electric hot plate

[rp85]

hello;

using a colemen stove for my heat source when melting my casting alloy. the fuel will last a little over one hour then needs refueling. a real pain if casting is going good and you have to stop and restart all over again. the colemen stove is very fast at getting metal on temp for casting. would be nice if i can x'fer the pot from the stove to electric hot plate and not stop after a hour of casting.

anyone use a electric hot plate to keep their melted casting alloy on temp? if so which one are you using. the pot i'm using is @ 4" high and 6" across the top,
@20# of alloy.

thanks for any input.

rp

[joec]

I've never melted lead for casting so really know real idea. However with that said I watched a video on it using a propane turkey frier type burner which can be gotten from a lot of sources. Now I have a portable induction stove that might work. Now the stove does not get hot at all but uses magnets to heat the pot on it making the pot cook what ever is in it. Now I also have a full size induction stove in my home which cooks better than gas or electric as well as cheaper to operate. Many of these portables are capable of getting to heats up to 600 deg and the full size stoves even hotter. You can't go by watts with them as it has no meaning with induction. Induction will only work with pots that you can stick a magnet to the bottom. That rules out copper, aluminum, and some stainless steels however cast iron will work fine on them unless it has a round bottom. My portable is a Circulon Infinite Induction Cooker and it would probably produce enough to do it but really only guessing but it works off of 110V so could be easily plugged in almost anywhere. Oh and my home range is an Electrolux sold by Sears under their brand name Kenmore.

[Griz44mag]

Get a bottle adapter, hose and 30# tank at Wally world. You can go for many, many hours on a tank, at a fraction of cost of those tiny bottles. Look in the pseudo-hunting/camping section of the store.

[Brittany]

A hot plate works good, back in the old days I used to use the kitchen range. My son just the other day was getting after me for that old pratice.

I now due my lead melting and casting in the good old out doors, though I am thinking about a lead pot,

[ku4hx]

I use an old heavy steel fish fryer to mix alloy in 30-50 pound batches and a pair of Lyman furnaces (10 & 20 pound) to cast from. In the early '70s I tried the hot plate and Coleman stove approach and I still have both. But I decided if I was going to make casting a full time hobby, I'd get the most appropriate equipment designed specifically for the tasks at hand. I never regretted spending a single dime.

You can get by with pretty much any heat source that melts alloy and holds it at the proper temperature. But for me, "getting by" just never was the way to go.

[375RUGER]

I was casting over a propane burner and got tired of all the extra heat. So I bought a working hot plate at the Goodwill for about $6. I had to modify the thermostat that regulates how hot it gets and now it's the perfect melter.
Before the thermostat mod it would only get hot enough to melt the lead and maintain a liquid state but not hot enough to pour good boolits.

[mdi]

To answer your question, Yep, a hot plate will work. Higher wattage (1K - 1.5K) are best so they don't have to be going full blast all the time, and you have some adjustment. I've used a Coleman stove (white gas) a single burner propane Coleman, a Goodwill hot plate and now using a Lee Pro 4-20. I only smelt 30 or 40 lbs at a time so I use my single burner Coleman and an 8" home made steel pot. Your idea of melting on the Coleman and keeping hot on the hot plate should work as I've found best casting temp for me is about 100 degrees after lead liquifies...

[MikeS]

Really an electric hotplate isn't the best for actually casting with. They're much better at preheating your moulds before casting. If you've decided that you like casting, and are going to be casting for a while you really should look into getting an electric melting pot, either one just for using a ladle, or one that does bottom pour. Personally I would recommend the Lee 4-20, it holds 20lbs of alloy (well really more like 17-18), is a bottom pour pot, but because of it's design the bottom pour stuff is all off to one side, so if you're going to use a ladle it's not in the way. I started out with a Lyman 10lb Big Dipper pot using a Lyman ladle, but switched to the Lee 4-20 when I started going with larger moulds (4 and 6 cavity moulds).

A turkey fryer is a bit much for actual casting, it's more for melting down wheel weights, or range scrap, or what have you that you're going to cast into clean ingots that will then go into your actual casting pot. You really don't want to put dirty alloy into your casting pot, it's much better to do that in a separate (usually larger) pot.

[RU shooter]

For about 2 yrs I used only a 110V hot plate for casting I use a small pan like you describe,Mine is SS and have hi temp insulation and a sheet metal wrap around it . It would take around 20-30 minutes to melt to casting temps. It worked just fine. I now use a scaled up version which is a 220V 4 burner range top I got for free out of the garbage .Faster melt time and more temp control .I still use that same SS pan .

[Bret4207]

I'll have to disagree with those saying a hot plate isn't good. I use an $8.00 Walmart 1100 watt hot plate and my pot holds over 40lbs alloy. It works great! Takes about 20 minutes to get the melt to temp. Look at the money I saved over a Waage!

[XWrench3]

i would not be comfortable using a plastic case hot plate to run at or near wide open for hours on end. maybe it is just me, but i hate having a fire in a time and place where i did not plan one (victim in 2 house fires). my experiences have left me pretty cautious about heat/fire!

[Longwood]

The new hot plates I bought barely get warm compared to the hotplates of old.
Metal or plastic, they have a bi-metal safety switch to prevent their getting too hot.
Or as I put it, hot enough to be useful.
Those worthless switches are easily replaced with ones that actually work well.
A high watt dimmer switch works well but may cost as much as you paid for the hotplate...

[Longwood]

hello;

would be nice if i can x'fer the pot from the stove to electric hot plate and not stop after a hour of casting.


thanks for any input.

rp

Most pot handles are not made to handle lead and will bend and or break.
Be extremely careful when moving pots of molten material.

[WILCO]

Really an electric hotplate isn't the best for actually casting with.



That's incorrect. My first set up was a coil hotplate that handled all of my casting and smelting needs. I even bought another one from Walgreen's when it crapped out.

Here's the link: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=55896

[WILCO]

I'll have to disagree with those saying a hot plate isn't good. I use an $8.00 Walmart 1100 watt hot plate and my pot holds over 40lbs alloy. It works great! Takes about 20 minutes to get the melt to temp. Look at the money I saved over a Waage!

1100 watts and coiled. Can't beat it for starting out or just smelting.

[Longwood]

1100 watts and coiled. Can't beat it for starting out or just smelting.

I bought a new 110v hotplate, at Walgrens, about a month ago that has the coils.
I got hot enough to barely boil eggs but nowhere hear hot enough to use for melting lead.

[375RUGER]

For a hot plate mod--
use a pair of needle nose plier. put a slight bend in the flat bar -the part of the safety switch that flexes as it heats up. You may not have an off function when you do this but you can get proper output from the coil on the high end where it counts.
You don't want to bend it too much so that when it is running wide open and you get your melt to the proper temp that you can throttle it back to hold the temp you want. Try to put the bend as close to the end as possible, preferably the end closest to the switch. This way the bar is still acting as a thermostat. If the bend is in the middle then you lose the flexability of the bar. Bend a little at first, try it and if it's not where you like it, bend it a little more.

[Longwood]

For a hot plate mod--
use a pair of needle nose plier. put a slight bend in the flat bar -the part of the safety switch that flexes as it heats up. You may not have an off function when you do this but you can get proper output from the coil on the high end where it counts.
You don't want to bend it too much so that when it is running wide open and you get your melt to the proper temp that you can throttle it back to hold the temp you want. Try to put the bend as close to the end as possible, preferably the end closest to the switch. This way the bar is still acting as a thermostat. If the bend is in the middle then you lose the flexability of the bar. Bend a little at first, try it and if it's not where you like it, bend it a little more.

I kept bending mine until it broke.:cry:
At first, I jammed the tip of a bamboo skewer in it but it jammed it wide open. I should have kept playing with the skewer until I had it working like I wanted it to.

[10 ga]

Dittos " " for Griz44mag. Get the adapter hose and a 20# cylinder for the Coleman and rock on at whatever temp you want. I have 2 single pot propane burners and a Coleman 2 burner and use all at various times depending on the activity. Best, 10 ga

[MikeS]

I never said casting with a pot on a hot plate can't be done, only that it's not the best way to go about it, and I still feel that way. Another thing I don't understand is why folks are always recommending hot plates with open coils? My first hot plate was from Walgreens, cost me $10.00 and had open coils. I think it was a 1000 watt unit, but I'm not 100% sure, but even for pre-heating moulds I had to have it on the hottest setting. My next hot plate is one I got from Amazon, it's am Aroma brand hotplate that has a solid top and I have to keep it set slightly below medium to pre-heat moulds, otherwise they'll get way too hot in the time it takes my lead pot to get to casting temp. I've even melted a couple of lead ingots on it, also around the medium setting. Chances are unless it has a thermostatic cut off switch as some do, that this plate could easily be used for casting, but I've yet to try it for that.

[Swede44mag]

I started using a Coleman Gas stove then went to a LEE Dip pot then to a LEE Drip O Matic (gave it to a friend) and finally ended up with a RCBS Pro Melt.
I didn't think a hot plate would get enough to melt lead but I didn't try one either.

Good luck with your casting.

[Longwood]

I use a Coleman dual burner camp stove and a 12" x 6" stainless pot most of the time for smelting.
I rarely do more than 100 pounds at a time now.
The camp stove has a flame that would make horse shoes.
I did about 600 pounds last year with a loaner turkey fryer.
For a very short tme, I used the pot ladle method but soon bought a electric bottom pour pot.

[mold maker]

The single cal-rod burner on my Wally World hot plate, has only H M L and off. Med overheats my molds if left too long and will definitely melt ingots if I don't watch closely. The open coil (like a spring) units are a short circuit waiting to happen. if your mold bridges any part of the coil, it can destroy the unit as well as arc where it touches your mold. If an ingot melted it could really cause fireworks as the lead shorted out parts of the coil. Lead conducts really well when you don't want it to.
Maybe the terminology got mixed, but there is a safety question with any coil unit.

[Bret4207]

I recommend the open coils because the solid tops I bought weren't worth krap. What is best for one person isn;t always going to be best for another. Myself, I can't justify the $$ for and RCBS or Waage. I'd love to have one of each, but my $8.00 investment has been working fine for about 10 years now. That's pretty good in my book.

[H.Callahan]

I have been looking for an open coil hot plate for weeks now. I don't think they make them anymore. I have found a couple on Craigslist, but always have been too late to grab them up.

Is anyone finding the open coil type new anywhere?

BTW, mold, can you explain this?

The open coil (like a spring) units are a short circuit waiting to happen. if your mold bridges any part of the coil, it can destroy the unit as well as arc where it touches your mold. If an ingot melted it could really cause fireworks as the lead shorted out parts of the coil. Lead conducts really well when you don't want it to.
Maybe the terminology got mixed, but there is a safety question with any coil unit.
If this were the case, I would think any metal pan that touched the coils would cause a short. I CAN see a problem with a melted ingot going through the plastic cases of most of those units and messing with the innards, but I don't understand where just touching the coils with something metal is a problem

[dpaultx]

Picked this one up at a garage sale last week for a buck! Works great.

http://img15.imageshack.us/img15/5119/img20120726143332s.jpg

It's an 1100 watt "High-Heat" model made by Superior Electric Products. The dial is numbered from 1 to 11 and it gets plenty hot enough to melt 15 lbs of lead in a two quart S/S pot.

I don't think that these high powered hot plates (anything over about 800 watts) are considered to be "consumer" items anymore but are rather regarded as professional commercial kitchen (or catering) fixtures. I see them listed in commercial kitchen equipment catalogs, but not at Walmart or at other retail outfits.

They're still around, but finding one for a dollar ain't gonna happen very often.

[Bret4207]

I have been looking for an open coil hot plate for weeks now. I don't think they make them anymore. I have found a couple on Craigslist, but always have been too late to grab them up.

Is anyone finding the open coil type new anywhere?

BTW, mold, can you explain this?

If this were the case, I would think any metal pan that touched the coils would cause a short. I CAN see a problem with a melted ingot going through the plastic cases of most of those units and messing with the innards, but I don't understand where just touching the coils with something metal is a problem


These are the low price models I turned up in a 30 second search of at least 1000 watts.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Proctor-Silex-Single-Burner-in-White/11445754?findingMethod=rr

http://www.amazon.com/Continental-Electric-1100-Watt-Singler-Burner/dp/B002TOBFM2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343386877&sr=8-2&keywords=hot+plate

http://www.amazon.com/Brentwood-Appliances-TS-322-Single-Burner/dp/B0042W5N04/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1343386877&sr=8-16&keywords=hot+plate



Also, somewhere in the archives here is a photo spread of a ho'made open coil rig. Guy took an element from an old electric stove and the control and mounted it all on a steel frame of some sort that would hold about a ton. It was of course 220 volt, but was likely the ultimate "hot plate" for this type of rig.

[Sasquatch-1]

These are the low price models I turned up in a 30 second search of at least 1000 watts.

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Proctor-Silex-Single-Burner-in-White/11445754?findingMethod=rr

http://www.amazon.com/Continental-Electric-1100-Watt-Singler-Burner/dp/B002TOBFM2/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1343386877&sr=8-2&keywords=hot+plate

http://www.amazon.com/Brentwood-Appliances-TS-322-Single-Burner/dp/B0042W5N04/ref=sr_1_16?ie=UTF8&qid=1343386877&sr=8-16&keywords=hot+plate



Also, somewhere in the archives here is a photo spread of a ho'made open coil rig. Guy took an element from an old electric stove and the control and mounted it all on a steel frame of some sort that would hold about a ton. It was of course 220 volt, but was likely the ultimate "hot plate" for this type of rig.


I have the Proctor Silex and I am not very happy with it. It will do the job but takes for ever to heat up and doesn't always stay hot enough for dead soft mix. I would go with something a little better.

[H.Callahan]

I have been looking in real brick and mortar stores -- Walmart, Walgreens, Target, etc. I guess I may have to resort to mail order. I hate having to pay shipping for something that cheap. Thank you for the links.


I have the Proctor Silex and I am not very happy with it. It will do the job but takes for ever to heat up and doesn't always stay hot enough for dead soft mix. I would go with something a little better.

Yeah, from reading the comments, it seems like all of them have that damned thermal protection circuit in them that causes them to cycle on and off even when you want continuous high heat. Dunno how difficult that is to defeat.

[MikeS]

Here's a link to the hotplate I bought from Amazon for $16.00:

http://www.amazon.com/Aroma-AHP-303-Single-Plate-Black/dp/B0007QCRNU/ref=pd_cp_e_1

While on their site to get the link I saw a really nice looking dual burner hot plate, it has one large burner that's 1300 watts, and a small one that's 500 watts. This unit would be cool to use as you could have your casting pot on the large burner, and use the small burner to pre-heat your moulds! Here's a link to that unit:

http://www.amazon.com/Waring-DB60-Portable-Double-Burner/dp/B000I16B18/ref=pd_bxgy_k_img_b

It's a bit more money at $79.95 but if it's as good as they say, and it doesn't have a thermal overload the would keep it from melting lead it would be a good item to have. Of course for that much money you could buy 2 or 3 of the Aroma units, and be able to place them wherever you wanted on your workbench.

[ku4hx]

The ravages of time. Unlike its retired owner, it still works just not for alloy mixing or casting. Currently it mostly heats a small smoker for me and wife. Purchased circa 1960 at a local Belk's department store.

[10x]

I bought a new 110v hotplate, at Walgrens, about a month ago that has the coils.
I got hot enough to barely boil eggs but nowhere hear hot enough to use for melting lead.

Put a 7" circular saw blade on it and it is perfect for preheating molds and lead to add to the pot....
if you preheat lead ingots, be sure to use a pie plate just in case....

[Doby45]

Yheap, I posted a pic many moons ago of my hot plate for mold pre-heating. Open coil from WalGreens and I used an old circular saw blade and then on the recommendation of Gear I used an old coffee can and made a top. Works like a champ! I will see if I can find the pic.

http://www.castboolits.gunloads.com/showpost.php?p=1002067&postcount=110

Edit:Found the post...

[shadowcaster]

hello;

using a colemen stove for my heat source when melting my casting alloy. the fuel will last a little over one hour then needs refueling. a real pain if casting is going good and you have to stop and restart all over again. the colemen stove is very fast at getting metal on temp for casting. would be nice if i can x'fer the pot from the stove to electric hot plate and not stop after a hour of casting.

anyone use a electric hot plate to keep their melted casting alloy on temp? if so which one are you using. the pot i'm using is @ 4" high and 6" across the top,
@20# of alloy.

thanks for any input.rp

I assume that you have the white gas version of Coleman stove. I can't see how moving 20 pounds of molten alloy over to a hot plate on a regular basis, would be a safe thing to do. It's only going to take once, to have a bad mishap. Not worth doing in my mind.

IMO the Lee 20 pound pro 4 for casting is really hard to beat for the money and convenience of use. I know that some people have trouble with them dripping , but I rarely have even a drip. I run 2 of them side by side so I always have hot alloy ready to go for however lengthy a casting session I want. Hot plate works great for warming ingots and molds.

As for smelting a turkey fryer and a cast iron or steel pot is awesome. :castmine:

Shad