Smelting pot search

[richhodg66]

Been searching thrift stores looking for a steel pot big enough to do a big batch of alloy at once for uniformity.

Thus far, everything is either Teflon coated (I don't know if that's OK, I suspect it is not) or aluminum or too small. I'd like something with a good lid as well.

Today at Big Lots, I found a stainless steel 5 quart Dutch Oven that looks great for the purpose. Only thing is it has a lid made of tempered glass, according to the label. Is that OK? Will that tempered glass hold up to that kind of heat or do I need to keep looking?

[D Crockett]

richhod66 you have a pm D Crockett

[dbosman]

I got a nice cast iron pot at the scrap yard that I buy lead from. Free for the asking. Frying pans sell. Pots don't.
They had two dutch oven bottoms, and several more of the pots. Shipping would be more than the value so I didn't ask for the others.

[richhodg66]

Been kicking myself for passing up a couple of iron Ducth ovens at a Goodwill store a few years ago. We use them a lot cooking with the Boy Scout troop. I passed because the legs on them were broken off, I should have gotten them for smelting but didn't think of it.

I'll figure something out, I want to mix a bunch of alloy up for consistency.

[Spawn-Inc]

Old propane tanks cut in half work great too.

[Coug91]

A chink of 12" well casing, with a bottom and handle welded on is what a buddy of mine uses. He helped my smelt the lead I'd been collecting over the winter. Now I just need free time to cast up some boolits.

[WILCO]

Harbor Freight has chinese dutch ovens.

http://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-cast-iron-dutch-oven-44705.html

[Lefty SRH]

Richhodg66, where do you live?

[richhodg66]

In Kansas. I was just in our Harbor Freight store yesterday, didn't notice the Dutch ovens. I really like cooking in those, seems like a shame to use one for melting lead and rendering it useless for anything else.

Will cast iron become brittle with the kind of temperatures you need for melting lead?

[Anyracoon]

Plus one for the Harbor Tool Iron Pot! Been using one for years. Price has gone up though, I paid around $21.00 for mine.

[country gent]

I have used the Harbor frieght duth oven for years as a smelting / casting pot. I recently had 110 lbs of 20-1 in mine and had around 3" to spare of space in the pot. I used a turkey frier stand and a weed burner from Harbor frieght as a heat source. Works great, had the lead molten and up to temp in 1/2 hour 45 mins that day. For cooking I perfer the lodge cast Iron as it seems to season better that the chinese cast iron. If you want bigger a propane tank with the top cut off works and will hold around 300 lbs dependingon where you cut it. My only issue with the dutch oven is the flat bottom always has some lead toy cant get to in it. But when cool it can be dropped out on the floor and labeled so its really a one time issue.

[Vinne]

Dbosman is on the mark. A scrap yard is a great place to find one. I just give the head guy a couple bucks and he saves the next one that comes in. A few years ago, I told the lady at the scale I needed a pressure cooker pot and three days later I had one for my smelting. It holds about 100 lbs and last for many years...only cost me a few cokes!!

[detox]

Search Craigslist for 5 gal propane tank. Remove valves then flush out with water before cutting in half. I can buy used tanks for $12.00 or two for $20.00, but i have to travel a few miles.