smelting lead and ingots, is a camp fire suitable?

[atl5029]

Hi all,

I've been a part of the forum for a while now, but mostly to discuss loading and shooting cast, which I do a lot. But I've never actually cast my own yet. I am about to get into it now though, because I need to make some specialty bullets for applications that don't have a good, inexpensive target bullet on the market. I have about 8 lbs of scrap lead right now to start. Mostly sinkers from a cast net, airgun pellets, and various pure lead muzzleloader projectiles that I don't use, a little pit of range scrap, and some messed up cast boolits I have bought, so it is almost all pure lead i think. I have a 2 or 3 qt cast iron pot I am going to smelt in.

I know it might not be ideal, but if i can get a good hot camp fire going that I can have some basic level of temp control over, would that be sufficient to smelt this lead for ingots, as it is not very dirty at all? Is there a danger of it getting too hot? If so, how would I tell it is getting too hot?

Thanks!

[Winger Ed.]

It worked well in years past.
That was the market for the old one piece tool that was a mold and reloading tool combined and looked like pliers.
Even the govt. used to buy a certain amount of pre-made balls, and large amounts of Lead ingots for the Army to
have and troopers to also make their own musket balls.

In our modern and enlightened times--- you might not want to cast with the same frying pan you eat out of like they did.

[lightman]

There are a few guys on here that "smelt" on a wood fire.

[BLAHUT]

YES a wood fire will work.

[country gent]

A wood fire will do it but may be slow melting the lead. Addition of a blower will speed it up considerably.
A simple temporary stand can be made from concrete blocks and use. a square 1 block high then a grate and a c 1 block high and another grate a second c for a wind break and your good to go.

[P Flados]

All of my efforts for converting raw stuff to ingots has involved a fire in the back yard.

I first posted a pic back in 2017 https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?332276-LP-alternatives-to-melt-range-scrap

The basic structure is still there but more basic than in the photo.

Here is the photo to save you from a click.

[CastingFool]

I've smelted clip on weights in a tin can over a campfire to make boat anchors. Get the fire going till you get good embers and pile them up around the can. IIRC, I put a steel plate over the can, to keep ashes out of the melt.

[Misery-Whip]

I smelt with fire too. I dont recommend it on a 80* day. Or in the rain.

[justindad]

I’ve done it over a camp fire. Just don’t let your lead get so hot that fumes come off.
*
It will be good to have your smelting pot a bit higher up than a typical fire in a fire pit, so your face is not directly over the molten lead when you take it off the fire, which could create a scenario where you get a huff of fumes.

[Rickf1985]

A blower would make it far too hot. You are melting lead, not forging steel! A wood fire is quite capable of reaching 1,000 degrees if built right and the coals are easily that hot. You really have top watch the lead does not get too hot, not worry if it will get hot enough to melt. I suggest a thermometer, if only to dip in to check once in a while.