no chance of it sliding on the burner, while keeping my face as far as possible off to the side, which seemed far smarter to me than placing the unit on the ground and having to lean OVER the pot to stir and scoop. In case there were a tinseling at some point, I would already be off to the side somewhat and not have to straighten up before attempting to get out of the way.
I didn't mean to get anybody's panties in a knot, nor was I suggesting anyone use the same setup! However, I was under the impression this was a place to "show and tell" what works for us as individuals.
Nor did I realise I would be "graded" or degraded as the case may be, on my project :)
I'm sure we all do something a few others think is stupid ;)

[Ben]

It isn't my intention to " grade " anyone. I never said anyone is stupid ( and wouldn't say that ).

I do feel it is dangerous and I'll stick by what I've said.

People on this board who see a fellow member about to do something with a powder or a reloading technique that they feel is potentially dangerous will usually speak up . They don't speak up to degrade anyone, they speak up and make note of the potentially dangerous situation to try and prevent someone from getting hurt.

[btroj]

Amen Ben. I saw something I felt was dangerous. With the large number of new guys on this site I would hate to see one of them follow this lead and get hurt.

We are not "grading" , we are commenting. This site is more about SAFETY than anything else. Nothing else is more important. I would hope that if I posted something that was potentially dangerous that someone would point it out.

I do get tired of the idea that ANY comment regarding shooting that may be taken as a negative by someone suddenly becomes an attack by the "Antis". We are not pushing to ban anything. We are only asking that this sport be promoted in a safe, responsible way.

[Doby45]

maglvr, rock on brother. It does appear that the posse with their beating sticks came out. It only requires one person to notice something may not seem safe and give advice, the rest is nothing but a bunch horsebeating. Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your stay. My only piece of advice is to make sure your skin is thick. ;)

[Casting Timmy]

Congrats on your first smelting session, the most dangerous thing about casting your own, is that it's addicting. I keep getting more and more stuff. Have fun
Tim

[nanuk]

I didn't mean to start a $H!t storm with my observation....

but, oh well, I'm sure we will see it again

here is a thought, can you get a 20# propane tank, cut the bottom out, just enough that your pot sits in the base ring, and the hole is enough to allow the flame form your stove to come through, then measure the depth, and cut the top off at that level so you can invert it over your stove, and set your melting pot in the ring for stability.

use a #30'er if you need the extra height...

search for Propane Tank smelters for the $H!t storm responses regarding cutting old propane tanks.

(I may just make one of those myself as I have a small stove and it would be a neat portable setup.)

[Longwood]

Congrats on your first smelting session, the most dangerous thing about casting your own, is that it's addicting. I keep getting more and more stuff. Have fun
Tim

Haven't had a really nasty burn from it yet?
You are either very lucky or very safe!
Which ever,,,, best wishes.

[maglvr]

maglvr, rock on brother. It does appear that the posse with their beating sticks came out. It only requires one person to notice something may not seem safe and give advice, the rest is nothing but a bunch horsebeating. Welcome to the forum and I hope you enjoy your stay. My only piece of advice is to make sure your skin is thick. ;)

Thanks Doby!
Plenty thick skin here, I'll be around a long time;)
As grandma always said, "those who resort to name calling, are just lacking anything worth while to say" . :-)
mag

[maglvr]

Congrats on your first smelting session, the most dangerous thing about casting your own, is that it's addicting. I keep getting more and more stuff. Have fun
Tim

Thanks Timmy!
Yes, I can see it is yet another addiction. I have had stuff pile up also, more pots, more lead, more molds. Never enough of a good thing I guess.
Keeps things interesting:bigsmyl2:
mag

[Marc2]

Wow. Diehard. Loved your post. Might you be a libertarian, like me? And God bless any man who does things his way!!

Marc

[milprileb]

Maglvr, Being 52 does not mitigate anything. I am 63 so I got you by 11 and I strongly recommend you fix that system you got to make it tip proof.

When you know everything, its time to stop whatever you are doing.

No offense but the safety concerns voiced need some reconsideration on your end.

Luck runs out you know....

[diehard]

Marc2,
"Liberatarian-ish" is the best way to sum me up. I firmly believe that "Live Free or Die" is more than just a catchy license plate slogan. Government needs to back off and force more people to once again be accountable for their own actions. The Constitution is NOT merely a guide. These things I believe to my very core. However, in my neck of the woods live some true libertarians, and then many college student wannbees concerned only with making marijuana our state symbol. Since there is much more to liberty than the right to kill brain cells (kill them it if you want, but don't force validation down MY throat) I feel I have to pick my allegiances carefully.So......NO I am not a registered member of the L-party.

Long answer to a short question. ;) sorry.

Thanks for asking though.

And yes...God Bless!

[D Crockett]

Maglur not saying anything bad about your set up if you want to send it to me I will make a stand for it so everyone will know it will be safe that is what everyone is worried about they want you to be safe I would do this for you FREE I will not even charge you for miterals only thing I would ask is you pay the shipping I am going to tell you what happened to me once I used a cast iron duch oven to melt lead in for a few years never had a problem then one day I hit the side of the duch oven with the ladel which I had done lots of times well this time it cracked and a thin strean of moltant lead came out the side I was lucky it was pointed in another direction away from me to make a long story short I will never use cast iron to melt lead in again steel and only steel pots so that my offer D Crockett

[mdi]

I use the same stove set-up for some of my smelting. I have a custom pot (made of 10" dimeter 1/4" steel) and believe it or not, it is sturdy. I usually put about 40 lbs of WW in it and set the stove/pot on the floor. I use common sense and don't use it in a situation where it could get knocked over (like in the middle of the sidewalk traffic) and the stove/pot doesn't move. It sits solid.

[maglvr]

Maglur not saying anything bad about your set up if you want to send it to me I will make a stand for it so everyone will know it will be safe that is what everyone is worried about they want you to be safe I would do this for you FREE I will not even charge you for miterals only thing I would ask is you pay the shipping I am going to tell you what happened to me once I used a cast iron duch oven to melt lead in for a few years never had a problem then one day I hit the side of the duch oven with the ladel which I had done lots of times well this time it cracked and a thin strean of moltant lead came out the side I was lucky it was pointed in another direction away from me to make a long story short I will never use cast iron to melt lead in again steel and only steel pots so that my offer D Crockett

Thank you much for the generous offer!!
I have the materials to strengthen it, however, I saw no reason to do so being that it is very sturdy.
The one thing I will say I have considered is doing away with the plastic base, I can see where that could be a problem if molton lead came into contact with it, either from a leaky pot or a ladle spill.
In that case i'm sure it would get really tippy, really fast! That is on the agenda ;)

[badbob454]

To each their own opinion, however I must say, at 52 years of age I think I have learned enough of life's lessons to not cook ANYTHING on a tippy stove! Whether it be a can of soup or some scrap lead!
Just because it may look tippy or wobbly in a picture does not mean it is ;)
As for doing it on a tailgate, it is at enough height I can comfortably hold 1 handle on the pot so there is no chance of it sliding on the burner, while keeping my face as far as possible off to the side, which seemed far smarter to me than placing the unit on the ground and having to lean OVER the pot to stir and scoop. In case there were a tinseling at some point, I would already be off to the side somewhat and not have to straighten up before attempting to get out of the way.
I didn't mean to get anybody's panties in a knot, nor was I suggesting anyone use the same setup! However, I was under the impression this was a place to "show and tell" what works for us as individuals.
Nor did I realise I would be "graded" or degraded as the case may be, on my project :)
I'm sure we all do something a few others think is stupid ;)

i for one have done dumb things my wife tells me all the time , im sure though some used degrading comments , most were concerned with your welfare , welcome to the forum .,,nevermind the few insulting ones , a few in every crowd . we are proud you shared your casting stuff and hope you have a long and safe casting experience ....:lovebooli bob

[maglvr]

Many thanks Bob!!

[btroj]

I am happy that you are casting, we need more cast shooters out there. I just worry aout what certainly looks like a top heavy setup. We want Ypu to be casting for the long term rather than recovering from burns.
Make that bad boy more stable and it is good to go. I applaud new ideas as much as the next guy but always with an eye on safety.
No offense was meant by me that is for sure. Keep smelting but please be safe. Always safe.

[7of7]

That looks like it is the most inexpensive setup for melting lead.. I would agree that it doesn't look stable.. Not sure how much you are working with for one melt.. but if you are only doing small amounts at a time or so, it should work fine... (it obviously does work fine..) I think most here do 30-40 lbs at a time... for smelting..
I do like those little molds you have...
Be carefull, and have fun!!

[Nrut]

maglvr,
I use the same burner myself for cooking, but with elbow on a 20 pounder..

[drhall762]

I'll tell you how stupid I am, I just assumed Maglvr moved the support base away so the burner set up would be more visible.

Oh well, cast on brother, cast on.

[Longwood]

I think the reason most people see it as a horrific disaster waiting to happen, is because they own a lantern or stove like that one with those plastic bases the bottle sits in.
The reason I have a tree on a 5 gallon bottle for my camp stove and lantern is because of being left without a light, twice, while camping after the globe on the lantern broke when it fell over. I still have a spare globe in the camp trailer that I bought many years ago just because of that, but, I have not broken one since I bought the tree.
I mentioned this thread to a friend yesterday and he told me about the time he had one fall over and melt a big hole in his tent.
The bottles used to have a welded on metal base that stayed on and made the set-up a little bit more stable but now they are made with a plastic base that also comes loose/off very easily.

[maglvr]

"The bottles used to have a welded on metal base that stayed on and made the set-up a little bit more stable but now they are made with a plastic base that also comes loose/off very easily."
Those plastic base bottles were in this area only briefly, they were/are a disaster waiting to happen, I only use the welded base ones.

[Springfield]

It won't hurt me (physically) if that pot falls over and burns you, but as someone who smelts lead 600 lbs at a time, I really wish you would do something safer. How about you go to a Goodwill store or garage sale and for 10.00 get an old propane camp stove. Will put out the same BTU's and have a nice grill to put your pot on. This is how I started and it works great. I'd send you my old one but the shipping would be more than buying one locally. You could maybe even do 2 pots at once for more output. I've done most everything wrong you can do with lead, and one thing I have learned is, no matter how fast your reflexes you can't get the lead off you fast enough to NOT get burned. When something is 700 degrees you just can't trust to luck, you gotta KNOW it is stable.

[Cap'n Morgan]

Maglvr.

I can't tell from the picture if you already have done so, but a couple of screws through the baseplate into the plywood plate will make for a far more stable setup. Three or four bolts (or welded pins) in a circular pattern on the burner plate will keep the pot from sliding.

You know how it is with fate and her cruel tricks. Sooner or later your neighbor's dog will chase a cat up into your pickup while you're casting...

[diehard]

Maglvr.

I would like to make one point very clear: While I firmly believe you have the right to do what you think best for you, the very nature of this thread has changed from one of admonishment for perceived questionable practices, to one of sincere concern for your well being. Once you get past the derisive comments by a few posters in the first page, there has been some golden nuggets in this thread: several folks have shared some good advice with you; others have offered to help at their own expense no less; and many have demonstrated a very genuine concern --and personable responsibility- that you do not end up at the burn ward.

I had a drill sergeant once ( I eventually tried to be like him when I became a drill sergeant) that preached how a "man has got to do what must be done, when it must be done, or he is not a man at all---but only a real man can tell when he has done enough." It takes awhile to finally decipher how wise this nearly illiterate product of the southern swamps of our great nation really was ( and hopefully still is). When I finally got it...dumb as I am... I realized that I was being encouraged to never, ever stop trying to be the best damned person I can ever be, in every single facet of life, and to realize when it is time to move on (with your integrity intact)knowing you did your best.

So what does all the this drivel I have spouted have to do with this thread?

Well I came to to CB.com after leaving a dozen or so gun sites (mostly as a lurker) where keyboard "experts" used their anonymity to chide everyone into thinking that their way was the only way. I came here to learn a new hobby, but realized that this place was different--for the most part--... people here do generally care that you become a better, safer, successful member of their community. Many folks here will help anyone solve problems that would take years to figure out own your own. CB.com has generally been a welcoming and positive place... a refreshing change from the myriad "slam and damn" websites out there--of which I want no part.

If I haven't bored you to death with philosophical rantings, I just hope you know that you are in a very special forum--despite a few glitches in beginning. As a new member, I hope you can learn a few tidbits from the gems of advice offered, and still maintain the personal resoluteness about which our forefathers drafted that incomparable document of documents so very long ago, a document built on : Self-reliance, self accountability, and most of all ...self dignity.

So..have a wonderful 4th of July, my friend, and that goes especially to all of you guys that have sincerely had a fellow forum member's education and welfare in mind.

Laurel


LIVE FREE OR DIE!
Gen. John Stark

[maglvr]

Ok, now if anyone says this is not sturdy, believe me it is all guesswork and they are dead WRONG!!
Old base was 7.5" and thin plastic, this new one is 11" X 3/4" plywood, propane bottle is held in place by 8 thick, 4" galvanized finish nails, they are VERY tight at the base with no play whatsoever! Then I made a clamp that screws down at the top of the nails, that locks the bottle in like it was welded there, not a single trace of any wobble, play, shifting, slop, or movement of ANY kind, you can't even pull the bottle out when clamp is screwed down.
She is STURDY, and should I ever spill lead on it, it won't matter in the least.
Also, the nails were driven in all the way in the wood, until the tips were visible, then filed flush.
I can't see this not "doing the trick" ;)
maglvr
http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd325/maglvr/newbase1.jpg http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd325/maglvr/newbase2.jpg

[Ben]

That is a definite improvement ! !

I do believe you'll like that a lot better.
May I ask ......how much alloy can you melt with one bottle of fuel ?

[nanuk]

Can you stand on your burner? if so, I'd trust it. it looks far stronger than the plastic setup.

Next, you will want to make a steel frame around it, so a heavier pot can sit on that and be just above the burner...

then you will want to replace it with a larger burner...

then a bigger pot....

and the viscious cycle continues!

good luck, and play safe!

[btroj]

Much better. Much, much ,much better.
I will sleep better tonite.

[maglvr]

That is a definite improvement ! !

I do believe you'll like that a lot better.
May I ask ......how much alloy can you melt with one bottle of fuel ?

I can do 2 pots (15-17lbs. each) of WW's on a single 1lb propane cylinder.
I am not sure but I "think" part of the reason is that the pot is steel, and a lot thinner than a cast iron pot, there isn't any time/heat wasted getting all that iron hot.
When I place the pot on the burner, it starts smoking within 30 seconds if not sooner.

[CLAYPOOL]

Attention..: MAGLVR..Those bottles that you are usingf are on sale at "Menards" store @ Marion, Il. I don't know where else Menards stores are located, but those bottles were like $ 1.50 each + and me Nepthew (sp) said that was way less than 1/2 price. He bought 5 -6 for deer season. Check it out all thought the sale may be off. Hope it helps....

[maglvr]

Attention..: MAGLVR..Those bottles that you are usingf are on sale at "Menards" store @ Marion, Il. I don't know where else Menards stores are located, but those bottles were like $ 1.50 each + and me Nepthew (sp) said that was way less than 1/2 price. He bought 5 -6 for deer season. Check it out all thought the sale may be off. Hope it helps....

Thanks for the tip! No Menards near me, but i'm sure others will be happy to know they are on sale.
I have about 20 bottles that I refill, it costs me about $1.00 to fill one.
maglvr

[Cap'n Morgan]

Your new setup looks much better!

Now, if you really want to cut down on the propane usage, especially on windy days you should add a skirt to your setup. It will isolate the pot, shield the burner and guide the heat up and around the side of the pot. As you can see from the picture, it doesn't have to be anything fancy

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/706/img1357s.jpg

[dk17hmr]

Looks good to me.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f208/dk17hmr/Image002-1.jpg

Be carefully out there.

1st you get over, 2nd takes a bit longer but you get over them, and 3rd degree burns arent fun and leave a reminder. Cheap isnt always the way.

[maglvr]

"Be carefully out there.

1st you get over, 2nd takes a bit longer but you get over them, and 3rd degree burns arent fun and leave a reminder. Cheap isnt always the way. "

Dang Brother!
Best wishes for a fast recovery!!
Take care!!

maglvr

[dk17hmr]

......
Dang Brother!
Best wishes for a fast recovery!!
Take care!!

maglvr

That was about 3 years ago and I am all healed up except for the scar on my left arm (3rd degree)....I lost a full year of bow hunting because I wasnt as cautious as I needed to be. Several hours in the ER, a couple months of getting back to normal life, and a full bow season gone in a second of not paying close enough attentions to what I was doing....wouldnt wish that on anyone.

Like I posted earlier, cheapest isnt always the way.... if your going cheap overbuild it.

[gray wolf]

Woke me up

[maglvr]

That was about 3 years ago and I am all healed up except for the scar on my left arm (3rd degree)....I lost a full year of bow hunting because I wasnt as cautious as I needed to be. Several hours in the ER, a couple months of getting back to normal life, and a full bow season gone in a second of not paying close enough attentions to what I was doing....wouldnt wish that on anyone.

Like I posted earlier, cheapest isnt always the way.... if your going cheap overbuild it.

Very happy to hear you made a good recovery!!
If I may ask, was it a spill, explosion or???
Best of luck bow hunting too!!
maglvr

[JIMinPHX]

I haven't yet, But there is more than one caster here that
smelt on a campfire. It can't get much cheaper than firewood,
especially if you have a chainsaw and splitting maul.


It's not my standard practice, but I have smelted in a burning barrel, which is basically a 55-gallon drum with a few air holes punched into the bottom of it. A half-full 1-gallon pot hanging from a 1" pipe across the top of it melts just fine. The temperature can actually get a little higher than you really want if your not careful. I've seen a thermometer get up around 1,100F when she's chugging along good with the vents full open.

[maglvr]

Sounds like a good idea!! and no big outlay of cash involved. What's not to like?!!

[btroj]

Doug- thanks for a reminder of why safety is so critical. We all need to remember that not all burns from the tinsel fairy are relatively minor.

[Floydster]

Holy Smokes!!!

[alamogunr]

It's not my standard practice, but I have smelted in a burning barrel, which is basically a 55-gallon drum with a few air holes punched into the bottom of it. A half-full 1-gallon pot hanging from a 1" pipe across the top of it melts just fine. The temperature can actually get a little higher than you really want if your not careful. I've seen a thermometer get up around 1,100F when she's chugging along good with the vents full open.

I'm sure it gets that hot but it would seem that the heat radiated from the sides of the barrel would prevent your getting close enough to take the temp or ladle out the molten lead.

I once had a burning barrel(we call them barrels in TN) that a jokester at work coated with porcelain(we had a full facility for this) in an red orangey color. When filled with trash and set on fire, the orangey color turned brilliant red. It took some heat to get that glass coating to change color. Had to get rid of it when the town outlawed open burning.

John
W.TN

[Huntducks]

I was a plumber for 30 plus years and leaded a 1000 joints in my time and saw some real bad burns when a 50 lbs lead pot fell over, we did not always have the luxury too set up on a solid suface most of the time it was on dirt and that old butane pot was real top heavy at times, I still have the old set up but I spent a few bucks and went the route of a turkey fryer and it serves double duty, I saw them at my local Wal Mart back in Jan, Feb. marked down 50% to $19.95 with a pan and fish basket.

I don't know how you can afford to use them little bottles.

[maglvr]

"I don't know how you can afford to use them little bottles."

In the past 2 weeks I have smelted down 16 gallons of WW's, and just finished a 5 gal. pail of radiator shop solder drippings, in all I didn't use 12 bottles of propane, actually i'd say 10 but I lost count. I refill the little bottles off a 30 pounder, so cost is no different.
All in all propane probably cost me $15.

[stinkybriches]

i use the same burner. so yeah now im going to go build something more sturdy, i like the grill idea and i have an old grill so maybe ill go that route.

anywho, i just smelted down a full 5 gallon pail minus half a gallon of zink weights and maybe half a gallon of stickons. so 1 tank to do 4 gallons.

i use a cast iron pot i got at a thrift store thats 2 3/4 inch deep and 6 inches in diameter. has a nice lid on it.

it used to take more than a tank to melt down the same amount with the little lyman 4 gallon pot i have.

lastly i stick a piece of stove pipe around the whole thing to keep the heat going where i want it to.

[giz189]

That was about 3 years ago and I am all healed up except for the scar on my left arm (3rd degree)....I lost a full year of bow hunting because I wasnt as cautious as I needed to be. Several hours in the ER, a couple months of getting back to normal life, and a full bow season gone in a second of not paying close enough attentions to what I was doing....wouldnt wish that on anyone.

Like I posted earlier, cheapest isnt always the way.... if your going cheap overbuild it. Hey dk17hmr, i know where you are coming from. Mine wasn't caused by lead but gun powder 3rd degree on 50% of my body. spent 75 days in burn center and rehab. That was 8 years ago. Took about 3 years to get all the skin grafts and stuff done. Burns are bad news.

[Beagler]

Not wanting to spend a fortune on a smelting rig, I got to scrounging around my various scrap piles in the yard(I refuse to throw away ANYTHING made of metal), looking for something that would fit the bill.
I had a 1 burner, propane camp stove(I have cooked a 22lb. turkey on it, in a roaster before).
Now for a pot, I came across some 1 gallon parts cleaners, made of steel, I bought new at auction years back and never used, I took the hinge off the lid of one and made a wire handle on it instead.
Now I needed a skimmer, off to my ice fishing bucket for the hole scoop!
Almost ready, just need a ladle! back to the scrap pile, spotted one of the disposable oxygen cylinders(empty of course) from a Bernzomatic brazing torch.
Put it in the vise, knocked the flat bottom cap off it with a chisel and hammer, then got the hack saw and cut the rounded bottom off, leaving a nice 1.50" high, "bowl", bolted a piece of 1/4" round stock to it, pushed on a wood handle and was ready to smelt!:-)
I put about 15-18lbs of WW's in at a time, and because the pot is so much thinner than a cast iron pot it uses wayyyyyyyyyyyyyy less fuel.
I can do 2 pots (30-35lbs.) of WW's on a single 1lb propane cylinder, that I refill myself at a cost of $1.00, opposed to buying them for $3.00 each.
In the course of 2 days I did 8 gallons of WW's and used 5 propane cylinders.
Might not be the fanciest smelting rig you ever saw, but it's probably one of the cheapest to build as well as operate;-)
And that leaves more money for ice cold Colt 45:redneck:

http://i528.photobucket.com/albums/dd325/maglvr/tailgatesmelting-1.jpg

I still use a colman burner from time to time. When I first started out it was all I used. I got tired of buyin pounders of LP so I got a MACCOUPLER Fitting so I could refill the pounders of a 20lb or larger there worth every Penny. But I then made a small steel stand for the burner and ran a hose from the burner directly to the big LP tank. I didn't have to worry about runnin out of LP in the middle of casting session.

[Patrick L]

magluvr,

I will not call you stupid, but I agree with most that I would encourage you to just add a little more support to that setup. As a fellow frugalist, I encourage you to stay ingenious and do it as cheaply as possible!

As an aside, what are those little metal cups you are using for ingot molds?

[bumpo628]

As an aside, what are those little metal cups you are using for ingot molds?

Those look like the condiment cups from Wal-Mart. They sell them 4 for $0.88. I just picked some up the other day to try out.

[hedgehorn]

Lets hope that sometimes we can.
Maybe, just maybe, we will get a different president next election.

:bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2: