Here's My Big Burner Melting Setup (At Least For Me)

[Liberty1776]

I see some of you guys melt hundreds of pounds of lead at a time.

I'm just trying to reduce large chunks and range scrap into clean stackable 1-lb ingots that will later melt easily in my electric Lee and Saeco 24 pots. These little pots are too small for melting junk and I don't want to dirty them up. Dross and dirt get stuck around the rod for the bottom valve. It's just easier to melt, skim and flux scrap in a larger vessel.

For the burner, I looked all over the place and couldn't find one, so I took caster jmort's suggestion and bought the $60 210,000 btu burner from https://www.webstaurantstore.com/backyard-pro-outdoor-range-patio-stove-with-hose-guard-210-000-btu/554BPHP17.html

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But notice the tips of the 1/2" support rods, while strong, don't come together closely. They're designed to hold a large boiling or turkey fryer pot. When I put my smaller cast iron pot on it the first time, I felt it was not stable.

I also consider the burner to be mounted too low -- the flame is too far from the pot's bottom.

And the burner is so wide that a lot of heat was escaping around the pot, slowing the melt and wasting propane. My initial melting test took forever for the lead to melt and I felt a lot of heat/propane was wasted. It could be more efficient.

So I --

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1. Welded 2" extension rods onto the existing tips to bring them closer together. Much safer now, especially for smaller pots.

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2. Raised the burner about 2" so the flame is closer to the pot. This was a matter of drilling holes in the sides of the main body and finding longer 6mm x 1mm pitch metric screws.

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3. Made a stainless steel heat-conserving ring that's about 2" wider in diameter than the burner.

(You could cut a 5" section/ring from an old 20-lb propane tank, and gain a melting pot too, but I haven't found a source for the dead tank yet.)

This ring directs heat to stay around the pot and not dissipate. It also protects the flame from drafts.

It started as a 6" x 47" piece of stainless sheet metal that I've been saving for 20 years because it was just too nice to throw out. You could use thin galvanized sheet metal or whatever you have laying about.

I trimmed it to 6" x 38" or so to create a ring that's about 12" in diameter. It could have been 5" x 38". I used 6" because my piece of stainless happened to be 6".

I slotted it so its top edge is about 4" above the surface of the support rods, so it is more or less even with the rim of the pot. I punched holes for 1/2" conduit fittings with an electrical box knockout punch (I could have drilled, but sheet metal is tough to get a nice hole with a large drill) and cut the sheet metal using my ancient Harbor Fright electric sheet metal shears that cut a 1/4" strip between two cutters, leaving a flat, clean edge.
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Melt begins 3:52 PM


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That hunk of lead is about 25 pounds. I was tired of kicking it in the garage and wanted to reduce it to manageable size. I have another giant full-size commercial ingot that's about 55 lbs. I'll need to cut it in thirds, I believe.

Anyway, the improved burner melted that chunk in 15 minutes. Not bad in my opinion.

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4:03 PM, block tipped over. Note to self: lay the block over, don't stand it up. It fell over into the pot suddenly, with a clunk. No spillage but...kinda scary.

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4:07 PM, Ready to pour

I poured some of the lead into my old 4-cavity Saeco mold and some into my homemade V-mold which I welded together from 1-1/2" x 1-1/2" x 1/4" thick angle iron. I angled the cuts on the ends of each of the four V's by 5 degrees so the blocks could fall out easier. May weld a handle to it so I don't need to use ViseGrips when inverting it to let the ingots fall out. The ingots are about 1.3 lbs. My working surface is a sturdy cast aluminum patio coffee table, a piece of particle board on top of that and a piece of Wonder Board tile backer on top of that.

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To remember the alloy, I stamp letter codes into the ingots using a Harbor Freight 1/8" Letter Stamping set: PB for lead, WW for wheelweights, RS for Range Scrap, etc.

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This was a test, but a successful one. Very pleased. Thanks to all who contributed to my previous post where I asked what kind of Big Burners and molds you guys used.

[gunarea]

Hey Liberty1776
Generally I tend to not post, to keep my post count low, but you deserve a reply. Great show and tell!! The next person getting started will definitely have a good leg up on the same process by simply referring to your post. We all love pictures and this report has it all. It is also wonderful for us to have an articulate and literate contributor. Well done!!
Roy

[NyFirefighter357]

Great job, I'm going to make a shield as well. It's a good idea to leave about an inch of lead in the bottom of your pot for your next melt. I would also think about adding a support on each of those legs from top to bottom. But I like to over build things. lol

[jeepyj]

Very nice pictorial as well as wonderful write up. My set has a lot of similarities. Thank you for sharing.

[rancher1913]

one thing to keep in mind, with that much of a heat source, if your cast iron pot is too cold when you start it could crack it, best to start low and let it warm before you go full blast with the heat. have very much the same set up and it has worked well for me.

[MrWolf]

Aye, very nice job. You might want to check with a local place that refills propane. When someone comes in with an old style fitting they usually leave the old and get a new tank. My experience has been the place will give those tanks away since they have to pay to dispose of. I got a few that way and even heard of swapping them for the new tanks at the propane swap refill stations. Good luck.

[Huvius]

I picked up a couple of outdated RV propane tanks on craigslist for $10
They are big enough that cut in half they can make two good pots.
The ends are rounded so may need some modification to be perfect.

For the shield, go to the local thrift store and buy a stainless stock pot. Cut out the bottom and notch it as Liberty1776 has done and there you go.

I love seeing how others figure stuff out!
Excellent post!

[Dieselhorses]

Nice job! I noticed that there is a very nice tile job there around the pool and such, watch for spills! I got a few drops of lead on the extended aggregate patio and wife turned despite moon not being full!

[lightman]

That looks like a nice workable set up. The only suggestion I have is what Dieselhorses suggested. I use a junk piece of 3/4 in plywood. Sooner or later you will have a splash, dribble or spill!

[lightman]

I picked up a couple of outdated RV propane tanks on craigslist for $10
They are big enough that cut in half they can make two good pots.
The ends are rounded so may need some modification to be perfect.

For the shield, go to the local thrift store and buy a stainless stock pot. Cut out the bottom and notch it as Liberty1776 has done and there you go.

Please don't cut up a nice stainless stock pot for something like a shield! I've looked all over for a nice heavy pot to use for melting solder in.

[Cast_outlaw]

Very nice rig I’m going to possibly use some of them ideas when I build mine. currently mine is an old rusty wok, some double thick 2x4 from a sheet metal pallet, a old break rotor off my truck, and one of my roofing torches. Although the torch makes short work of melting the lead down

[Liberty1776]

For the shield, go to the local thrift store and buy a stainless stock pot. Cut out the bottom and notch it as Liberty1776 has done and there you go.

Modified stock pot is a great idea. Very sturdy and already circular. I like how the mirror stainless seems to reflect heat inward too. Would probably use my saber saw with a metal cutting blade to cut the bottom and slots.

Actually, Harbor Freight sells a set of four pots with lids for $25. $20 with the 20% discount. I had a set before I moved and never used them. Donated them to the Goodwill. As usual, now I regret the decision.
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[Liberty1776]

... watch for spills! I got a few drops of lead on the extended aggregate patio and wife turned despite moon not being full!

Noted. And I totally agree. Wives are not to be trifled with when it comes to decorating with melted lead. There were plenty of micro-splashes on the table as I ladled the lead into the molds.

I should at least lay down some towels or my fireproof fiberglass welding blanket. I use that under my welding table in the garage so I don't burn the painted garage floor. My small backyard is pretty cramped and the narrow side yards are like wind tunnels so I don't have a lot of location options.

[Liberty1776]

one thing to keep in mind, with that much of a heat source, if your cast iron pot is too cold when you start it could crack it, best to start low and let it warm before you go full blast with the heat.

Good idea. I'll ramp up the heat in future.

I had a twinge of concern as I poured my first ladleful into my cold cast iron Saeco mold. Felt I probably should have warmed the mold a bit to avoid thermal shock.

And, as others have suggested, I'm keeping some lead in the bottom of the pot after the pour. It melts faster in subsequent sessions and speeds the melt along but also acts as a thermal cushion.

[OS OK]

I think you'll like those home made ingots, they'll fill your 20 lb. pot in the first stack and melt down without falling out. That mould set up is my favorite.

Nice work.

[NyFirefighter357]

After my first mess, I now use a 1/4" deep gal. tray about 3ft x 5ft designed to catch leaking oil from a vehicle. It took a while to get all the lead splashes off the concrete & pavement. Worst part was it was something I had already and didn't think to use it. I already reinforced my legs on my burner next is the heat/wind shield.

[Liberty1776]

The thought struck me that I should simply bolt an 8" or so wooden handle like a 1x2 to the angle iron ingot mold where the ViseGrips are now. No need to weld. And the wood will stay cool to the touch.

[Conditor22]

Liberty, just a thought, if you cut a steel "washer" that touched the inside of the stainless steel ring and protruded 2/3 (or more) of the into the pot you would concentrate even more flame/heat to the pot. if you made a conical shaped ring and attached it under the pot you could get even mor heat to the pot.

I also am a big fan of the angle iron ingot molds. I built 8 5-cavity molds now emptying my smelting pot is a lot quicker

[Liberty1776]

Liberty, just a thought, if you cut a steel "doughnut" that touched the inside of the stainless steel ring and protruded 2/3 (or more) of the into the pot you would concentrate even more flame/heat to the pot. if you made a conical shaped ring and attached it under the pot you could get even mor heat to the pot.

I also am a big fan of the angle iron ingot molds. I built 8 5-cavity molds now emptying my smelting pot is a lot quicker

This would be good to try with one of those stock pots, but inverted. Cut the donut hole in the bottom of the pot, invert and position.

Here's the wooden handle I installed on the mold:

9" long 3/4" x 1" piece of maple I had laying about. Tapped two 1/4-20 holes in the angle iron. It's really soft; worked easily.

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[Liberty1776]

Time lapse of lead melting

https://videos.utahgunexchange.com/watch/cniV88bet6cO18v

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[Liberty1776]

if you made a conical shaped ring and attached it under the pot you could get even mor heat to the pot.


The thought of making the ring a truncated teepee shape struck me also. A lot of heat is still getting by the pot.

[Hossfly]

That looks as about as efficient as your going to get. Very innovative. Good job.

[Kylongrifle32]

Another source that I use instead of propane tanks are refrigerant tanks from automotive garages or helium tanks for stores with the mylar balloons these are no refillable and are just discarded when empty

[Conditor22]

The thought of making the ring a truncated teepee shape struck me also. A lot of heat is still getting by the pot.

That's what a steel "washer shaped " piece of metal that fills the gap between the pot and the stainless steel surround is for forcing the heat to the pot.