Got everything else, but... lead pot...

[rdlange]

can get a cast iron pot somewhere and try with a propane cooker, or I can get an elec Lee bottom pour. I have a lyman ladle already. Honestly, the price looks the same for either as I haven't found any cheap gas cooker stuff around lately.

Since I'm new at this and will be casting both soft lead for muzzleloaders I have and harder for cartridge gun, guidance would be appreciated. and yes, I know two separate setups would be even nicer.

Be Well...

[mooman76]

Not sure what you're asking but yes you can try either. When I cast from a cast iron pot on the stove I could just let the lead set and remove it after it was cool to switch back and forth between soft lead and WWs. My pot had a slight taper so the lead would drop either. It works on the stovetop too if that is allowd.

[Mk42gunner]

Honestly,

It is a lot more comfortablt to cast boolits with an electric pot because you don't have to deal with a lot of excess heat that a gas burner will put out. If your lead is already in clean ingot form, go with the Lee pot. If you get the 20 pound version you can ladle cast from it easily.

If you need to clean wheelweights, you will need a pot to do that with also. Mine is made from a piece of schedule 40, 8" steel pipe, with the bottom a piece of 1/4" steel that I welded on. This sets on my propane turkey/fish fryer when I smelt down wheelweights or scrap lead to make ingots to use in the Lee pot.

Hope this helps,

Robert

[rdlange]

Thanks. About what I thought. I ordered the Lee 20# bottom pour pot and a couple handbooks. I'll be looking around for a cast iron pot anyway and I can use it for any raw lead I can find.

This forum sure has helped me. Thanks all.

[fryboy]

a 3# coffee can will work for smelting it wont last long ( depending upon how much and often u smelt ) i have a dutch oven that i rarely use , a cut up old propane tank i sometimes use and ye olde coffee can that i use alot lolz ,when they get a hole in'em they get regulated to dross duty ,a camp stove will work ( unless ur after mega smelt ) ditto a hotplate ..all the above beats trying to smelt in a casting furnace but for casting it's hard to beat a pour or dip electric pot !!

[zuke]

I found a stainless steel pressure cooker at Value Village for $5.
No pressure gauge so it went cheap but it does have the lid.

[David2011]

For a smelting pot, check out the Harbor Freight cast iron Dutch oven. It's cheap and plenty big for most of us.

David

[Bret4207]

I use a stainless 12 or 16 cup pot and a Walmart hot plate for a lot of my casting. I have maybe $20.00 in the set up and I've cast thousands of boolits. Been casting since '78 or so and like this set up best- so far.