Upsized my Smelting Pot

[Maximilian225]

Been Working on this for about a week. Finally got to drive it today.
Melted and poured 130 pounds of lead today in less then three hours from cold pot to done.

It's made out of the top of an old water heater I got from a friend. The old melting pot is included for scale

It is a bottom pour. I used a spring to hold the valve closed. I think I may do this to my dripping LEE.

5 Gallon bucket comes up to the top of the lower weld on the left leg. I figure it will hold about 300 pounds of WW when 3/4 full.

127 Beautiful Bars of Silver Goodness.

-Max

[Hawkeyenc]

N-i-i-i-ce!! Will you be making more and selling them?

[copdills]

very nice , could you show us more on the inside and how you made the bottom flow

[Just Duke]

Wow! bottom pour. That's what I need. Great job.

[Leadforbrains]

Wow! I am in awe.

[Maximilian225]

very nice , could you show us more on the inside and how you made the bottom flow

I will get some pictures of the valve up as soon as I can.

[copdills]

Thanks that would be great

[dromia]

Very impressive Max, very impressive.

Welcome to Cast Boolits BTW Hawkeyenc.

[madcaster]

I like it too!

[Maximilian225]

First off as I am rarely satisfied with the first incarnation of anything. I have cut another section of the water heater and split it vertically to make a shield/chimney to go around the outside welded to the angle iron legs. I mounted it even with the bottom of the pot so it will direct more of the heat up and around the sides of the pot. I had some trouble on the lower "simmer" setting with the lead clinging to the walls.

This is the inner workings of the pot the cross rod is 3/8 steel rod and the valve rod is a piece of 1/2 steel rod. The linkage between the two is made from a piece of 1/2 conduit. It is relieved so the valve rod can pivot. I used stainless cotter keys for the linkage pivots. There is a piece of flat steel welded in the bottom about 1/2 off the bottom with a 5/8 hole for the valve rod to travel through. This is in place of the normal protrusion that is on the end of the valve rod in most bottom pours. This was the last thing I welded in after I had the valve rod squared up. A plumb bob is your friend for finding where to drill the holes on the sides for the cross rod to pivot on, to cut the slot in the pot, where to drill the cross rod and still keep the rod centered over the hole.



This is a close up of the linkage for the rod



The spout is made from a hardened bearing sleeve. I imagine a plain piece of black steel pipe would work, but it would have to be chamfered. The bearing sleeve though already has a chamfer in the end. I used this as the bottom part of the valve. ( This one is smaller than the one I used.)



I slid this into a nut that was a snug fit and welded into the nut. Than welded a 3/8 galv elbow on the other end. Be sure to leak check this stuff with compressed air in water before using it with the lead. I drilled a 3/4 hole in the lowest part of the pot and centered the nut over it and welded the nut to the bottom of the pot.



This is a closeup of the bottom part of the valve with the guide bar viewed from the top.



I chucked the 1/2 rod in the drill press and set it on about 400 rpm and used a mill file to cut the angle on the bottom of the rod ( Alas, I have no lathe......Yet.)
Then I used valve lapping compound to fit the valve rod to the bearing sleeve.



This is the valve rod going through the guide. It seals quite nicely.




The only shortcoming is that the pipe on the bottom cools to much at the elbow if I am away after pouring too long and requires the use of a propane torch played over it to restore the "flow". I am going to put a heat shield on the front to help redirect some of the lost heat to the pipe. Hopefully that will solve the problem. The bottle neck for me is that I own only one ingot mold.

[crabo]

Max, make your own ingot molds. I used 5 pieces of channel and welded angle on the end. They are 8" long and drop a 3 pound ingot. Let them rust a little and the ingots drop out easily.

[copdills]

Thanks for the pics Maximilian225 I might just try this myself the pics and the great discription of how it works helps alot

Thanks again copdills

[Pitmaster]

Max, make your own ingot molds. I used 5 pieces of channel and welded angle on the end. They are 8" long and drop a 3 pound ingot. Let them rust a little and the ingots drop out easily.

What are the dimensions of your channel iron. I need to make some.

[Ghugly]

Nice job. I have about 12 or 14 hundred pounds of WW that I've allowed to build up. I've been dreading smelting in the heat. That bottom pour sure looks like the way to go.

[hotwheelz]

Very nice set I think I need to make mine a bottom pour looks alot easier...

[kodiak1]

Nice set up you will really go to town once you get a few more ingot moulds or build them.
Ken.

[HeavyMetal]

What are you useing for a heat source?

That can't be a turkey fryer can it? I didn't think one would have the "BTU's" to melt 300 LBS of lead.

[Maximilian225]

Yep, it's a turkey fryer. Was a Clearance Item at Wally World for 20.00 this spring. I haven't used it with 300 lbs yet, but it turned 130 to liquid in about 40 minutes. Since those pics were took I have added an outer shell that comes down to the cross pieces on the legs made out of more water tank. also added shields to the side even with the bottom of the burner on three sides. It forces all the heat from the bottom to come straight up the sides of the tank. It really gets warm in a hurry now. I'll post a pic of "Mega Pot 2.0" this evening.

-Max

[madcaster]

Just keep an eye on your support for the whole shebang,make sure it is secure!

[Maximilian225]

Just keep an eye on your support for the whole shebang,make sure it is secure!

It's gonna ride on the steel welding table for the heavier loads. I don't trust those saw horses for more than one bucket full.