finally ran out of propane

[mac1911]

So my question is.
How much do you process on one standard size grill tank.
I did just over 500lbs of wheel weights and soft lead flashing. tank fill cost me 20 bucks.

so thats .04 per pound of lead melted. This seem right ?

[SeabeeMan]

I think I went through a little more than that, but I was using a turkey fryer burner. That probably wastes a little more than a cook stove.

[376Steyr]

That's about what I get when I smelt. You're doing fine. I'm sure you're going to get all kinds of suggestions on how to be more efficient.

[mold maker]

The secret to saving gas, is to keep the heat against the pot, with a wind screen. Every BTU of hot air that escapes is waisted. Using the wind screen even makes hot weather melting lots more pleasant.

[Gtek]

The one I have uses a 1/16" steel band all the way around and full height around 50 lb. cast pot with approx 3/8" gap around. Seems to work great, never used anything else to bump against. I think I usually go 700 lbs. or more doing WW"s. Never gave it any thought, seems cheap at keeping me busy all day for twenty bucks. Gtek

[Bwana]

It doesn't take much wind to blow the heat away from your pot. While my turkey frier stand has a shield I cast with mine about six feet inside my garage and try to smelt when there is little wind. Since the wind either comes from the south or north and my garage door faces east this keeps the air disturbance to a minimum. There is still enough to remove any smoke or fumes. Should there be heavy smoke I just open the garage side door till it is gone. Like Gtek I get 700 or more pounds or more from a bottle. Of course you set the flow to the level you need it which most of the time is not on high.

[bobthenailer]

I use a turkey fryer burner with a cast iron pot & lid , i also use a heat shield that surrounds the pot . and a wind break . ive made over 1000 lbs of ingots with 1, 20 lb propane tank but i also dont let the tempature go much over 600 degrees F

[jsizemore]

The best I ever did was just over 1400lbs on one tank that I own and carry to the gas company and have 20lbs put in the tank. Was $12 when I started but now it's $16. Generally I'm like bob and get 1000-1200 out of a tank. I sort, empty the pot, and use a wind screen with lid to economize. I'm cheap. The exchange tanks only have 14-16lbs in them and in my area they cost $20.

[GaryN]

The last one I did I got about 700lbs. of lead melted with it. But I don't have a wind screen or a lid.

[sqlbullet]

I must be lucky or something. I get at least 1000-1500 lbs from a tank. Sometimes a ton. Just a standard 5gallon tank connected to a camp chef.

One thing is I flux early with used motor and flame. I probably put as much heat in top as the bottom. I guess that makes a difference.

[badge176]

I cut down a couple of #10 tin food service cans with notches to allow them to fit over the gas tubes to the burners on my Colman Propane 'Lead melting stove' (AKA Camp Stove). The diameter of the cans snugs right in between the length-wise runners and they are cut to fit from floor-to-grate so heat doesn't go out the sides, only straight up onto the bottom of the two cast iron frypans (One is Lodge DEEP frypan) that I smelt in. Once they are up to temp, I can rotate WWs through and ingot alloy out at a fair clip.

Never timed it to melt, nor the # capacity, nor the #s per hour; so I won't claim it's the best, but it was a big improvement over the naked stove...

[para45lda]

I use plain old aluminum foil for my windscreen. Wrap right around the stand right up to the bottom of the pot (double it up for thicker material). As it wears out or burns through it gets replaced. I get about 1200 pounds to the tank on my fish/turkey fryer setup.

Wes

[runfiverun]

i made a sheet metal wind shield for mine it wraps around the back and sides.
then another one i lean on the front with another piece that sits on top of the pots.
i use two pots on the stove at a time and get into a melt/pour rythmn with a little break in between each.
but i get about 1,000 pounds from a tank.
i usually do about 300 lbs at a time as by the time i get everything out,set up, melted,poured,cooled,put away and the ingots stacked, it's been over half a day's work.
and i'm tired.

[Bad Water Bill]

i usually do about 300 lbs at a time as by the time i get everything out,set up, melted,poured,cooled,put away and the ingots stacked, it's been over half a day's work.
and i'm tired.


And it's MILLER TIME:drinks::drinks:

[bobthenailer]

IF you are using exchange tanks ? they are at least BLUE RINO only putting 16 lbs of propane in them instead of the usual 20 lb . But where i get my tanks refilled they are still putting in 20 lbs of propane even though they use a gallons measure like a gas pump. this would greatly reduce how much you would get from a tank of propane.