Super Cool old smelter

[xringshutr]

An old friend of my dad had this beauty and offered to sell it to me recently. Some of you may know exactly what it did, but it looks to me like an old type set maker. I picked it up this weekend and me and a buddy unloaded from my truck this afternoon. I can't wait to fire it up and smelt down some WW. It has to be the neatest thing a lead lover could ever find. This will make smelting just as fun as dropping bullets from a mold. :mrgreen:
Bonus on the deal was two Linotype bar molds, a neat 2# dipper and and an old lead thermometer that reads up to 1000 deg. Oh yeah, it also has about 80-100 lbs of linotype in the hopper. That's what made it so darn hard to move!! It took two of us to lift just the hopper and burners. We had to unbolt it from the stand.

I am kind of afraid to use the thermometer for fear of breaking it. :-D

Will be running it on propane.

Gave $150 for everything.

[hammerhead357]

A really neat old smelter. Congratulations, I have never seen one quite like this one. I don't know what the sliding tray is for but in the number 3 picture the long molds with handles at the top are old linotype pig or ingot moulds. In lino they should weight about 23 lbs. Wheel weights will weight a little more. This looks like a fun project. In order to load with WW just use a shovel.
I have an old 1000 lb lino smelter that I have converted to propane and just shovel the WW into it and then flux the he## out of it and pour it into the pig moulds. I also make up some different bullet alloys in it. Mine has a thermostat on it and I check it with a thermometer.
Just becareful that pot looks like it is pretty high and several hundred lbs. of lead spilling around wouldn't be any fun....Wes

[HeavyMetal]

What a great deal! Instead of propane I think I'd give some serious thought to using this with natural gas which is most likely the orginal fuel for this old girl!

You might be able to do some research and figure out what that sliding "mold" is for, who knows some museaum might need it to complete thier old pot and finish a turn of the century ( 19th century) diorama!

[xringshutr]

Gents,
Thanks for the comments. I plan on leaving the sliding tray horizontal so that it offsets some of the weight. The stand is extremely heavy too. It is half full of lino now and it is everything I can do to lift the side opposite the hopper. It took two of us everything we had to get this baby out of my truck bed. My guess is the frame and sliding plate weighs about 200 lbs. The burners and hopper are a little heavier with the lino that is in it right now. I'll be real careful. I plan on setting up some 4x4's under the valve and placing my ingot molds on them to fill them. The gas valves move very smoothly and only rotate 90 degrees. This should give me good temp control.

I'll post pics of my first session. This sure will beat a coleman stove and an old cast iron pig fountain bowl. :wink:

[xringshutr]

I would love to use Nat. Gas but I I don't live in town. All I have is propane. It's a bit more expensive, but it's not like I'll use it everyday. A bucket or two of WW a month is about all I usually get around here, although I think I just got a scoop on the location of a crapload of linotype. That would be nice, as I have never cast with it and hear it is really good stuff.

[klcarroll]

@xringshutr;

Just be aware that propane requires a much smaller "main jet" than natural gas!

It that guy was originally configured for natural gas, and you feed it propane, .....you will have a really "over-rich" combustion mix; ........And Carbon Monoxide production could be an issue!

The solution is easy. Just solder up the gas orifice, and redrill it with a smaller drill.

BTW: .....I saw a unit like yours in operation years ago: ....it's a dedicated station for recasting used Lino back into the long bars that are (were) used to feed the linotype machines. The horizontal rack is where the recently filled moulds are allowed to cool.

You couldn't have found a more perfectly suited machine for "Big Time" smelting!!!! (I'd be "forced" to give you fifty buck for it! LOL)

Kent

[timkelley]

Xringshutr, contact your local Propane Dealer. He should be able to convert your jet(s) for a very small fee and you will then know your rig is safe.

[xringshutr]

Hey guys, I appreciate the tips on the propane conversion. I'll get in touch with my propane company to see if they can help me out. Hopefully I can be smelting this weekend. The weather is supposed to be decent. I'll post the results.

[klcarroll]

@xringshutr;

If you decide you don't like it, ......my $50 offer is still good!!!:kidding:

Kent

[xringshutr]

Shipping would be $500 though!!!!:drinks:

[klcarroll]

@xringshutr;

Under the circumstances, ...since SE Nebraska isn't that far away, ......I could probably be persuaded to drive out and pick it up!:bigsmyl2:


Kent

[kendall yates]

Thats a cool looking unit. I would say those molds are worth a few bucks too.

[bohica2xo]

Easy enough to get that running on propane.

You will need an adjustable regulator, to reduce the tank pressure from hundreds of psi to mere inches of water - just like any BBQ.

Adjust the regulator to minimum pressure and open the air vents on the burners all the way. Open one of the gas valves a bit, and bleed the air out of the pipes. Close the valve once you smell propane, and go have a cup of coffee - let the gas dissapate.

Once you can no longer smell gas, light a long match & hold it near a hole in the burner pipe. Gently open the gas valve for that burner, and establish a flame. Adjust the valve for a blue flame from all of the holes in the burner - just like your gas stove. It will take a few minutes to stabilize (mixed air & gas in the pipes).

If you have a yellow flame like a candle, you have more fuel than air. Reduce the pressure. If you have a tiny blue flame with the valve all the way open, raise the pressure a little.

Eventually you should have a flame length at least half the diameter of the tube the holes are drilled in, with a nice blue color - with the valves open all the way.

You probably won't need to adjust the air vents. They were very necessary for NG operation, since there was no pressure adjust available at the unit. If it is burning right it will be as odor free as any stove - and the flame will look the same.

Nice find. You will become addicted to linotype for high velocity bullets, and it casts so nice.

B.

[xringshutr]

Bohica,
I just happen to have a extra regulator in my cabinet in the garage. I'll try out your technique described above. I already found a 100# propane tank and can get it from my brother in law for the paltry fee of $0.00. It's an extra he has laying around. :twisted: I like free. Thanks for the detailed instructions. There is still hope that I can get this old girl fired up on Saturday.

[hammerhead357]

I hate to disagree with BOHICA, however it has been my experince when converting anything from Propane to Natural gas and the other way around you need to use different size jets for both.
I have a conversion chart some where that I was given by a propane dealer that lists the jet sizes for both rated on BTUs. I used it when I converted my old smelter.....Wes

[bohica2xo]

If he was converting TO natural gas FROM propane, he probably would need bigger jets.

To reduce the flow of propane through the larger NG jet, a reduction of pressure usually works just fine.

I did this with a NG dryer a few years ago - the mfg no longer sold the "Propane kit" for it. A tweak on the gas pressure & it dried clothes just fine.

B.

[xringshutr]

Well, I got her fired up today. I was wondering why it was taking so long to melt down. I was wrong about how much linotype was in it. It wasn't 80 lbs..........it was exactly 150lbs!!!!!!! :-D I ended up ladling it all out into ingot molds since I couldn't get the valve to open. Oh, well it was still fun. I made two of the big "pig molds" just to say I have them. I'll probably end up throwing them into the pot and remelt them into muffins or 1 pounders.
The propane worked fine with the regulator. It had just a little bit of yellow tip on the flame, but I couldn't smell any fumes.

Now to work on all the WW. Thanks for all your help gents.

Here are some pics of the action:

[HeavyMetal]

Glad to see you got the old girl running!

You'll be real happy with that lino type for boolits, save it for magnum level velocity or rifle rounds!

By the way you can't smell Carbon Monoixide! But you can buy a carbon monoixide detector!

Last time I looked they were $20.00 or so at Lowe's buy one and be sure and be safe!

Think I'd save WW for years to feed that monster once! You bet I'd do it to.

I will also suggest you keep this machine on the down low when you have any service done around the house. Some service personnel don't care but some people want to save the world even if they can't!

[xringshutr]

I'm ready to smelt now. I've got 8 big buckets of WW and need to get them converted to usable lead. They are hogging room in the front of the garage.

I don't have to worry about the service guys trying to shut me down. I live 5 miles from town and I know my HVAC service guy fairly well. Plus, there are no ordinances when you are zoned "open ag". So I can blow myself up and nobody will care. [smilie=1: Kidding of course.

It kind of sucks that some of you have to worry about neighbors or service personnel sticking their nose where it doesn't belong. Common sense is completely gone in this country I'm afraid.

Cheers. :drinks:

[JFriis]

I need one of those for my 55 gallon drums of wheel weights.
Good problem to have.