Looking for heat source.

[VinceG]

I'm looking for a replacement/ improvement over my Coleman stove. Would like a single burner unit to run off of a 20 lb. propane bottle. Any suggestions? How many BTU needed to easily run a 1o lb. pot. This will be for casting, not smelting. Thanks for any advice you can give.

[snuffy]

I'm looking for a replacement/ improvement over my Coleman stove. Would like a single burner unit to run off of a 20 lb. propane bottle. Any suggestions? How many BTU needed to easily run a 1o lb. pot. This will be for casting, not smelting. Thanks for any advice you can give.

Okay, don't use any type of flame for your casting pot. You have little to no control over temp with gas fired casting pots. It's a pain to have the hot gasses coming out from under the pot singing hands and getting the ladle handle hot.

My best advice is to get a Lee 4-20 electric bottom pour, or the ladle caster version without the bottom pour mechanism;

http://leeprecision.com/magnum-melter.html

OR--

http://www.midwayusa.com/product/709235/lee-magnum-melter-furnace-110-volt?cm_vc=ProductFinding

[jmort]

^ I agree. I use the Lee Precision Magnum Melter 20 lb for ladle casting. For around $50 I am very happy with it.

[Skipper]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Single-Burner-Cast-Iron-Propane-LP-Camp-Camping-Stove-/351019551014


99216

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

meh, no problem casting over a flame unless you don't have any mental capacity
& are prone to hurting yourself. I have a pro-melt and love it, but for anything but my standard
alloy in it (range lead) I still use my Coleman camp stove and various pots I have obtained.
I have the lee 10 pound cast pot I use a lot. I cut an old coffee can off just below the top of the pot,
then cut out a hole for the pot to sit in. This allows heat to lick up the sides of the iron pot,
contains the heat around the pot, and allows the flame to be turned way down after it is up to temp.
It maintains temp very well and very constant. I also have a few other 2nd hand store pots that have various
alloys in them.
I like my bottom pour, but I also enjoy ladle-ling once in a while, plus the one pot with the copper infused stuff,
ladle pours better than the bottom pour does.

I've wanted a similar thing that skipper posted above for quite some time just to reduce used space on the bench.
If you enclosed the bottom loosely and make a "pot surround" as I described above it would work wondermously :)

[VinceG]

Thanks for the suggestions, Very helpful.

[OuchHot!]

I have the stove burner skipper shows (mine came from Northern Tool) and it works fine. The northern tool unit has three valves to light off different sectors of the head and so control takes a bit of experience. I also have a lee pot and it works fine....