pot for melting

[cstrickland]

Anyone ever use a steel or cast tea pot for smelting?

[MattOrgan]

I have not, I don't doubt either will handle the job but the domed shape of a tea pot would make cleaning (fluxing) and dipping difficult. A steel coffee pot would be fine. I used a three pound coffee can on a single burner propane stove for 30 years to smelt scrap before building a proper 90 lb bottom pour pot heated by a turkey frier.

[cstrickland]

I have not, I don't doubt either will handle the job but the domed shape of a tea pot would make cleaning (fluxing) and dipping difficult. A steel coffee pot would be fine. I used a three pound coffee can on a single burner propane stove for 30 years to smelt scrap before building a proper 90 lb bottom pour pot heated by a turkey frier.

yeah kinda like that. I was thinking more along the lines of an old camping tea / coffee pot, with a open liq that is the same OD as the pot itself. I guess if a coffee can works the pot should also then .

[shadowcaster]

For simple, I would go find a cheap steel stock pot from the thrift store. I agree the tea pot would be difficult to work with.

Shad

[Wayne Smith]

If you are thinking of pouring from it I wouldn't trust the handle for a minute!

[cstrickland]

If you are thinking of pouring from it I wouldn't trust the handle for a minute!

that was a concern, but I found an old all steel one with a metal handle on lt. I filled it with lead shot and it held with out issue. Now if I were talking the new ones with plastic I would not even be asking, as I do not think thay would hold at all

[cstrickland]

Shad,
yes I have a stock pot. Just do not see it being very condusive to pouring into a mold. When pouring water from one they are not very good, let alone 40# of melted lead.

I may just get two ladles and use one for bullet casting, and one for smelt into ingots.

[shadowcaster]

Shad,
yes I have a stock pot. Just do not see it being very condusive to pouring into a mold. When pouring water from one they are not very good, let alone 40# of melted lead.

I may just get two ladles and use one for bullet casting, and one for smelt into ingots.

Pouring or ladling any amount of molten lead can be a pain no matter what the pot's shape is. For safety and convenience I built a a bottom pour smelter. I much happier with it.

Shad

[el34]

The idea of pouring 40# out of any pot is pretty spooky and I'm no scaredycat. $6 stainless soup ladle from WM works very well.

[roverboy]

I was at a Goodwill today and looked for something like a iron or steel pot but, couldn't find anything that was about the size I wanted. Everything was either aluminum or a bigger size steel than I want. Does anybody know if Lee still makes they're iron pot with the flat bottom? I looked on they're website and didn't see it.

[500MAG]

I thought of using one of the stainless water pitchers on my Coleman small burner, it's one of those that goes on top of the mini tank, for small smelting jobs. I don't know about 40 pounds, I wouldn't go over 10 with one. I've dropped a ladle before, can't imagine dropping a molten pitcher of lead.