Best Material for a casting pot

[mirage2521]

Guys,
I have limited access to some old commercial kitchen equip. There are a couple and larger pots that would be great for melting wheel wieghts and other in to make ingots. I have a small bottom our for casting boolits and I dont want to contaminate it with lots of scrap and dirty lead.

My question is, of the two pots that seem like the right size one is aluminium and one is stainless. Both are good solid commercial kitchen quality pots. Which material is best? Thanks

[Mooseman]

Of the 2 listed ..Stainless is better.
I still recommend a cast Iron teakettle for processing WW and cleaning lead for ingots.
Like this >>>http://www.amazon.com/Uniflame-801702-Kettle-2-5qt-Black/dp/B000WDWQAM/ref=sr_1_59?s=home-garden&ie=UTF8&qid=1330727097&sr=1-59

Rich

[mx5tc]

Rich,

I've been looking for a pot to melt my first batch of WWs in, that tea kettle looks pretty good. Can you give me an idea of about how many lbs of WWs that 2.5 qt kettle will hold?? Is the lid opening big enough for skimming "the junk" off the top of the molten lead??

[Mk42gunner]

I didn't open the link to look-- the curse of slow dial-up.

Lead weighs approximately 23 pounds per quart, but you cannot get that much in with the clips still present. I would guess you could put somewhere around thirty to thirtyfive pounds of WW in it.

My smelting pot (8" pipe, 8" tall) will hold around 95-100 pounds of liquid alloy, but only ~65 pounds of WW prior to melting.

Robert

[mirage2521]

Rich,

I've been looking for a pot to melt my first batch of WWs in, that tea kettle looks pretty good. Can you give me an idea of about how many lbs of WWs that 2.5 qt kettle will hold?? Is the lid opening big enough for skimming "the junk" off the top of the molten lead??

That small lid does look kind of restricting.

[mooman76]

I good quality cast iron pot, I think is best. Aluminum can fail and all the melt run out and a cheap cast iron pot can crack. I have a 1qt pot and it holds a little over 20#. A steel pot will work also. Sometimes you can find the steel pot that have a real think bottom to help absorb the heat.

[Bret4207]

Stainless is best IMO. When I went from cast to stainless my dross accumulation dropped by half at least.

[dragonrider]

Absolutely Stainless steel is best for a smelting pot. Aluminum should never be used.

[zuke]

Stainless steel pressure cooker.
Plastic coffee can for scale.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/pressurecookermeltingpot066.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/pressurecookermeltingpot067.jpg

[letsmeltlead2693]

I melt my pewter in a thin aluminum pan, but the heat is on medium.

[DLCTEX]

As has been documented here repeatedly, do not use aluminum for smelting. The bottom can fail unexpectedly and is weakened by repeated use.

[JohnFM]

Needs to be repeated a couple times a day.
Melting lead and other such metals is a dangerous operation in an aluminum pot.
Repeated high temps fatigue the metal and can lead to failure without warning.

[10 ga]

letsmelt..2693 etal:
Do not continue to use the aluminum pot. Even at low temp for tin, with each use the aluminum fatigues, eventually failing at a most bad time! Keep eyes open at yard sales, Goodwill, etc... for a small SS pan or pot, then you will be much better off. Times past I used a cheap yardsale steel wok with a handles on each side for small melts. Kinda big but I could ladle most out then use the handle to pour the last bit into an ingot mold.
REPEAT: DO NOT USE ALUMINUM for smelting or melting lead or lead alloys!

[Longwood]

Stainless steel pressure cooker.
Plastic coffee can for scale.

http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/pressurecookermeltingpot066.jpg
http://i807.photobucket.com/albums/yy356/zuke_bucket/pressurecookermeltingpot067.jpg

That brand of pressure cookers sell used for over $200 on ebay.
Even used, it 'Was" worth more than a well designed, reliable, name brand, casting pot.

[Blue Hill]

"That brand of pressure cookers sell used for over $200 on ebay.
Even used, it 'Was" worth more than a well designed, reliable, name brand, casting pot."

That, my friend is what's known as an O' **** moment. ;>)

[letsmeltlead2693]

I will go and find SS pan instead of using an ally pan for tin. Also, doesn't tin dissolve aluminum?

[zuke]

That brand of pressure cookers sell used for over $200 on ebay.
Even used, it 'Was" worth more than a well designed, reliable, name brand, casting pot.

I paid 25 cent's for it at a value village because it had no pressure gauge.

[shadowcaster]

If you can't find the right pan or pot, you may want to consider building a pot out of steel using well casing or a rim and a steel plate. Then you can customize it to your needs!

Shad

[ErikO]

Amazon has a few SS stock pots. I will more than likely go that route.

[Fishman]

I use a stainless stock pot from Harbor freight. It was/is cheap, it is light in weight, and propane isn't wasted heating cast iron. I always melt a batch, cast ingots, and start over. This avoids the tinsel fairy. When I am gone from this world, nobody will accidentally use the pot for cooking.

This is just my opinion, but using something that is free or cheap isn't a good idea if that item is of value to someone else for a different purpose. American made cast iron, high quality cookware, and perhaps old commercial stainless are good examples of this.

[zuke]

I cast 20 or so LEE ingot's then I start to load up the pot again. It get's no where near empty, so I get a pretty consistant alloy.
When I'm dome the first smelt I take 1 ingot out of each pile and remelt them. If I can get 2 or 3 out of each pile I go for it.
Same thing,cast 20 and then add more.

[Blue Hill]

I use a stainless stock pot from Harbor freight. It was/is cheap, it is light in weight, and propane isn't wasted heating cast iron. I always melt a batch, cast ingots, and start over. This avoids the tinsel fairy. When I am gone from this world, nobody will accidentally use the pot for cooking.

I kind of like the extra mass that cast iron gives me. I think it holds the heat better than a light weight stainless pot. Personal preference based on a hunch. I'm certainly no expert. :smile:

[dnotarianni]

Before I cut a propane tank for a pot I used a stainless mixing bowl from what is called Job Lot here in RI. Your basic cheap stuff close-out store, China quality but for $9 I got my moneys worth out of it. Was about 14" dia and 10" deep

dave

[Rockchucker]

I'm presently using a cast iron dutch oven that holds approximately 80 pounds. It's kinda big and heavy, but fits the turkey fryer perfectly. Only problem I have is I can't get the last 4 or 5 pounds of lead out without tipping the pot, so I leave it in and scratch the alloy type on it when it cools down.

[zuke]

I kind of like the extra mass that cast iron gives me. I think it holds the heat better than a light weight stainless pot. Personal preference based on a hunch. I'm certainly no expert. :smile:

If your pot cool's off with the extra mass of the molten lead in it,it's too windy to be smelting.

[Longwood]

I'm presently using a cast iron dutch oven that holds approximately 80 pounds. It's kinda big and heavy, but fits the turkey fryer perfectly. Only problem I have is I can't get the last 4 or 5 pounds of lead out without tipping the pot, so I leave it in and scratch the alloy type on it when it cools down.

That is a really good idea. I have done it for years but never did mark the remnants.

The lead in the bottom of a cold pot acts like a heat sink that keeps the bottom of pots from getting too hot on start-up of a smelt.
I now need to make sure and remember to do as you said and mark them.

[Lance Boyle]

I cast 20 or so LEE ingot's then I start to load up the pot again. It get's no where near empty, so I get a pretty consistant alloy.
When I'm dome the first smelt I take 1 ingot out of each pile and remelt them. If I can get 2 or 3 out of each pile I go for it.
Same thing,cast 20 and then add more.

Zuke,

I'm a newb and was just pondering this this morning on how to keep the batches consistent from first pour to last pour, firgurin the tin content would vary.

My thought out solution was just to pour the 4 ingots, mark them with the date and a 1 for the first pour, then the date and 2 for 2nd pour and so on. (Harbor freight stamps or nail scratchin)

Instead of remelting to mix them again. My thought was to simply let them cool and when I go to cast put in 3 or 4 ingots, grab a 1, 2, and 3 (4 if poured) and remelt them when your casting. Would save on fuel.

That said, I just got my first mold today so don't take too much of what I say to heart.

[zuke]

Zuke,

I'm a newb and was just pondering this this morning on how to keep the batches consistent from first pour to last pour, firgurin the tin content would vary.

My thought out solution was just to pour the 4 ingots, mark them with the date and a 1 for the first pour, then the date and 2 for 2nd pour and so on. (Harbor freight stamps or nail scratchin)

Instead of remelting to mix them again. My thought was to simply let them cool and when I go to cast put in 3 or 4 ingots, grab a 1, 2, and 3 (4 if poured) and remelt them when your casting. Would save on fuel.

That said, I just got my first mold today so don't take too much of what I say to heart.

I was smelting down WW last week. When I do I load that pot so the rivet's you can see near the top of the pot are covered with molten lead.
When I pour out 20 or so ingot's I'm lucky if I get it half way empty. I then put more WW in and keep adding till it's full again.Stir,then start to pour more ingot's.
To melt the first pot take's awhile, but when it get's rolling it's amazing.
When I pour the last pot full I usually get around 45-47 ingot's.
I don't know what it all weigh's but I'd hate to run out of propane!

[a.squibload]

... I leave it in and scratch the alloy type on it when it cools down.

I do the same, stamp it "S" for soft or "C" for clipon, etc.
Easy to dump the cooled disc out of the propane tank pot.
Next smelt I put whichever disc back in and pile WWs or whatever on it.

[Longwood]

I saw an excellent pot at Walmart today.
I holds 12 quarts and is made from stainless and has the steel encased aluminum conductor pad on the bottom that is so common for better quality pots nowdays..
They sell several sizes and the one I would buy if I didn't get free gas tanks, is the 12 quart for $44.95.
I stopped at a yard sale and they had a Dutch oven but it was way thinner cast iron that the good american made cast frying pans they had.
The cheapo Dutch oven, was priced at $5 but the quality made frying pan had a tag that read $50. The fry pan is a biggen so I bet they get what they are asking.