fire for smelting

[dale.l]

I have a big cast iron pot hanging on a tripod in my yard with flowers in it. Im just getting started I seen it and thought it would work good for smelting what are the cons for using wood I won't be able to control the temp but is it that important
I have about 400# of shot so I know theres no zinc.

[Dan Cash]

Wood, partidularly hard wood will make a fine melting fire. Temperature control is achieved by raising or lowering the pot over the fire and/or judicious stoking of the fire.

[DrB]

OK, this is something I've REALLY wanted to play with, but haven't the room in the yard that my wife would tolerate my excavation of.

Dig a "Dakota Hole." Google it. Basically, it's comprised of a 2.5-3 ft deep large post hole, with a same depth smaller hole adjacent to it and a cross tunnel in between connecting the bottom of each hole.

You light the fire in the big hole, hot air goes up and out of the big hole, cold air falls down the narrow shaft, and the fire is naturally blown. If you want to supercharge things with a squirrel blower once it really gets lit, thats up to you (and totally unnecessary but fun). :)

I built one of these years and years ago when I was a camp counselor for outpost staff on a scout reservation. We smelted lead to cast lead bullets, etc. It makes a hot fire, lights well, and once going will eat just about anything you feed it even if a little damp/green. The heat is also nicely channelled by the baked clay walls and columnar convection.

Anyway, good luck!

Best regards,
DrB

[JIMinPHX]

I smelted some lead in a burning barrel back east a few years ago. It worked fine. the burning barrel was just a 55 gallon drum with a few air holes punched in the bottom of it. You can control how hot the fire gets by how many air holes you plug up by piling dirt around them. When I pointed an IR thermometer into the barrel, it read around 1700f. I had the pot hanging about a foot above the real hot area.

[Bret4207]

I have a big cast iron pot hanging on a tripod in my yard with flowers in it. Im just getting started I seen it and thought it would work good for smelting what are the cons for using wood I won't be able to control the temp but is it that important
I have about 400# of shot so I know theres no zinc.

If you mean a "hog kettle", that is a large cast pot that's like 3 foot across and 3 foot deep, then consider selling it. I've seen them go over $700.00. You could buy a turkey fryer and an RCBS promelt or a Wagge and have a bunch of money left over.

[Wayne Smith]

If it's got flowers in it it's probably got a drain hole in the bottom. Also unknown issues with rust. Besides, someone planted the flowers and might become upset if you dumped them!

[G__Fred]

Many years ago, my wife and I bought the outdoor single Propane burner to deep fry chickens or turkeys. If you have one (or can secure one for cheap (Craig's List, yard sale, etc.)), it works great!

[94Doug]

I tried fire casting just to see if it would work....it did. I think it was after watching a movie, and wanting to re-inact. Small cast pot on very hot coals, ladle cast single cavity mould. Now smelting seems like it would work just fine, in your case without any zinc, even more so.

Doug

[WILCO]

Hardwood pallet chunks make great fires.

[clintsfolly]

Got 1500lbs of range scrap one time! The way I cleaned it was to span a open fire pit with a 8" channel iron set on a angle. the lead ran out of the bottom and the dirt was pulled out the top with a hoe. Clint

[blackbike]

Now THAT,gentle men is enginanutity(?),prety dam smart