115/120v heater elements

[Jlamont2020]

I'm new to the forum, and just getting into casting. I've cast a few ingots in my lee 4-20 (still awaitin' some sample bullets before I decide on my mold) and have found that wheel weights can dirty your pot pretty quick. I have a turkey fryer I could use, but with sub-zero ambient temperatures outside I was lookin' at piecing together a small and quick lead melter using a coil heating element from a stovetop.

Most of the stovetop elements seems to be 220v as expected but there are a few which are 120v. There are however several warmer elements that are for warmer drawers in stoves that go up to 2000w. I'm hoping someone here has experience in these elements to answer my question.

Would a warmer element work as well as a traditional coil element, if it was coiled manually or are they designed not to get as hot?

[Yodogsandman]

I don't know but, welcome to the site! A quick search around will show that most everyone uses propane to smelt wheel weight (WW) down to ingots. But, you might have a better way! Good luck!

[mattw]

I smelt on a modified turkey fryer base. I have been know do alloy small batches, 10-15 pounds on my 120V warmer. It will go as high as about 720F. I think it is an 800 watt element.

[Jlamont2020]

Yea, Yodogsandman if it wasn't so flippin' cold outside I'd fire up the turkey fryer. I do want a secondary pot to melt my ingot on the bench while I cast from my lee, so I figured I'd kill 2 birds. Make a small melter I can use in the winter, and a secondary melter (after through cleaning) I can use on the bench.

[Geezer in NH]

It is only a 30 -70 degree difference. to you super cold to the melt MEH

[mac266]

The first person who replied was correct. Most of us think it is a very bad idea to put dirty wheel weights directly in your pot, ESPECIALLY if you have a bottom pour spout. You can gum it up with dirt and make it stick open. Melt them down over another heat source (I second the turkey fryer; that's what I use), flux and clean, and pour them into ingots. CLEAN ingots go into your pot.

You can use a Coleman camping stove if you don't have a turkey fryer.

Old muffin tins work very well for ingot moulds. Whatever you do, anything you use for lead will forever be for lead ONLY. DO NOT ever return it for food use.

[mac266]

Ooops, double tap.

[jmorris]

I made a pot using a 220v oven element because they are cheap and bend well, at least new ones do.

May look at 110v charcoal starters or even electric smokers for 110v elements.