New bottom pour smelting pot!

[shadowcaster]

This is my new bottom pour smelting pot that I made with the help of my brother and his welder.

If filled to the brim, it will hold almost 4 gallons of molten lead (380 #).
I generally run it from 1/2 to 2/3 full. It is smooth to operate and makes pouring ingots a pleasure. No more ladling for large batches! When not on the burner the spout acts as a fourth leg.

I had to make some modifications to the turkey fryer to keep the spout hot and for extra support due to the increased weight. As there is almost no heat loss from the burner it is quick to heat, although I am making a lid for it to keep the heat in from the top.

With my new vent hood with inline fan I am able to do my smelting in the shop, rain or shine. :-)

Thoughts and opinions please.

Shad

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422654aa85.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4250')

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f54226562d3e.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4251')

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422657561a.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4252')

Pot under construction


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422bc85221.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4253')

Legs and spout


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422bc98aa3.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4254')

Burner with modifications


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422bcaa3e1.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4255')

Pot on the burner


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422eb646c2.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4256')

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422eb763e7.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4257')

Inside the vent hood

Please see next post "new bottom pour smelting pot #2" for additional pictures

[shadowcaster]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5422eb8793c.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4258')

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f54231f9666e.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4259')

my smelting/casting setup


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f54231fa8b5b.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4260')

Putting the heat to it


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f54231fbb051.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4261')

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f5423561e2ed.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4262')

The bottom pour in action


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f542356303f5.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4263')

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_194224f542356430bb.jpg ('http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=4264')

The final product

[clodhopper]

Wow that's a beauty!
Do you just pull up to drain the lead?

[shadowcaster]

No.. it is threaded so that I have a good seal with no drips when it's closed,

[clodhopper]

I have a simlar set up with threaded valve on the bottom, the valve works like a ball valve and opens with 90 dregree turn.
My pot is a 10" dutch oven. The lid keeps carbonized gasses and the tinsel fairy in, but must be removed to put a 'T' wrench on the stem to open the valve.
It sure was a step up from the old 6 inch sauce pan hand poured into ingot moulds.
Good luck finding enough lead to keep that set up busy.

[canyon-ghost]

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/contenders/ingotmolds006.jpg

The sides are 11" long angle iron with 3" channel x 6in long. I used 1/4" thick angle and channel because it was all I had. The brick molds are nice. The angle iron ones are just 6" long angle iron that make a 3&1/2 lb triangular stick, the channel iron makes a 5 pound brick.

Something to think on:

http://i758.photobucket.com/albums/xx228/3rdshooter/contenders/Zincweights005.jpg

[shadowcaster]

Good luck finding enough lead to keep that set up busy.

Yeah.. The hunt continues!

[clodhopper]

Canyon Ghost,
The ingot moulds are nice,
I have three triples made from 1 1/2" angle 7 1/2" long.
Also a single made from 4" channel 7 1/2" long, the channel ingot weighs 10 pounds and it's to big for most pots. makes a great door stop though!

[shadowcaster]

clodhopper

It's not to big for my new pot! Send your ingots my way. :-)

[clodhopper]

What's gonna hold my door open?

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Great minds think alike!
I built most of one today as well, that in many respects, could be the brother to yours. :)

Show me what you did to keep the spout hot, I was wondering if I was going to
have an issue there.

[Max Brand]

Shadowcaster that is one fine looking pot sir! I would hate to try to guess how much it weighs but you can tell at a glance that is one heavy duty piece of equipment. Well done.

Max

[Nick2010]

what are the dimensions of your pan for the burner? how big of circle is it? thinking about making one now...lol...does the plug with threads screw in fine once the lead is melted?

[shadowcaster]

Jim,
I had to cut a 3 inch section out of the top horizontal piece as my spout sits just outside the burner. I then reinforced it with the 2 vertical pieces you see in the photo. Because the fire doesn't reach outside the square of the burner, this allows the flame to lick at the back side of the spout to keep it hot.

[shadowcaster]

Nick,
Here are my dimensions: The burner if you look at it straight down from the top measures 12x12 inches. The diameter of the pot is 17 inches. The pot is 4 and 1/2 inches deep. The threaded pieces operates smoothly because the threads are at the top of the pot. They never touch the molten lead. I was amazed at how well this worked for me the 1st time I fired it up. :-) I'll never go back to my dutch oven, except for maybe a small project.

[Nick2010]

alright thanks, looks like i got some work to do lol...maybe not one that big. i got some 12" pipe i will probably just try and use that.

[jmsj]

shadowcaster,
BRAVO!
That is a great design. The fabrication looks top notch and the the pictures show it off great.
I like the width of the pot. When I made mine I used a smaller diameter pipe because that is what I had. It ended up taller than it is wide to be able to handle the weight I wanted to be able to smelt. This makes it difficut to scoop out the clips or other debris.
I also like that you raised the working height up to a more comfortable level. I also raised mine up so I did not have to bend over to do the work. After raising my smelter, I am able to smelt 500-600 pounds at a time without being sore. After many years of shoeing horses, my back really doesn't like to bent over for too long a period.
Good job, jmsj

[Sonnypie]

Now that right there is a dandy!

I bet you could cast Howitzer bullets with that monster! :holysheep

(I like the Lee Pro IV comparison picture) [smilie=l:

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

Thanks Shadowcaster
the rest of my stuff should be here in the morning, this stupid town, I had to order 1/4 pipe fittings [smilie=b:

Maybe get a test drive tomorrow. :mrgreen:

[Hammerlane]

couple of ?? on the threaded shaft. where did you come up with this thing. I am rebuilding my pot and this may help. thanks

[captaint]

shadowcaster - Come on, man....That's a little TOO nice, isn't it?? Wanna make me one?? Nice job, really. enjoy Mike

[Budmen]

I was planning one of those sweet hoods you made what may I ask Did you use for a blower? and on the end outside? By the way great setup all the way!!!!

[Moonman]

That's a really serious deal you've built yourself. Good smelting and shooting.

[shadowcaster]

Hammerlane,
While smelting with a dutch oven and ladle, I got to thinking there should be some way to do this with a bottom pour pot. Larger capacity, cleaner lead on the bottom of the pot, and an indoor setup. I had to do some real brainstorming on how to close the spout. Most valves that you buy have plastic or teflon in them. I figured I could open and close the hole by raising the shaft up or down, and I needed to have control of the flow. That's when the threaded section came to light. Also, the hole is a tiny bit smaller than the shaft and the bottom of the shaft is tapered to a point, so that if I need to close it quickly it will always line up with the hole. The shaft has the threads removed where it comes in contact with the lead.

Shad

[shadowcaster]

Budmen,
I am using a 500 cfm inline blower in the ducting and it sits about half way, but the run of pipe to the outside is short. (only about 4 feet) I may upgrade to a squirrel cage blower if I find that the smokier stuff like radiator drippings is too much for the blower to keep up.

Shad

[shadowcaster]

captaint,


shadowcaster - Come on, man....That's a little TOO nice, isn't it?? Wanna make me one?? Nice job, really. enjoy Mike

How much do you want to spend? :kidding:

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

What are you using for the actual burner? That looks like it needs a lot of BTU's to heat up.

Rich

[shadowcaster]

Idaho Sharpshooter,
It's a Kamp Kitchen high pressure cooker (58,000 btu's) basically a turkey fryer. Because the base of the pot is larger that the square of the burner, it heats up quickly and there is very little heat loss. There is a 3 inch chunk cut from the front of the burner to allow for direct heat to the spout. It's really quite efficient!

Shad

[shadowcaster]

Thanks to all.. for the great comments and questions!!

Shad

[Dale53]

shadowcaster;
I am seldom (if ever) envious of other people or their things. Bling means little to me. I do not envy the rich. I am basically a person genuinely happy with himself and his lot in life.

However, and I say HOWEVER, I AM envious of your smelter!:mrgreen:

I daresay that there would be a market for that melter if it could be fabricated for a reasonable cost (of course, shipping could present certain problems). Something for you to think about...

Dale53

[ssnow]

It looks really nice. Congrats on a job well done.

[kbstenberg]

Shadow I hope you don't mind my copying your spout setup? Easy an simple.

[pistolwhipped]

nice work pops, i really can appreciate the plunger control valve. thats brilliant thinkn. now for a few mopar projects attention...:popcorn:

[fullofdays]

GROUPBUY! I'm in

[CollinLeon]

Is the hole in the bottom plate of the pot tapered on the sides or did you just drill it straight through with a drill bit?

I've seen ones where it appeared that the builder took a 45 degree or so countersink to widen the mouth of the hole...

Apparently, they are using something like this:
http://dewitt-tool.com/images/products/detail/104dewchat6flute.jpg

[shadowcaster]

Is the hole in the bottom plate of the pot tapered on the sides or did you just drill it straight through with a drill bit?

I've seen ones where it appeared that the builder took a 45 degree or so countersink to widen the mouth of the hole...


The hole in the bottom plate is drilled straight through. The shaft is larger in diameter than the hole, and it's the shaft that is tapered to a point so that it lines up with the hole every time it's screwed down to close the valve. I have never had it leak after making a pour, and it's easy to control the flow.

Shad

[CollinLeon]

The hole in the bottom plate is drilled straight through. The shaft is larger in diameter than the hole, and it's the shaft that is tapered to a point so that it lines up with the hole every time it's screwed down to close the valve. I have never had it leak after making a pour, and it's easy to control the flow.


Thanks... A couple more questions...

What diameter hole did you use?
What is the widest diameter of the tapered section of the threaded shaft?
What it the smallest diameter of the tapered section of the threaded shaft?
How long is the tapered section?
What did you use to perform the tapering? Lathe? Drill press? Hand drill?

[shadowcaster]

Originally Posted by shadowcaster View Post
The hole in the bottom plate is drilled straight through. The shaft is larger in diameter than the hole, and it's the shaft that is tapered to a point so that it lines up with the hole every time it's screwed down to close the valve. I have never had it leak after making a pour, and it's easy to control the flow.


Thanks... A couple more questions...

What diameter hole did you use?
What is the widest diameter of the tapered section of the threaded shaft?
What it the smallest diameter of the tapered section of the threaded shaft?
How long is the tapered section?
What did you use to perform the tapering? Lathe? Drill press? Hand drill?

The diameter of the hole in the bottom plate is 7/16 inch.
The widest diameter of the tapered section of the threaded shaft is 1/2 inch.
The smallest diameter of the tapered section of the threaded shaft is 1/8 inch.
The tapered section is 3/8 inch long.

My brother has a small lathe that I performed the tapering of the shaft. This could also be accomplished with a grinder and a 45 degree jig, then put in a drill or drill press and finished up with a file and sand paper. I started with a piece of 5/8 inch all thread, turned the lower section down to 1/2 inch to remove the threads, then finished with the taper.

Shad

[jlala504]

I really need to talk my roommate into welding me up something like this. Thanks for posting picture and descriptions.

[smokinthelast1]

Thanks for sharing Shad thats Awesome work!

[Andrew Mason]

how do you prevent lead cooling and turning solid in the spout?

[shadowcaster]

how do you prevent lead cooling and turning solid in the spout?

The lead doesn't freeze up or turn solid by design. The spout is 2 black pipe street elbows, one welded to the bottom of the pot, and the other screwed on and is adjustable. The flames from the burner are trapped beneath the pot, and the only escape they have is where I cut the burner frame to allow them to lick at the back of the spout. This keeps the entire spout hot during operation. The elbows remain at a constant temp and the lead flows freely. When the pot is empty and cool, there is only a small piece theft in the spout about the size of a pencil lead. I Pull it out with my fingers and I'm ready to roll with my next session. :)

Shad

[7Acres]

Awesome job, Shad! I've been considering a 400lb smelter (different design). This gives me the push I need to continue forward with my plans. Great work and such a well thought out and executed design!

[cheap1]

needed this pot i have 11 sailboats to melt down. last keel was over 16,052 lb and they were all free. great job on the smelter.

[lmfd20]

needed this pot i have 11 sailboats to melt down. last keel was over 16,052 lb and they were all free. great job on the smelter.

Fiberglass doesn't cast well!:kidding:

[dikman]

needed this pot i have 11 sailboats to melt down. last keel was over 16,052 lb and they were all free. great job on the smelter.

Hmmm, that sounds a bit beyond back-yard type melting, it would use an awful lot of propane [smilie=1:. Rather curious how you cut that last keel down to manageable pieces.

[Spawn-Inc]

needed this pot i have 11 sailboats to melt down. last keel was over 16,052 lb and they were all free. great job on the smelter.

hmm, first post and claim he has over 170,000lbs of lead... but i could be wrong and just VERY jealous....

[dikman]

Surely you're not doubting that someone could be home processing, in a Shad-type pot, 76 tons of lead?

Maybe he shoots cannonballs........a lot of cannonballs........

[CastingFool]

I think 170,000 lbs of lead qualifies for a life time supply. Do you agree? that smelter is really nice, a lot of thought has been put into it. Lots of good ideas for future projects.

[KingAirNeal]

Not that hard to believe that much tonnage from 11 keels. I would venture a guess that not all of them are 17k pounds each. The average 27 foot boat like the one I sold had 2600 pounds of lead keel. 17k would be about a 40 footer or so I would think. Lots and lots of wrecked boats out there after Sandy...
I am on the hunt myself...

If I can ever score some keels, I will likely build a pot like that, super sweet!

[zomby woof]

very nice you are well organized

[cheap1]

Just wanted to let more people know where they can get lead cheap or even free. Most marinas have a problem getting rid of sail boats just left to rot and take up space.and lead can be cut with a chain saw

[waco]

That's just awesome!..........

[cheap1]

Just saw my mistake 1700, lb not 170,000 still not bad for free lead. Yes some are not lead but had to get them out of the water to find out. Will be selling lead but not yet also have great flag poles

[dikman]

Ahh, that's better - now I believe you ;). Yep, not bad at all for free lead (and a little bit of effort).

[cheap1]

No alot of effort and now i have a back yard full of boats but some are good and the rest will be scraped out

[Spawn-Inc]

No alot of effort and now i have a back yard full of boats but some are good and the rest will be scraped out

that's one of the problems, need the space to put it all until you can sort out the metals and garbage.

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

also have great flag poles


ha ha ha, :) I bet you can sell the flag poles for enough to recover moving and smelting costs, I wish we have more sail boats around here

[meeesterpaul]

lifetime supply? hmmm... let's see, 176000pounds divided by 200grains....
now where to keep that spare 6000lbs of powder . . .

[CountryBoyPrepper]

Wow! Nice set up! That looks very nice! Much easier than what I've been doing!

[Garyshome]

Impressive!