Turner Brass Works Plumbers Pot

[geddylee10002000]

Had a chance to mess with my plumbers pot today. I listened to all the input offered on this forum. Thanks to all. I made two orifices. #60 (.040) and a #65 (.035). The #60 (.040) with 25 psi (LP regulated) melted 25 lbs. of lead in 3 minutes. Clear flame, no yellow or soot.44200

[uccm25]

I'm looking for a 25-30# cast iron pot. What do you have there?
Guy

[master caster]

That big pot i bet will hold 75+ pounds of lead. The pot you need is a duch oven cast iron pot. Geddy will that thing hold up to the weight of the big one. Sure looks like a nice setup.

[jsizemore]

That's impressive!

[geddylee10002000]

I got the plumbers furnace 30 years ago from my ex brother in law. Messed up recently by knocking off a sprue and it ended up around the orifice and clogged it. Next time using it I had flames coming out of unusual places..... Hehe. I am a tool & die maker by trade. I drilled the orifice the same size all the way through (mistake). Spent a week on research, rebuilding, and adding the regulator. Research points me about 80,000 BTU's which is where I want to be. The big pot that Master Caster is referring to is nothing more than a windscreen. My pot is home made about 30 years ago. It is 6" pipe about 6 or so inches high. It will hold about 25 lbs. of lead. Welded a flat piece of steel on the bottom. Added the handle tabs and a tab on the bottom to grab onto when pouring the lead out. I use standard bread loaf pans as my ingot molds and it fills them nicely. I do use a dipper for casting boolits. Smelting I use a old cast iron fry pan and am thinking of ditching that in favor of a smaller dutch oven.

With my research I found several furnaces, accesories, etc.

http://www.theantimonyman.com/index.htm
http://www.circlemfg.com/plmbers_melting_furnaces.htm
http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com/index.html

My original query to this group.
http://www.gunloads.com/castboolits/showthread.php?p=1697897

Again thank you for the knowledge from the group.

[uccm25]

Hey Geddylee, thanks for the info. Circle Mfg. looks like a go, but couldn't bring up prices. Otherwise, your chunk of 6" pipe and flat plate looks good too. Little bandsawing, grinding,and welding and voila, I'm in business.
Guy

[geddylee10002000]

uccm25, I do have another link to share. http://www.pascospecialty.com/catalog/PASCO_CATALOG_C.pdf Look on page 37. With my research I called the various places. They were very accessible. I was looking for orifice sizes. Got the tech guys and what they told me kind of floored me. I would bet if you got sales they would give you prices.

The Antimony Man's cast iron pot seemed a little high for pricing. Maybe I am anal retentive. Never checked on the pricing on the other two sources. I sure do like the lip on the pots. But I will still have to get a Vise Grip on the opposite rim to grab to pour out the smelting efforts.

If you need some detailed pics of my current pot I can provide them. Made it 30 years ago and it has worked for me. Would like to make something that is bottom pour now.

[geddylee10002000]

Cast a few boolits with my new setup last Sunday. The #60 drilled orifice was way too hot to keep my melt at the proper temp. Had to back off the regulator to about 1 psi. Burning the lead. I will reduce the orifice size 50% and turn the pressure up. Have several orifices to modify.

[Montana Ron]

I manufacture drift boat anchors and have moved into 89,000 pound range if finished product at this point using 2 hot rodded propane furnaces and can melt about 200# a hour or fast enough to need fans to cool the mold.........I'v dumped almost 8 tons of clips and with the steel WWT's I'm almost running 25% trash at this point and had to raise my price 15% to cover part of the loss.........you had best buy everything you figure you will ever need as the iron wheel weight is the new deal and the end of cast bullet
shooters source of cheep material..................[smilie=b:[smilie=b:and myside line business of 23 years............................

[uccm25]

I opted for the Circle Mfg. furnace and 6"/8" pots. The furnace works great, the 6" pot advertised at 25# will hold 20#, and you better have it level. I lit up the 8" pot to smelt some WW I picked up at my local mechanics shop. Had 66#, ended up 40#ww, 6# stick-on and battery terminals, 13# clips and steel WW, .75# zn, 1# bucket. Where did the other 5# go?? Dross I guess. Anyway, the
8" pot started leaking out the bottom about halfway thru(yeah, I'm pissed). Had to keep a SS spoon under it and dumping back into the pot. I called Neal, I think that's his name, heavy Indian accent, 6" pot stamped India, and he said he'd send me another. Just have to pay postage to send the pot back. I'm not a happy camper..., but hey, life goes on.
Hey Montana Ron, not trying to be smart-***. Did you ever consider building a mold to make your anchors out of concrete. You could add all those clips to add weight. Just a thought from an old Seabee... Later, Guy

[uccm25]

PS: The valve that came with the furnace is chintzy, usable but not very controllable. I'm looking for a valve like comes on a weed burner with the round control knob. Also, the stick-on WWs I mixed with the battery terminals are noticably shinier that the COs. Anyone know comp. of battery terminals? I should have just thrown them all in the same pot I guess. Still waiting for my Cabine Tree. Will check hardness then..Going now, God Bless All.