My Home-Brewed Smelter............

[mikeym1a]

Earlier this year, I got tired of only doing small pots of lead alloy, so I got to looking around on the internet, and other places. One day, my son and I were getting some supplies for another project (unrelated to guns), and we stopped by the Lowes outdoor grill department. I was needing a new grill, so I thought. Everything was out of my reach. Then I espied a 'Fish Fryer'. It was an LP unit, with a 10psi regulator, 150,000 btu burner, and metal tripod stand. AND, it was less than $50.00! So, it came home with me. I had a nice cast iron bread pan, but I really didn't want to use that unless I couldn't do else. Then, I found an old Freon can from my days working for my dad. I had used it as a portable air source, for when one of my tires would let me down. I took it to work and the guys cut the top off of it, then removed the handles from the top and welded them to the lip of the pot. So I took it home. It worked great, except, I couldn't fill it up. If I filled it more than 1/3 full, the lead would solidify around the edges, and the lead wouldn't get really hot. This past week, I managed to procure about 230lbs of WW's from 2 different sources, and tried smelting some, and with the wind blowing and the cool air blowing in out of Canada, it wouldn't do it. So, the next day, I found some flashing left over from the last time I fixed the roof, and cut some semi-circles, pop-riveted them together, and fitted it around the pot. What a big change. At the same setting I had used before, the temps were running 50degrees higher. The alloy melts faster, I don't have to use quite as much LP. What an improvement. It's nothing fancy. I do it in the back yard. When it cools properly, I need to bring it inside, and put it behind the furnace. Lots of room back there, not being used. Good place for it. :-D

[mikeym1a]

Oh, here are a couple or three pics.....818968189781898

[nhrifle]

I recently upgraded my smelting system from small pot to using a fish fryer and a large pot. Much nicer being able to do large batches ot once! The pot looks good, but trust me, cast iron is the way to go. I cut a 20 lb propane bottle in half but didn't get around to welding on handles like you did. I only smelted with that pot once, was able to clean a bunch of lead, but it took a long time to melt and keeping it warm was a chore. I had an old cast iron dutch oven that has been collecting dust for a few years and tried smelting in that. Wow! Talk about heat retention! I can fill that thing as much as I feel safe and there is no freezing on the sides and its easy to flux and skim the dross.

[mikeym1a]

That is why I made the 'skirt' for the pot. It directs the heat up the sides, and keeps it warm all the way up. It was a big improvement. BUT, it's not quite big enough. I have an old LP can that it awaiting cutting. it is a bigger diameter, and a heavier steel than the freon can pot. The freon can pot is rusting heavily on the outside. I'm not sure how long it will last. Maybe I will find an old cast iron pot somewhere to use. But, it sure is a faster way to smelt. I ran out of light this afternoon. But, I've got 60lbs of refined WW's that I didn't before, and another 90 or so to do, yet. Cheers!!

[Defcon-One]

Very close ot my setup!

I used the cheap aluminum pot that came with the fish fryer as a wind screen. I cut the bottom out of it, leaving a half-inch flange of it around the bottom edge for strength. It sits on the stove then I set the cast iron dutch oven inside of it and fill it with lead. I start the burner and I have a 1" diameter slip stream of hot gases running up all around my Lodge 7 quart dutch oven. No wind can get to the pot to cool it down or blow the hot gases away. It will melt 80-90 lbs. of lead in under 15 minutes.

You're right, cast iron is the way to go. My lodge is 4 years old and has processed over 5,000 lbs. of lead. It has never had a problem and won't crack like the slightly cheaper Chinese made ones seem to do.