Sittin round the fire

[nighthunter]

Last night I was burning some old accumulated branches and dead tree wood and I was sitting watching the fire burn till about 11 o'clock last night. I had a thought about all that heat going to waste. When I got up this morning I got out my smelting pot and placed it in the fire pit on solid ground. I then rekindled the fire and filled the pot with accumulated range scrap. I built the fire around and over the smelting pot. I didn't care if ash got in the pot I just wanted to see if it would heat up enough to melt the range scrap. Guess what .... The range scrap melted and all the empty jackets are at the top of the pot. A few jackets are stuck in the lead but now I know it will work and save quite a bit of money on propane. Since my pot has a looped handle on it I'm thinking of building a tripod and hanging the pot by a chain to adjust the height over the fire and to be able to pour the lead into ingots. Maybe a bellows of some type to increase the heat. This might work.

Nighthunter

[wiljen]

I used to melt aluminum over a wood/coal fire. It should work great for lead with its lower melting temp.

[frankenfab]

One of my favorite things to do. Fall is my favorite time of year, and always know when it is here, because there is that first day when you can smell it in the air.

I've got a 4'X4' roll around fireplace that I made, with a cooking grate that can be placed across the top. I never thought about smelting with it, but as you have pointed out, we should not waste those BTU's.:p

I'm still a good ways from lighting my fire pit for the first time this year, I think, but it is refreshing to hear of someone who can.

I'm anticipating that fresh fall smell now, thanks to you[smilie=b:

[DIRT Farmer]

When I was in one rental early in my marrage I cast in a ring of bricks with twigs under a small pot and a ladle. Leave an opening at the base about brick size to controll the flame. I have cast RB over an open fire with a ladle and bag mould. Add a piece of lead about ball size each time you cast a ball and the lead and mould will stay at temp.

[danski26]

It's fun to smelt for free! Since this first attempt I have made the rig more safe and solid.

[NSP64]

105* here today!!!!

[uncle joe]

105* here today!!!!

ha with this global warming we'll be able to just sit the pot in the driveway and wait.

[TCLouis]

All my smelting is done by wood fire. My container allows me to melt 300-400 lbs of lead and one only wants to be around that much heat during the winter.
It is a long mornings project and I have to get at least 2 melts of alloy and more of pure done this winter!

[2wheelDuke]

105* here today!!!!


I've thought about rigging up some smaller reflectors in a parabolic shape. With the air temp already at 100* here, it may not be all that hard to rig up a solar furnace. The freshman engineering students rig up foil and a cardboard box to roast hot dogs on a sunny day with no trouble.

[waksupi]

I did chicken in one of my solar ovens a couple days ago. Works nice. I like to toss the meat onto the charcoal for a few minutes for the added flavor.

[nighthunter]

Smelted about 125 pounds of range scraps last night. Built a little fire pit 3 blocks high and suspended the pot down into the fire pit by inserting a steel rod through the loop in the handle and suspending the pot down into the flames. It didn't need a large fire to melt the lead out of the jackets. the lead also melted much faster than when smelting useing a propane gas source. I think this was because the entire pot is surrounded by the heat whereas with propane the heat is directed at the bottom of the pot. Had to have my son help lift the pot from the fire ring but I've already decided to build a swing arm to place the smelting pot into the fire and to remove it to pour the ingots. I ended up with 125 pounds of clean lead in less than 2 hours. A little more refineing of the set up and this is going to work I thinks.

Nighthunter

[imashooter2]

I'd have a hard time trusting a wire bail with over 100 pounds of molten metal.

Other than that, a fine plan.

[nighthunter]

The bail on this pot is quite strong. The entire pot was designed to have the lead melted in it on the ground then a rope was attatched to the loop in the bail and the pot was raised to the work area. It is the very same pot my father used to seal cable joints on the telephone lines. He was a cable splicer and people he worked with said he was quite good at it. He got me started casting bullets and fishing sinkers at a young age. I am very glad he did. We had lots of time to talk and laugh and joke during our casting sessiions. Reloading sessions were about the same. These sessions we referred to as good time. Range time was good time also. Dad is gone now. He left for whatever his creator had in mind for him. I know I think of him every day and would give up my right arm to be able to talk with him one more time. On December 29 2009 the world lost a good man. I think of you and miss you every day. I've kept my promise to you allso Dad.
I'll never break that promise.

Ed

[mnzrxer]

I decided to try melting down a bunch of wheel weights over a fire this spring in an effort to keep the casting pot clean. It took a little fiddling to keep the heat right, but overall it worked well. As the evening went on and the sun was setting I just had to grab the ladle and a mould and cast some boolits with the lead melted over a wood fire. Just something romantic about making my own boolits with the wood smoke in the air on a cool evening.

[JeffinNZ]

GLOBAL WARMING! Shame on you all.............

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Yaaa - JeffinNZ, the global warming is so bad up here in Ideeeeeho, a couple years back I shoveled so much of it I got a crink in my back.

I know it couldn't have been snowfall, with global warming and all, so expect it was CO2 fall.:kidding:

However, the local street boys pushed that CO2 into my driveway and then I had to go and shovel it out again.

Color seems the same, temp., texture etc., seems a lot like the ol'time snow I remember from years back, but ----- Al Gord can't be wrong so I must be just old and forgetful just think it was a lot like the snow of years past.:wink:

Keep em coming!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
I posted this method yrs. ago, under BOOM BOOM'S PIONEER CAMPFIRE METHOD.
I have smelted this way 20-30 yrs. now. Using #10 cans , channel locks, welding gloves. Do it whenever I go Camping as I set up my tent & unload the truck. Do a can each time I cook a meal. Really like the spring when I can cool the ingots in the snow.

[fatnhappy]

I used to melt aluminum over a wood/coal fire. It should work great for lead with its lower melting temp.

I still do. they're called "beer cans"


Ifin I decide to put something in the fire, it'll be a dutch oven all right. apple or peach cobbler most likely.