Enameled Dutch oven for smelting

[Dtdk]

Any reason an enameled cast iron Dutch oven would have problems with melting lead?

[Milky Duck]

I surely hope your couch is comfortable if its the one your good wife inherited from Grandmother......

[Dtdk]

No, I can just find these cheap in my area, normal ones are $50 second hand

[oley55]

I wouldn’t think there would be any problems. Should the enamel chip or fall off I’d think it would float to the surface and be skimmed off. Porcelain enamel is some some super hard stuff. I wouldn’t ever want any imbedded in a boolit and scratching a barrel.

[Milky Duck]

No, I can just find these cheap in my area, normal ones are $50 second hand

good stuff...proceed as before...
happy wife=happy life

8-)

[Dtdk]

Thanks guys I just wanted to make sure I did not have to worry about some weird reaction.

[Mal Paso]

For $50 I'd get a 16ga Stainless Steel Insert from a restaurant supply or stainless pot from a second hand store. Cast Iron can crack, stainless won't. For smelting I use a cut down 5gal propane cylinder.

[Winger Ed.]

I'd sit somewhere to look at, just for the novelty of them.

For the melting, a chopped off propane tank is hard to beat.

[JimB..]

The guys that make these all say not to use them above 500. I can only imagine that the coating will fail, but I wouldn’t expect anything too exciting.

Bottom half of a propane tank is better.

[uscra112]

Steel core of an enameled pan is thin - liable to sag with heat and all that weight. Cast iron actually gets stronger at elevated temperatures, but will crack if subjected to thermal shock. Thicker steel, like a surgically altered propane tank, is best if you are doing large batches.

[GregLaROCHE]

I’ve used one for years.

[MrWolf]

For $50 I'd get a 16ga Stainless Steel Insert from a restaurant supply or stainless pot from a second hand store. Cast Iron can crack, stainless won't. For smelting I use a cut down 5gal propane cylinder.

Yup. Propane tank cuts like butter with a Sawzall and I got mine for free. Just go to alocal place that refills them and ask for one of the old ones that they cannot refill duets the fittings. Flush it out first of course. Good luck

[Sasquatch-1]

I have used stainless steel, Freon tank cut in half and cast iron. Cast iron by far is the most efficient. If you find a good cast iron Dutch oven and not one of the cheap Chinese made one's, I don't think you will have a problem with cracking the pot.

[Dtdk]

After reading all this, I may have found a use for all the commercial small stainless kegs.

[Scrounge]

Any reason an enameled cast iron Dutch oven would have problems with melting lead?

Shouldn't. Glass needs pretty high temperatures to melt, and the enamel is glass. SWMBO gave me hers because the enamel cracked the first time she used it. She didn't like the idea of little chips of enamel breaking off in the food she cooked in it.

Bill