Will a hotplate melt lead?

[skytex]

Instead of getting the turkey fryer/propane bottle setup, would an electric hotplate with the thermal overload removed heat a dutch oven sufficiently to melt wheel weights?

[mold maker]

Possible with small amounts in a SS 1qt pot, but slow and may not get to casting temps.
It depends on the wattage (600-1000w) of the unit. The air temp will also effect the outcome. You will have to maintain 575-700 degrees to do the job, while staying under 725 degrees to avoid melting the stray zinc weight.
If you have more than 10 lbs it would pay to just get out the big equip. I just wait till I have nearly 5 gal to do and use the turkey burner and dutch oven.

[KCSO]

If you plug it in it will?

Yes a hotplate will melt a Lyman 10 pound lead pot and you can cast bullets. I used one years ago to cast after I was banished from the kitchen stove. BUT... for the cost of a Lee lead pot it's hardly worth the time and trouble. Haunt the yard sales and second hand shops and usually $5 will get you a small Lee pot.

[Rangefinder]

OR..... Go to Wally-world and grab a single burner coleman camp stove--they're about $20 or so. Nut also get the remote line for a 20# tank--those little camp bottles will run out fast in a big melt and it's not worth it. Unless of course you have a propane BBQ with a little side burner. That will do the trick too for an easy start-up.

[WILCO]

A hotplate with a chinese cast iron skillet will melt enough WW's to make some ingots for under $20.00! Head to the thrift store for a skillet and then to Walgreens for the hotplate.

[a.squibload]

I used a small enameled pot for a long time on a Coleman gas stove, didn't hurt the pot.
They're really cheap.
Didn't hold a lot of WWs but got the job done!

[fredj338]

It works for small amounts but is soooo sloooow. A cheap turkey fryer burner & propane makes it go so much faster.

[docone31]

I use an hotplate to premelt for my ingots. It is actually fairly quick.
when useing an hotplate, make sure the melting pot covers the coil.
I shopped around and ended up with several hotplates untill I found an older one that was unused at a flea market.
This one has two coils. One at 850 watts, one at 1100 watts. I use the 1100 watt one most times.
When melting, if some roofing tar or someother contaminant gets on the pot, it slows down the melt process. I usually leave some lead in the pot so when I put my lead in the pot, the tar does not get a chance to really stick. I do a lot of lead in my hotplate. When It gets to be too much, I put it on the kitchen stove, and it gets liquid fast. I then either ingot it, or let it cool and dump it. I then clean the bottom of the pot.
With a clean bottom, and it fits the coil, you can get at least 1/2 fill on a pot. Cool weather, or wind, and it becomes an issue.

[zxcvbob]

A hot plate works great, just make sure it has open coils rather than a cast iron top. And it's cheaper to run than a campstove.

I use a stainless steel saucepan. It might take forever with a cast iron dutch oven unless you insulated it.

[parson48]

A Walmart hotplate and a stainless sauce pan is all that I have ever used. I've rendered several hundred pounds of WWs into muffin pan ingots with this set-up. It's certainly not fast, but when I'm working around the garage I'll plug it in and smelt a dozen or so "muffins".

[O9Tacoma4x4]

Docone/ or anyone else- I'm not trying to thread hijack,I just never even thought of that about the roofing tar. Does the tar really make the casting in a turkey fryer setup a PITA? I'm still casting everything out of my Lee 20#. Bass Pros got a couple turkey fryer setups complete. I'm just waiting until I've got the extra dollars to re-outfit my entire casting setup.

[docone31]

Things go a lot easier with the bulk of the tar removed. I get the tar, pieces of shingles stuck to the bottom of the pan. The stuff just sits there and takes up heat that would other wise go into melting.
Bet the bulk off, the rest will float if it has a chance.

[kelbro]

I must be missing something here. Where does roofing tar come into play when smelting?

[docone31]

Roof Boots.
Pure lead from the roofers.

[kelbro]

Roof Boots.
Pure lead from the roofers.

Missed that.

[JJC]

A friend of mine found a turkey fryer about to be thrown out. Tried it out today, works faster than a coleman stove. However I cleaned up the melt and poured ingots on the coleman, at the bench cause it was easier. I have never ran across anything lead while I was roofing back in the day, good deal. Other thing, when lighting your turkey fryer the first time turn the valves off. Then turn them up slow to light. I'm missing some hair off me hand at the moment. John

[ItZaLLgooD]

I use a Walgreens hot plate for my casting and a cheapy coleman burner and dutch oven for the smelting.

It's a pretty low cost set-up but it kept my son, my brother and myself shooting all summer. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500-4000 boolits.

A Lee bottom pour is on the Christmas list though.

[zxcvbob]

I rendered 25 pounds of scrap lead into 28 ounce ingots Tuesday night when I got home from the shooting range, using a Walgreens hotplate and a small steel saucepan. I had to split it up into two batches but it really didn't take very long.