Sick of the 'Bonfire' method of smelting ingots. What's a good burner?

[inuhbad]

I've gotten sick of using a bonfire to try smelting scrap lead into ingots... What's a good burner for under $50 bucks that I could use with a cast iron Dutch Oven for smelting scrap lead into ingots?

Anybody have any suggestions? Any links to maybe an online store or sporting goods store or grilling store?

Any information is greatly appreciated! :-D

[jsizemore]

www.agrisupply.com
click on cookers

[JSnover]

Hit the Rotometals link on the top of the page for some nice ladles

[Nora]

Almost anything that you can hook up to a propane tank that has the words fish or turkey in the title will work. It will look something like this. http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=97394-1337-SP-10&lpage=none

[BruceB]

"What's a good burner for under $50 bucks..."

I suspect that somewhere in the Twin Cities is a Harbor Freight store.

Buy a Harbor Freight weedburner for under twenty bucks, and with the addition of a 20-pound propane bottle you will have an almost infinitely-adjustable heat source with LOADS of BTUs on tap.

In use, the burner is lit and the adjustment knob regulates the heat. The burner has an additional "turbo" spring-loaded valve which allows one to burn weeds fully fifteen feet from the muzzle, but we don't need that. The on-off knob allows ample adjustment for melting wheelweights.

To use the weedburner, it's best to mount it in a fixed position with the flame pointing upward toward the bottom of the pot. I use a slotted steel plate to hold the burner head, and a mounting built by the guys in the shop to hold my pot (they also built the pot...nice fellas).

It's JUST AS EASY to rig some 12x12 concrete squares, or an arrangement of bricks, or any other scheme we can dream up. A Workmate would seem to be a good base, but I have an old table with a hole I cut through the top.

Use your imagination! Keep in mind that a windscreen may be needed...I use lead sheeting. Plywood, more 12x12 concrete squares, almost anything that disrupts the wind flow can allow outdoor melting in surprisingly breezy conditions (I'm in Nevada, and I KNOW!)

Gonna try to post some pics here....don't hold yer breath.

[montana_charlie]

I fell into a burner and valve combination that did not include the 'stove' they were made to fit in. So, I built my own out of angle iron.
Here is the item that my parts were actually made for.
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_15490_15490

It works well with a 6-quart dutch oven, and could probably handle a somewhat larger one.
The three valves control three rings of flame, so it's pretty easy to maintain a given temperature once you get used to the burner.

I used a standard connector hose and regulator from an old propane grill. The end of the hose that unscrewed from the grill is the right connector for the triple valve.

CM

[pilotsel]

I am sick of it too and just secured a fish fryer at wal-mart for $39.95. I got a 35lb mix in a dutch oven up to temp in 30 minutes. Starting with a full propane tank I have more than half left over. I will try later to move the burner closer to the pot by adding standoffs but it does work well as is. As an added benefit it comes with an aluminum collander that I can use to heat treat my boolits when I am done.

I just finished pouring 200 lbs of ingots in four hours. Time to buy more than one mould, probably three is the right number as just the one gets too hot and the cool time takes too long.

[ETG]

I use an old coleman dual burner camp stove and a cast iron skillet. It's the older - non-propane type. Fill the tank up with unleaded gas and it will burn for hours. When your done it folds up to about 2'x1'x5".

[finishman2000]

I am sick of it too and just secured a fish fryer at wal-mart for $39.95. I got a 35lb mix in a dutch oven up to temp in 30 minutes. Starting with a full propane tank I have more than half left over. I will try later to move the burner closer to the pot by adding standoffs but it does work well as is. As an added benefit it comes with an aluminum collander that I can use to heat treat my boolits when I am done.
I just finished pouring 200 lbs of ingots in four hours. Time to buy more than one mould, probably three is the right number as just the one gets too hot and the cool time takes too long.



I tried this one and didn't like it, not as hot burning as I liked. returned it and ordered this one online, shipped to the local ACE Hardware store for free.

http://www.acehardware.com/product/index.jsp?productId=1291444

Runs like a jet engine, very hot and fast.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

As noted over in the molding shop, you can speed up scrap melting with a heat restraining lid of some kind over the pot. BvT

[JimKirk]

Here's a pot for you:
WASH POT 90 GALLON CAPACITY

**FREIGHT INCLUDED IN PRICE


90 Gal.
Pot is 27" tall with a 19 1/2" tall stand
42" dia. x 3/4" thick


**FREIGHT INCLUDED IN PRICE
The price shown on our website includes charges for shipping via Motor Freight. NO additional shipping will be calculated for this item during checkout, it is shipping exempt. Please call us at 800-345-0169 if you have any questions about Motor Freight charges.


Our Retail Store Price: $549.95

[TAWILDCATT]

just make sure the burner will safely hold the pot and lead,a small pot holds an enormus amount of lead.figure 100 to 200 or more lbs.you dont want it to collapse.:coffee:[smilie=1:

[shooterg]

WalMart just had a bunch of "fish fryers" for under $40 with cast iron burners and 4 angle steel legs and a CAST IRON burner. I got that and a $12 pot from the flea market and did 2 buckets of WW soooo much quicker than my little lee pot ! Only holdup now is ingot molds - need more - no sense in burning propane while mine are cooling !
Plus I may actually fry some fish in the pot/basket that came with it !

[bobthewelder]

Brinkman, the makers of the burner in most turkey fryers 170,000 BTU is about $16. from their sight. I have a couple.

[Typecaster]

I've seen several turkey fryer outfits (usually minus the pot, thermometer or lifter) on the clearance tables at Home Depot. Since all we want is the burner, that's just fine if it's cheap.

Richard

[redneckdan]

I actually prefer the bonfire method. I used a 20 lb propane tank that I sawed top off of. Take and fill that sucker up with lead to be smelted, put the top back on and build a bonfire over the top of it. Let 'er burn down good and come back to it when itsdown to coals. Always loved how peoples eyes got like saucers when they relized it was a propane tank in that fire glowing cherry red on the out side.[smilie=1:


Like the others have said, turkey fryer is your best bet.

[HeavyMetal]

Keep an eye out at yard sales!

I picked up a complete turkey fryer, used once, for $20.00! Got the aluminum pot and everything except the propane tank.

[inuhbad]

I just picked up a good turkey frier on sale this weekend! Woot!!!

The bonfire method works fairly well, but I worried about a couple things:
1.) If the coals / log remnants the pot is sitting on ever shift suddenly, it could tip the pot and spill lead all over.
2.) If I drip lead into the fire pit, I fear the bonfire pit will get too contaminated and could cause health issues if my kids in the future are eating S'mores and Hotdogs cooked on a fire pit that has molten lead in it.

Maybe I'm just paranoid... Who knows.

I haven't cranked up this turkey fryer yet, but I'm thinking it's going to work out great!