Smelting pot

[Groundpounder17]

I’m new to casting and am looking at getting a good pot for smelting. I’ve got my eyes on a spun steel pot that’s 12” across and about the size of a large Dutch Oven. The thickness is 1.6 mm. Is that thick enough? That comes to about 1/16” thickness.

[rking22]

I use a Wal-Mart stainless stock pot on a turkey drier burner. Also use the turkey pot as a cover over the stock pot to help efficiency. Works for me, probably not ideal but I had everything already. I also do 50lb batches, so wait for more feedback if you expect to do large batches.

[Hossfly]

I cut top off of 50# Freon tank, use cut off top for lid, to save heat. Also insulated with Kaowool high temp insulation to keep sides hot, works very well. It’s around 1/16’’ wall thickness also, good heat transmission. Fast melt down with about 100# COWW in pot. Tried large iron skillet, to shallow dipper wouldn’t quite fill when trying to get last lead out.

[Randy C]

I use a turkey fryer burner and a lodge dutch oven pot it holds 25 to 30lb I don't know whats the safest,, how about a pic.

[country gent]

I have made them from 25lb propane tanks. cut length to hold the weight you want.

If working with a tank or drum by all means be safe about it. remove valves or bungs, wash with dish soap water a couple times. then rinse several more, purge with air. cut with a saw or non sparking tool.

[Groundpounder17]

Ideally I’d like to smelt 40-50 lbs at a time or more. I thought about getting a 12 qt Dutch Oven but they are expensive and I’ve heard the cast iron can break and make a hot mess. That leaves me trying to find a large steel alternative. I might end up cutting a propane tank in half. If I do this do I need to make a lid?

[Groundpounder17]

I wanted one of D Crockett’s smelting pots but I don’t think he makes them anymore

[SciFiJim]

I’m new to casting and am looking at getting a good pot for smelting. I’ve got my eyes on a spun steel pot that’s 12” across and about the size of a large Dutch Oven. The thickness is 1.6 mm. Is that thick enough? That comes to about 1/16” thickness.

Whether it is thick enough depends on your heat source. If you are using a high powered banjo burner, it might not be thick enough to prevent distortion and possible failure. If you are using a camp stove or side burner on a BBQ, it would be fine. I use a stainless steel stock pot that I got at a thrift store on the side burner of a BBQ for smelting. I also used it for ladle casting when I first started casting.

[Groundpounder17]

I wonder how thick the wall is of an propane tank that is about 5’ long and about 18-20” in diameter? I won’t was thinking I could cut the bottom off and make a melting pot. But if the thickness isn’t that much more than the 20 lbs propane tank I would rather use it to make a pot. Anyone know what thickness I’m looking at here?

[lightman]

That sounds like a 100# bottle and I don't know the thickness. A quick google search didn't help either. Sorry.

[nun2kute]

And get a thermometer if you are going to melt wheel weights so you don't mix the zinc in !

[Groundpounder17]

I already bought the thermometer. I’m trying to get everything ready but I still need a melting pot for making ingots. I think I have found a pretty good banjo burner I can use. It should heat to over 100,000 BTUS

[Groundpounder17]

That sounds like a 100# bottle and I don't know the thickness. A quick google search didn't help either. Sorry.

Lightman, I see you are in England. I’m originally from the southeastern part of the state but now live at Beebe. Do you do quite a bit of casting? I’d love to find someone close by that I could watch and learn from.

[Groundpounder17]

I have found what I’ll be using to make a melting pot with. I was originally going to just get a melting pot for lead and buy a bottom pour master pot but with this could I not just make two? Use one for wheel weight and dirty lead and the other for casting the clean lead?
234302

[Groundpounder17]

The wall thickness is supposedly 1/4” or more

[Walks]

I've used the same WAGNER 12" Dutch Oven for 40yrs. Started out using a Coleman 3 burner white gas stove. Lit off all 3 burners with the pot resting in the center on a 1/4" piece of sheet steel. It started to glow a bit red by the time the lead as fully melted. But turned off outside burners then and the melt stayed close to 710degrees. Changed to a turkey fryer 25+yrs ago.

If you take a HOT Cast Iron pot and set it down on Cold concrete, it WILL Crack. I've seen it done by a "deaf" IDIOT.

I still think after all this time. That good cast iron, is still the best for ingot molds and alloy pots. And the smaller ones for dipper casting.

[lightman]

Lightman, I see you are in England. I’m originally from the southeastern part of the state but now live at Beebe. Do you do quite a bit of casting? I’d love to find someone close by that I could watch and learn from.

I cast about once a week, starting about the end of the winter and go up until early summer. I also smelt my years collection of lead about the same time. I usually have a buddy or two down for this. You would be more that welcome to come down and hang out. My bench is easily big enough for 2 or 3 guys so you could even bring a mold and a pot if you wanted to. Weather permitting, I'll start in a few weeks. Maybe as soon as this current cold spell ends.

[Groundpounder17]

I cast about once a week, starting about the end of the winter and go up until early summer. I also smelt my years collection of lead about the same time. I usually have a buddy or two down for this. You would be more that welcome to come down and hang out. My bench is easily big enough for 2 or 3 guys so you could even bring a mold and a pot if you wanted to. Weather permitting, I'll start in a few weeks. Maybe as soon as this current cold spell ends.

Thanks! I’ll send you a pm with my contact info. I can’t wait to learn from you. I have absolutely no experience casting

[lightman]

We all started off that way. Returning a PM with my contact info. Looking forward to it.

[Messy bear]

Boy that thing in post 14 looks like it would make a dandy moving Target with the runners on it. Is it for sale?

[Gregorious]

https://www.harborfreight.com/12-inch-cast-iron-dutch-oven-44705.html

Bought a cast iron dutch oven from Harbor Freight.

[Conditor22]

welcome to CB. If you decided to start casting to save money, forget it. You won't, you'll just shoot more.
Casting boolits (lead bullets) properly is a science, once you know the basics, not a hard science.
There is a lot of good information on CB. The Google search (top right of every forum page) is a gateway to all the knowledge on this forum. IF you can’t find your answer there ask the question (Please be as detailed as possible, pictures help)

1/16 inch is fine, that's all some ever use. I heavy use stainless pots with no problem.

A lid is not necessary but it will speed things up a little and can help protect you from the tinsel fairy (when you put a piece of lead with water or a pocket or ? in molten lead, it heats up exploding sending molten lead everywhere)

Not sure about BTU's I use a turkey fryer and never turn it past half way ( I stop when the flames start coming around the sides of the pot)

Get some long handles BBQing utensils (spoon, spatula) at a thrift store for stirring your melt.

NEVER ADD LEAD TO MOLTEN LEAD UNLESS YOU ARE 110% IT'S BEEN DRY FOR A LONG TIME

As soon as the lead melts, flux it with wax of some sort before removing any slag (basically shave a chunk off a candle, drop it in the pot and light it on fire) when it's done burning, mix it in this will help release lead/lead alloy from bullet jackets, COWW (clip on wheel weight) metal and other stuff.

I like using a Stainless Steel Mesh Strainer https://i.imgur.com/gsnSxhv.png to remove the slag

I have one of these Stainless Steel Mesh Strainer attached to a 3' handle to use with fluxing

then flux a few times with pine sawdust ( cover the top with sawdust, light it, when it's all burned stirring in ) this will remove contaminants/

[jeepvet]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?266779-Building-Bottom-Pour-Smelting-Pot

This is the thread I posted when I built my smelting pot. It is made out of a 25# propane tank that was out of date and I got for free from a local propane company. You could not trade me out of this pot and it would take a lot money to buy it. I love my pot. (I might add, I do not live in Colorado. I am talking about my smelting pot.)

I built a stand for my turkey fryer with four 1 1/2" pipe legs with leveler feet and a shelf to put my ingot molds on to fill. That stand will hold two elephants and a bus without worrying about it folding up like the original stand did.

I think I can melt about 250 - 300 lbs of lead at one time. That's lots of ingots. If you will be smelting large amounts of lead in the future, I think this is the way to go.

[justashooter]

propane fired plumbers furnaces are sometimes found at flea markets. i found 2 in a year for $20 each, and gave both away to friends for reclaiming scrap lead. they have 8" cast steel pots that hold 20 pounds or more.

[Groundpounder17]

Thanks for the advice everyone! I was talking to Veral Smith and he said that using lard is also very good to flux with, but to make sure it is unsalted. Has anyone got experience with using lard? Is it better than wax?

[lightman]

Lard should work ok but it might be messy. Someone on here coined the phrase that any "carbon based lifeform" will work. I use pine sawdust followed by wax when smelting dirty scrap and use wax in my casting pot. Any sawdust will work but it seems like pine may have a little edge. Maybe its the rosin in it? Any wax will also work Paraffin, candles, crayons, ect. Beeswax is a favorite.

[Groundpounder17]

Lard should work ok but it might be messy. Someone on here coined the phrase that any "carbon based lifeform" will work. I use pine sawdust followed by wax when smelting dirty scrap and use wax in my casting pot. Any sawdust will work but it seems like pine may have a little edge. Maybe its the rosin in it? Any wax will also work Paraffin, candles, crayons, ect. Beeswax is a favorite.


Thanks Lightman