Pots to avoid for smelting

[Steven66]

Are there (former) kitchen pots that shouldn't be used for smelting? I think the non-stick pans would be undesirable, but should you avoid plain aluminum too? I never see cast iron pots and pans at my local second-hand stores.

[toallmy]

Yes avoid aluminum , use steal if possible .

[tigweldit]

Aluminum could be a messy or dangerous choice. Stick to steal (garage sale or thrift shop large pots), or cast iron.

[greenjoytj]

How about those cast iron pots or cast iron Dutch ovens that are coated inside and outside with a ceramic coating? Some high end European cookware has a colourful coating on the cast iron. Will the coating flake off? If it does I sure it could be skimmed off.

[country gent]

Cast Iron has been used for years and the trick to using it is to heat it to full tem slowly. A heavy duty burner full bore can heat cast iron to fast causing it to crack. aluminums melting point is close to leads and can collapse under the temps. Enamel or ceramic coatings that flake off generally float to the top of the melt and are removed with the other dross. Look for a steel pot or cast iron. If you have access to a welder a piece of schedule 80 black iron pipe and 1/4"-1/2" plate you can make a very nice pot. A lot use a cut off 25lb propane tank, besure and flush tank several times and use a non sparking tool to cut it. Flush 3 times dish soap and water. then let sit for a few days and lush one more time.

For used pots watch garage sales estate sales and such. Flea markets can be a good source also. Unfortunatly cast iron utensels bring a premium today in a lot of areas.

[ReloaderFred]

I tried most everything for smelting and finally settled on cutting propane tanks in half. I shoot the top half with a .44 Magnum and allow it to vent for a couple of days. Then I used a cutoff wheel in a 4" angle grinder to cut it off just below the seam. It takes most of a cutoff wheel to cut one in half.

I smooth out the edges with the grinder and add handles to two sides. I don't know what kind of paint they use on propane tanks, but it takes a lot of use before it finally burns off. Until it does burn off, it turns to chalk and gets on anything it touches.

The bottom line is, steel propane tanks have worked best for me, and I've smelted several thousand pounds with them.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Bazoo]

You can use a steel stock pot.

[D Crockett]

Steven66 steel is the only way to go. aul pot will fail on you I had that happened to me. I would avoid cast iron pot to. I hit the side of a cast iron pot that was hot with a ladle and cracked it what a mess. the aul pot I did when I was around 18 and before computers were around to teach us the cast iron pot I did about 25 years ago. went to a steel pot and will not use any thing else. one thing you want to avoid is getting liquid lead on you it can do some nasty things to you so be careful when doing this thing of ours. D Crockett

[Grmps]

Aluminum FAIL

https://i.imgur.com/QyGeyPP.jpg

[lightman]

Steel is best. Cast iron works ok but you need to bring it up to temp slowly and treat it gently when its hot. Aluminum is like an accident waiting to happen. A cut off propane tank is a favorite. Or you can search for a local welding shop and have one built from a piece of pipe and steel plate.

[Steven66]

Thank you all. I will get steel or cast iron, because the older I get, the more painful stupid becomes! I cast Keith-style SWCs for a S&W 28 back in my college days. I think my pot was a Lyman (cast iron) then. Had to sell the stuff, particularly my RCBS Lube-a-Matic, because of a typical student episode of impoverishment. I expect to get around to buying another Lube-a-Matic, but I really miss the one I had, mostly because the price was so much lower then (even though my income was much less). It's hard for me to get over the way the price of everything has gone up over the years!

@ GRMPS: thanks; your picture sums the issue up very nicely.

[Nick Quick]

Someone above stated that aluminium melting point is close to the lead one. Well, I'm not really sure about that. But anyway I smelt using a cast iron big pot I found brand new for just few bucks. Other than is heavy like heck no complaints whatsoever. I bet it will last me forever and ever.
I keep finding pewter trinkets at my local thrift store and due to small quantities I smelt it in a tiny aluminum pan. I keep the temperature as low as possible and I never had an issue with that lil pan.
Just sharing personal experiences.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Lead: Melting point 600.61 K ​(327.46 °C, ​621.43 °F)
Aluminum: Melting point 933.47 K ​(660.32 °C, ​1220.58 °F)

They're not that close, temperature wise; The problem is that, for some reason the bottom cracks up & falls out of an Al pot. Maybe hot Aluminum just plain doesn't like being heavily stressed by the sheer WEIGHT of the lead? I am guessing it's something like that. If I'm wrong, no need to call Ripley's, though.

[crandall crank]

I use a 20# steel propane cylinder that I cut off the top. Had the propane guy remove the valve. Brought it home and filled it with water and let set for a couple of days. Drain the water out and cut the top off with a cut-off wheel. Total cost...free! I have another cylinder waiting to be cut so I can use it to smelt SOWW by themselves.

[mold maker]

If using a steel pot, don't trust the handle to lift or pour. It isn't intended for such weights and what may easily handle cooking weights will fail when leat is involved. Many handles are only held by a spot weld in thin metal.

[D Crockett]

If using a steel pot, don't trust the handle to lift or pour. It isn't intended for such weights and what may easily handle cooking weights will fail when leat is involved. Many handles are only held by a spot weld in thin metal. that is the reason I will not put handles on my smelting pots. if there is less than 1 inch of lead in the bottom of the pot I use 2 pair of vice grips. and I clamp them on real tight to get the last little bit of lead out. of the pot I know some of you have herd me say this before and I will say it again SAFTY FIRST above all else be safe those few bullets or ingots is not worth getting hurt over. D Crockett

[ReloaderFred]

When I add handles to a cut off propane take pot, I use heavy duty handles and they're mounted using 3/8" bolts drilled through the side of the pot. They won't come off, and they won't slip, but I also don't use the handles to pour lead into ingot molds. That's done with a 5 pound capacity ladle designed for the purpose. The handles are for ease of handling when the pot is nearly empty to get the last bit out of the pot, and to clean debris out of the bottom and to move it around when not in use.

A half propane tank smelting pot will hold over 100 pounds of molten lead, and it's nothing to trifle with. Like D. Crockett says, SAFETY FIRST!

Hope this helps.

Fred

[Steven66]

I probably will never cast near the volume of boolits many of you do, so the half-a-20lb-propane cylinder is probably way too big for me. But in reading about them, it occurred to me that a throwaway 1lb propane torch bottle would be somewhere around the right size for a smelting pot. But it seems like it would be at least difficult or close to impossible to get it completely empty and clean. I could probably shoot a hole in the top of one, I guess. If I knew what minimum safe range to shoot from, that is. ;)

[ReloaderFred]

Those disposable propane bottles are pretty small, and pretty thin. Someone gave me one that had been converted into a ladle and it had rusted through in a short time. If you're looking for something that size, Lyman makes a small cast iron lead pot that works for small amounts. In fact, I started casting with one of those in 1968, using a propane torch and Lyman dipping ladle and a single cavity .38 Mold. Fast forward to now, and I own well over 200 molds, a Master Caster, a Bullet Master, a Lube Master (all Magma machines) and numerous Star and other brands of sizers & lubers. One never knows where the trail may lead...........

Hope this helps.

Fred

[RogerDat]

Harbor Freight Dutch Oven https://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/index/?dir=asc&order=EAScore%2Cf%2CEAFeatured+Weight%2Cf%2CSale+R ank%2Cf&q=dutch+oven

Handles 100# of lead cost less than $25 with the % off coupons always available online for Harbor Freight. The pot will have to be turned to where the little feet drop through the burner stand but they work very well. yes you can crack cast iron if you heat it super fast, or cool it super fast. Using a wet rag or setting in snow to cool off would be a bad idea. Beating on it with a ladle is also a bad idea. Sharp rap from steel ladle could crack it, most of the time I have a pot or bread loaf pan for knocking crud off the ladle on so I don't have to use the edge of the pot, but so far no crisis from the times I have forgotten.

I will say do NOT pick that hot pot up by the bailing handle. The handle will take a lot of weight but it will be very hot and press hard on gloves so the heat comes right on through. You will be amazed at how fast you can set the pot down if you pick the Dutch oven up by the wire handle in an attempt to dump out that last bit of lead. Don't ask how I know, let's just leave it at I'm still pretty quick for my age.

Stainless steel pot with stainless steel handle will be most durable from thrift store or salvation army or garage sale.

I don't worry about that last little bit of lead, I let it cool pop it out, label it and drop it back in bottom of pot next time I do that sort of lead. It can help get the burner heat transferred to the scrap being melted if it is sitting in a puddle of molten lead saved and set in bottom of pot next smelting run.

[Ed_Shot]

I have used a cast iron dutch oven from academy for many years. 60# of alloy is about it's max. I've gotten to where I worry about it every time I use it. Inspired by this thread I got the valve cut off (it wasn't pretty) of an old 20# propane tank yesterday and filled it with water. I know I'll feel safer with a steel pot.

[D Crockett]

just to let you guys know I have a special going on this month buy a large pot and get a small pot and a ingot mold free cost $35 + shipping D Crockett

[gwpercle]

Yes avoid aluminum , use steal if possible .

Steal it from your wife and make sure it's not one of her good stainless steel pots or cast iron pots....you may want to go buy your own...some wives get all bent out of shape when they discover you cooking lead in their favorite gumbo pot.
Gary

[huntnman]

I use a pair of 6-8'' C clamps for handles. Works well. In this case bigger is better.

[RogerDat]

I use a pair of 6-8'' C clamps for handles. Works well. In this case bigger is better. The tabs, or metal handle or bail of a pot of molten lead is about the same temperature as the molten lead. When you pick up the pot the weight really compresses the insulation in your glove and pushes the hot metal hard against your hand. Larger handles such as the C clamps suggested that will spread the force out more, or handles that are only put on to move the pot like vice grips or C clamps can also be a solution.

With my heavy insulated leather gloves I could probably rest my hand on the edge of the hot Dutch oven almost indefinitely but even tipping the pot by a tab handle is probably 30 seconds or so at best, possibly less if the amount of lead in the pot makes it heavy.

I wouldn't clamp onto cast iron, I think the leverage and focused force might be inclined to crack it. Steel pot (or larger molds) those are good options to try.

[Steppapajon]

I use a cut off Freon tank. Just finished a 50 lbs load and was not quite half full. Of course you can cut it as short as you need. If you have a friend in the HVAC business its easy to get them for free.

[greenjoytj]

If you don’t need the capacity of a 20# propane tank try using a 10# tank. The 10# tanks that I’ve see are smaller in diameter.

[wendyj]

A 1 lb propane bottle empty will fly 50 feet in the air when shot. Still vapors left. I actually keep all the ones we have empty at work and shoot them at about 25 yards or so with hand guns. It's going straight up and no other direction from the 100s I've shot.

[woodbutcher]

[smilie=s: A friend uses his lathe to cut the 20lb propane tanks.Course it is a rather large lathe.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo

[mdi]

Wow, lots of warnings about pots for melting lead. One thing I didn't see mentioned about aluminum; while the melting point is only 300 degrees (that's pretty close when melting lead over a gas flame!) aluminum doesn't change color when it gets hot. You could be melting lead in an aluminum pot and everything looks fine when suddenly the bottom of the pot falls off, no warning. Aluminum does not need to become a liquid to fail, just hot enough to loose structural strength, and with the weight of lead, you'd be dancing around some hot lead (lead melts at 600 roughly and aluminum at 1200 roughly but smelting lead can run much higher and failure of aluminum ismuch lower) ...

[Hinnerk]

Any reason to avoid "Tri-Ply clad stainless steel" (Costco product)? It has an aluminum core but SS inside and out.

[mdi]

I wouldn't try it. Probably a very thin (clad) covering of SS but the strength of the pot comes from the aluminum. Just get a 2 quart stainless steel pot from Goodwill. While you're there get a slotted spoon and a soup ladle, and mebbe a muffin pan...