Flea Market Today, How'd I do?

[ShootNSteel]

I've been waiting to go to the flea market to look for some casting items like kids waiting for christmas day. Today I made it out and had a semi successful day I think. I really wanted to find an old hotplate but didn't luck out. I think I have the cast iron covered though. I got 2 large pots, 3 medium to large pans, a corn mold, a small muffin mold, and a few strainer items for $26. I just can't pass a good deal, hence the three pans:smile:
The big pot is going to need some work, it's going to need 2 holes welded in the bottom, and cleaned out well, but it's an awesome pot. I would guess it's civil war era, at only $3!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43083&stc=1&d=1333816108

[TNFrank]

$26 bucks for all of it? I hate you.LOL.:kidding:
Cheapest Dutch Oven at our local Flea Market was $40 bucks. Nice score, congrats.:D

[Sasquatch-1]

Ias at an auction house/collectables store yesterday and saw a pot very similar to the smaller cauldron you have there. The guy wanted $55.00 for it. The guy at the register said I should make an offer. I told him I was only willing to pay $5.00 to 10.00 for it he agreed I should leave it.

Awsome deal.

[LAH]

You did good.

[9-toes]

Nice score! Yup - I'm jealous, figures I'd see something like this after having to stop my smelt today. Why? Ran outta pans . . . :(

[geargnasher]

Nice score, and the price was right.

Cast iron isn't fun to try to weld, but with a Cobra torch, bbq grille, real cast iron "rods", and the right flux, it's doable.

You're really going to like that strainer ladle for skimming WW clips and such, or removing large amounts of burned-down fluxing sawdust before the final skim.

Gear

[DrB]

Thats a nice buy.... I ended up paying more than that for a couple of dutch ovens missing lids.

[ShootNSteel]

Thanks all!


Nice score, and the price was right.

Cast iron isn't fun to try to weld, but with a Cobra torch, bbq grille, real cast iron "rods", and the right flux, it's doable.

You're really going to like that strainer ladle for skimming WW clips and such, or removing large amounts of burned-down fluxing sawdust before the final skim.

Gear

You're right, I did some WW smelting today and the strainer ladle couldn't be better for getting the clips out. We weld cast iron at the shop I work at on occasion, and the lead welder is a big firearms enthusiast so I don't think I'm going to have to bribe him too much to weld the large pot for me :-).

The smaller pot was not even half full with #45 lb of melt in it, so I'm not sure if I will need the large one much, but it will be nice to know I have it.

In lieu of not finding a hot plate, my in laws across the street put a nice grill out for trash pickup today. I promptly modified it so I can light a wood fire in it and use it as my smelting setup. It worked pretty well. I have an unlimited supply of firewood so I split some smaller sizes of seasoned oak and started a fire in it. I put the smaller pot on it with a 45# weight I've had for a while, and it was completely melted in about 15 minutes. The shelves on either side of the grill make it really nice for pouring into the molds.

Yes I'm hooked!

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/attachment.php?attachmentid=43103&stc=1&d=1333857705

[Sasquatch-1]

I can't remember where (senility must be setting in) but I recently bought an electric hot plate for $12.00. I think it might have been at Walgrens.

[bbqncigars]

Dang, that is a sumgai score you have. If you have an unlimited supply of firewood, you might want to consider building/buying a nice offset bbq pit. If you like good 'q, of course.

[Kraschenbirn]

You might want to check that muffin mould for maker's marks/logos/FSNs/etc. Some of those...'specially those marked 'U.S' or 'USN'...are collectibles and can be worth considerably more than you paid for the whole lot.

Bill

[DrB]

I can't remember where (senility must be setting in) but I recently bought an electric hot plate for $12.00. I think it might have been at Walgrens.

:)

Recently got one myself. Publix has them for $14, walmart has a nicer compact two eye model for about $30. Ya beat what I paid by a couple of bucks.

[ShootNSteel]

You might want to check that muffin mould for maker's marks/logos/FSNs/etc. Some of those...'specially those marked 'U.S' or 'USN'...are collectibles and can be worth considerably more than you paid for the whole lot.

Bill

It is marked "MADE IN USA" on the bottom, although I bought a nice no. 3 ladle last year at the same place for $1 marked "U.S." on the bottom. Is this indicative of the US Military?

[Kraschenbirn]

It is marked "MADE IN USA" on the bottom, although I bought a nice no. 3 ladle last year at the same place for $1 marked "U.S." on the bottom. Is this indicative of the US Military?

Yup!! "U.S." or "USN" indicate utensils that were once government (military) property and, probably, of pre-Viet Nam era manufacture.

Bill

[ShootNSteel]

Thank you for the information, I'm going to have to keep an eye out for that kind of thing.

[Bullet Caster]

I'm sure that you already made up your mind when you saw the magnificant haul--I mean about welding up two holes in cast iron. I would have decided against it since it had 2 holes but then you already had a remedy for that. I never knew you could weld cast iron until I read gear's post. You're all set up for "refining" your lead before casting boolits and I say, nicely done. BC

[kbstenberg]

I was shure tempted the other day in a secondhand store. They had a Dutch oven, no cover for 5$. I already have one so I passed on it.

[ShootNSteel]

The holes in the bottom of the large pot also got me thinking, without messing around with welding I could go ahead and convert the pot to a bottom pour type if I ever wanted. But I think I would rather build my own from steel. I've got a few thousand pounds of 3/8" diamond plate behind the shed from work...But it's normally reserved for my steel pistol targets.

[seagiant]

Hi,
Being from Georgia,I wouldn't mind having one of the wooden handle pans to cook breakfast! All of my cookware is cast iron!

I weld cast iron and they have rods now that are truly amazing! If the item is small you do not even have to preheat and the weld is so nice ,after clean up you can't even see where it was repaired! Your pot should be no problem for your friend to fix!