Need some help on choosing a high output burner!

[SheepDogAlpha]

Hey guys, I am cruising around on amazon and I want to purchase a new higher output burner.. let me tell you about my setup.

I originally purchased a twin 7500 btu burner cast iron stove. I run it on a 20lb propane tank. It works really well for my small cast iron pots, but it struggles with my 5qt dutch oven. I assume when I run one burner it gets up to 10k btu's. I am acquiring more and more WW and I need to be able to process lead faster. The other day, it took just under 5 hours to process 114lbs of lead into ingots. I am having a tough time regulating temp on the dutch oven so I have opted to spend up to another $50 on a higher output burner for the bigger pot. I have found a couple that I am interested in but I would like some consensus. I would like to be able to melt lead faster. It takes me around an hour to melt 25lbs. Any help is appreciated. These range in output from 100k-175k btu. I am also a little concerned that I might hurt the dutch oven or lead with too high of temp.

http://www.amazon.com/Brinkmann-815-4005-S-Outdoor-Cooker-Stand/dp/B005CSTHPY/ref=pd_sbs_lg_9
http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP10-High-Pressure-Outdoor/dp/B000291GBQ/ref=pd_sim_sbs_lg_1
http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP1-Jet-Cooker/dp/B0002913MI/ref=pd_sbs_lg_2

[David2011]

SheepDog,

Welcome to the forum!

The Bayou Classic SP10 looks really good IMO. It's rated for a 100 quart pot so it will take the weight of 5 quarts of molten lead. It would also be really easy to put a shield around the perimeter of the SP10 to help contain heat around the pot. If it's a little windy a sheild will help keep the pot hot. You aren't going to hurt the pot as long as you heat it with lead in it. You might want to get a thermometer so you'll know how hot the melt is. If you keep it around 650* F any stray zinc wheelweights will float instead of melting and ruining the batch. If you start with just a little WW melted in the bottom, making sure they're all lead, zinc will float easily so you can skim it off. If you put a lot of WW in the pot and crank up the heat, the zinc could be trapped by WW above it and melt instead of floating to the top.

David

[SheepDogAlpha]

thats the one I was leaning towards too david. Thanks for some input!

[Kent Fowler]

I have the Utility model like this. Can't say enough about how good it is. I use it as a shop heater also.

http://www.bulletmetals.net/furnace.htm

[captaint]

SDA - One more thing you might benefit from. On one of the ads, they
show a thermometer with a long probe end. VERY handy and for 11 bux
they are well worth it. Mine is pretty accurate and I really like the peace
of mind, keeping the melt temp below that of melting ZINK. Just my .02 Mike

[John Boy]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_15490_15490

[BruceB]

My rendering chores are handled by a Harbor Freight weed-burner. It cost me ELEVEN DOLLARS and I have never had to run it wide open.

I arranged a setup with the burner head pointing vertically through a hole in my casting table under the pot, and it will melt fifty pounds of WW in less than ten minutes.... I've never timed it, so it may be a LOT less than ten minutes.

The pot can sit on foundry brick or whatever else might be available to hold it above the burner head. (I really need to learn how to post photos).

Dirt cheap, dead simple, and more heat on-tap than I've ever needed.

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

I bought this and can melt 60-70 lbs in about 20-25 minuets
http://www.amazon.com/Bayou-Classic-SP1-Jet-Cooker/dp/B0002913MI/ref=pd_sbs_lg_2