Heat source for smelting

[mran1126]

I'm just starting out in boolit casting. I'm still gathering equipment. I saw an electric double burner at Target. One burner is 1000 watts and the other side is 500 watts. Is 1000 watts enough for smelting? Seems like the 500 watt side could be used to keep my mold warm too when I actually cast boolits. Just need some advice on using this for my heating source. Thanks

[jnovotny]

Best thing you can buy is a propane turkey cooker at your local wal-mart. Oh how I dispise wal-mart. But that is the most efficient way to smelt the silver stream. Have fun and keep on postin.

[docone31]

I have an hot plate with 750 watts. Pretty wimpy. It gets the job done, but, it is slow.
I have used the kitchen stove, I built a ventilation hood over the element, it is quick! Not real popular with the wife though.
The 1000 watt element will do the job. Get a pot large enough to cover the rings.

[454PB]

My electric smelting heater is a 3000 watt, 240 volt element from a stove top. It works fine for up to 40 pounds at a time, but is slower than propane or gasoline. However, I never run out of fuel and no carbon monoxide.

1000 watts is OK for around 10 pounds at a time.

[mran1126]

Thanks for your replies. I can smelt as soon as I get a heat source. My boolit casting will be a while yet. My mold is on back order.

[geargnasher]

I used to use the burner on the side of my propane grill and a 1-quart iron pot with lid and integrated handle.

I use a turkey fryer burner and legless dutch oven now, standard fare for most folks here.

Good luck!

Gear

[vonnieglen]

I am just using a hot plate. I have a propane stove which is faster, but I think it costs a lot more to use. I throw some wheel weights in a frying pan and set the hotplate and frying pan outside. I let it melt the wheel weights down while I cast boolits using my Lee production pot. I check on it every once in a while and skim of the clips and crud. and poor it into small muffin rounds for ingots. I find that I generally make up more ingots than I can use in my pot, so I have two operations going at once with all the nasty smoke outside of the shop.

[Slow Elk 45/70]

Like the man says, the 1000w elect. plate will do for small melting operations, if you want or need to do larger lots of material, go for a turkey fryer or a plumbers pot, or a larger gas burner. Some folks use Coleman stoves, there are lots of options out there. The best thing about the electric unit is small size.