Old propane BBQ grill - will it work for smelting?

[goon]

I recently came into possession of an old but functional propane barbeque grill. Someone was getting rid of some stuff and I was in the right place at the right time. Anyhow, I would like to get into casting and have looked into it just a little, even lurk on here a bit, but I live in an apartment so it's just kind of tricky to figure out how to go about it.
But there is a "yard" at my apartment where I could use a BBQ grill. It would look a little strange in the winter, but not that weird really.
Any thoughts on using this to smelt or cast from? Anyone tried something like this?
FWIW - I'm never going to use this thing to cook on so lead contamination isn't a concern.

[45nut]

in a word, yes. I have one I use to process lead with myself. works fine and you can drop the lid to contain the occasional "pop" and tinsel fairy appearances.

[fourarmed]

45nut must have a much hotter gas grill than any I have ever used. The ones I had were not even powerful enough to skillet blacken on. The burners intended for turkey frying are the standard for smelting.

[45nut]

the proof is in the molten lead and the resulting ingots! as always,, your mileage may vary!

[Mk42gunner]

Somehow I think the nieghbors will complain about the stench of rendering wheelweights in the yard...


Robert

[303Guy]

Stench rendering WW? Not sure but rendering old lead drain pipe is quite 'noticeable'! What about using lard and/or beef fat as a flux? That would smell like a regular BBQ.

[chris in va]

FWIW I was using a small portable camping stove to smelt my first ingots with. You'd probably have better results with a good, strong flame directly on the pot. I had to drill a few extra holes in my burner to achieve that, kinda dangerous in retrospect.

[casca]

I was using the propane camping stove and was worried that is was unstable,
I to got my hands an a propane grill replaced the burner with new, new propane hose.

could not get enough consentrated heat under plumber's pot to melt very much.

Soo I got the harbor freight dutch oven- and the turkey fryer burner

it was less than $100 invested including the full propane tank

suggest you take the same route
my .009 EUROs
Casca

[wheezengeezer]

30 years ago I cut the bottom off a propane waterheater.Now I use a fryer burner.Made a pot out of a big 30 lb freon bottle.The rounded bottom is easy to scrape.

[Lead Fred]

I use a coleman camp stove with a propane grill bottle for fuel.

Be working great for years.

[RP]

Something alot of people dont take into consideration is the pot a heavy thick pot like cast will take more heat to melted the lead. The best think I have found to smelt in is a SS pan that came out of a hotdog stand it held water. Yes its thin but good SS not the cheap stuff will hold several hunderds of lbs of lead been using it for years. So thinner means more heat transfer faster = less BTUs to melts lead.

[Adk Mike]

A gas grill won't do much good. They have a 30 or 40 thousand btu burner that works over a wide surface. Go get yourself a turkey cooker they're cheap and the heat is more centered for using a pot. Mike

[TAWILDCATT]

just get the one with short legs and sturdy.a small pot can easily hold 100 lb and some 300lb.

[myg30]

What they said ! I too tried the grill, only to add a torch to the top of the pan to completly melt what I started. What a PITA!!. Waiting for a turkey burner.

Anyone have any luck with a single burner ELECTRIC hot plate ?? Say 750-1000watts ?

Mike

[docone31]

An hot plate of the range you say, will work, but, it is slow. You must be very careful to make sure there is nothing to act as insulator in the pot.
A 1500 hot plate works better.
I have melted down wheel weights in my hot plate. I do that with really stinky melts. The rest I do on my stove.
With the lower wattage hot plates, make sure there is no wind blowing, or other source that will act as an heat sink. Keep the heat focused on the bottom of the pot.
I can do almost 20lbs that way, with the smaller hot plates.