Smelting with wood or charcoal

[30calflash]

I'm interested in smelting over a wood or maybe charcoal fire and cast iron pot. This is solely for smelting, not casting.

Has anyone here done it? Any special dos or don'ts?

[country gent]

Its easy enough to do. you need a stand heavy enough to hold the weight under heat, being able to build the fire 6-8" above the ground is a big help. Whiule the basuic fireand bed of coals will melt lead a blower on it ( shop vac, blow dryer fan) will greatly speed it up.

hard woods like oak maple hickory are preferable over other woods, charcoal with a blower burns fast, stoker coal can be used but you need heavier greats and stand as it produces much more heat.

I had a set up made from 4 steel truck 3 with the center cut out 1 as is. this was the second rim up the bottom rim had a 2 1/2" hole cut in the side for a tube for the blower. a pot made from a propane tank fit inside. the pot was set in filled with range lead ( roughly 350 lbs) filled around it with stoker coal. soak with grill lighter fluid and lit, when the fluid was gone and burning good a shop vas was set in the tube as a blower. I could get 4 pots a day but 3 was much more comfortable.
The stoker coal made a red hot bed of coals all around the pot. coal was added at the top around the pot as needed

[Chikinfishin]

I have done it over a firepit and in an outside wood boiler my dad uses to heat his home.

You want a pot with a lid and strong wire bail, if your thinking a simple set of cheap gloves is enough heat protection from how hot your talking, think again. I've cooked cheap leather gloves. Old fireplace poker welded to a long pipe is your friend and I double up on gloves. My inner set are a special heat resistant set that resembles woven cotton, nested in a set of thick lincoln arc welding gloves. It might be overkill but I haven't been burned in years.

A Dutch oven is doable and an excellent tool for those who hand pour from the vat. You'll need a big scoop to make small ingots. I never got comfy with tip pouring that much molten lead at a small target. Some do it with the right tools. I discovered my next method before getting that involved.

For making smaller ingots to add to an electric pot, I recommend a old cast iron tea kettle. You can pour it like tea with enough protection! I use a circular cast iron corn cake tray, and pour about 20lb on a kettle full of COWW. Shape of the kettle prevents the clips from pouring out like a natural filter, no skimming the head. I think the kettle being somewhat crucible shaped helps the material heat up faster to, and stay hot longer. I set the cake tray on a stump, and hang the kettles front edge on it while I pour with one hand.

Once empty I shake out the garbage, repack, and back into the wood boiler it goes for 2 hours. A fast man can do 100lb in a day for maybe 3 hours of direct work. I use table saw dust as flux.

If the fire doesn't burn hot enough, an electric leaf blower is your lil buddy.

Good luck. Making serious ingots is a blast.

[SiliconeSword]

I did it for a bit but have switched to a turkey burner as the amount of propane I burn is negligible compared to the money I get from jackets and the money I'm saving by not buying lead. Probably $20 this year for 580 something pounds of ingots, about a tank and a half.

If you have lots of wood and some time on your hands you want a lid and a big bed of coals, but I found I would have to move the pot and put coals back under it as they'd keep burning away and things would go slower. Depending how big you go I had more heat issues with wood vs propane as you can't just shut it off, so my gloves or arms or the rest of me would get too hot while I was doing stuff. Probably wouldn't do that again unless I had free coal or charcoal.

[Misery-Whip]

Works well. Save it for a cool day. It's a HOT endeavor.

[bangerjim]

Very time consuming! Propane is faster cleaner and much easier. Turkey fryers are very inexpensive - instant CONTROLLABLE heat, unlike a wild campfire. Same melting pot used - CI dutch oven or similar. Do NOT use anything made from aluminum = it will collapse from the hot spots in a campfire.

Start out by eliminating any problems you may have - use propane equipment!

banger

[Bazoo]

I have done it when I have a surplus of scrap wood from the shop. Here is a thread about the matter with a few pictures.https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...ting-with-fire