New project for smelting facilities!

[10 ga]

Check out this site. http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com
I'll be retiring in 6 weeks and plan to upgrade my smelting facilities. I think I'll try a charcoal unit to save $ as I can get plenty of good hardwood free. Any ideas forming out there? see....

10 ga

[Ugluk]

I don't know if it's something like this you have in mind, but here's a project I'm currently trying out.

A 12" diameter ss cooking pot fitted in a kind of experimental stove made out of a 55-gallon drum. 6 pieces of rebar are welded into the drum to take the weight of the pot.

A moderate woodfire in a steel tray raised of the bottom behind the hinged doors melted 40# of lead just as it got going good.

I'm gonna add a baffle plate from the back of the hearth up and angled forward to the rearmost rebar that will force the heat up around the pot and improve efficiency (i hope). A latch for the doors is also needed and a valve to control airflow.

I smelted 170# of rangescrap with it in a few hours. Good height for working with also.

[schutzen]

I have build two smelters and discovered that a wider shallower pot seems to work better for me. The one I use most is constructed from a 12" tall drop of 18" pipe with a 1/2" side wall. 3/4 full of wheel weights a 200,000 BTU propane burner can melt it down in about 30 minutes. It yields better than 250 lbs of ingots per full charge. The 18" wide pot is easier to stir and flux.

One other note, make sure you use heavy enough legs to support your pot. I used 2" structural tube on mine. I have seen one made with 1" square tube that was not structural tube and the legs failed when the pot was heated. Fortunately they failed before most of the lead melted. Structural tube has a heavy side wall 1/4"-5/16". Square tube can have side walls as thin as 1/16".

I like the looks of Ugluk's pot with the 55 gallon drum as a gas trap to hold the heat. I may have to incorporate that in my unit. It looks like it would save on fuel costs.

Good luck with your project!

[dsmjon]

Looks great! I'd like to do the same, but incorporate a gas burner as schutzen mentions. Here in the 'big city' folks think you've gone mad if they see someone bustin' firewood... weirdos.. they whole lot of 'em! I think the enclosure would definitely help conserve on fuel costs. I like the 55gal drum idea.. it just plain looks cool!

[Bret4207]

Check out this site. http://www.backyardmetalcasting.com
I'll be retiring in 6 weeks and plan to upgrade my smelting facilities. I think I'll try a charcoal unit to save $ as I can get plenty of good hardwood free. Any ideas forming out there? see....

10 ga

Hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaahahah ahahahaahahah!!!!!! That's a good one! Aw jeeze! "I'm going to retire and do what I want to do!!! Oh! Stop it! You're killing me!!!!!

Signed- Retired for 9 months and still can;t see the light at the end of thunnel of OTHER PEOPLES projects!