What are you using to smelt PB into ingots?

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[ARCHIVED THREAD] - What are you using to smelt PB into ingots?

Posted: 9/12/2010 11:05:13 AM EDT

I have a coleman dual burner campstove, but dont think that will get hot enough. I have the extension hose for a 20# tank - but cant seem to find a single burner setup. A friend suggested setting up an electric cook top - but I dont know that I want to go that route.

Suggestions.

Posted: 9/12/2010 11:27:34 AM EDT

[#1]

Quoted:
I have a coleman dual burner campstove, but dont think that will get hot enough. I have the extension hose for a 20# tank - but cant seem to find a single burner setup. A friend suggested setting up an electric cook top - but I dont know that I want to go that route.

Suggestions.

Turkey fryer burner.

Posted: 9/12/2010 11:50:21 AM EDT

[#2]

Old Colman two burner cook stove,it's slower than the Turkey fryer but it works.

Posted: 9/12/2010 12:39:00 PM EDT

[#3]

I use a Coleman two burner camp stove "knock off" that easily melts about 8 lbs. of lead in a cast iron pot. Fuel is Propane. Once melted to casting temp., I reduce the flame WAY down. The melt stays high enough for proper casting. I've been at that since the late 50's with gas & more recently, Propane. If you need to melt 20 or so lbs.,
you will need more btu's that the camp stoves produce. STABLE platform needed for the melt pot. Liquid lead spilled has awful outcomes.

Posted: 9/12/2010 1:13:18 PM EDT

[#4]

I have used a 750w hot plate when doing small batches of reclaimed shot. (20-25lbs)

It needs a little help from a propane torch, but i'm sure it saves propane over the turkey fryer.

Posted: 9/12/2010 2:41:19 PM EDT

[#5]

I did over 1000 lbs last year with a turkey fryer and dutch oven.

Posted: 9/12/2010 2:42:22 PM EDT

[#6]

Your Coleman will melt a 2 quart pot in a reasonable amount of time on a better than 40 degree day. After 2 quarts, the lag time for melting gets too long and as size goes up it will eventually not have enough heat output for the job. The turkey fryer is the most common high volume smelting system. A turkey fryer will melt an 8 quart Dutch oven in about 20 minutes.

Posted: 9/12/2010 2:47:23 PM EDT

[#7]

I have used a two burner propane campstove for years to cast bullets.

Posted: 9/12/2010 4:17:07 PM EDT

[#8]

Turkey fryer from Northern Tools, 10 quart Dutch oven from Harbor Freight. Sucker holds more than 150lbs of molten lead, so be careful.

Also got a 2lb bottom pour ladle from Rotometals.com IMHO, bottom pour makes a much cleaner ingot and the sucker is built like a battleship. It's 12" long to the bottom of the large wooden handle, so it's also good to use to stir the pot when fluxing. One dip of the ladle and I fill up a 1lb & a 1/2lb in a Lee ingot mold, so two dips needed per mold. Rotometals has larger ladles, but my thinking was I didn't want to hold that much up with my wrist.

Posted: 9/12/2010 4:59:55 PM EDT

[#9]

Posted: 9/12/2010 5:13:19 PM EDT

[#10]

Dam every time i see

those drums full of WW get all warm and fuzzy

Posted: 9/12/2010 5:23:33 PM EDT

[#11]

Quoted:
Dam every time i see

those drums full of WW get all warm and fuzzy

The end one is no more (by door opening, and 1 was finally emptied and turned into muffins before sister inlaw needed burner back for her canning last season...

(The 2007 date on the drum pic is correct...... the others is from last year... battery change in camera and not reset date)

I have been bring more weight home from work slowly, maybe 5lb a week as I find it (larger weights over 1oz)... drums is now buried under other debris currently, and I am beyond lazy when it come to dealing with the drums full of lead..

Posted: 9/12/2010 6:42:52 PM EDT

[#12]

Quoted:

Quoted:
Dam every time i see

those drums full of WW get all warm and fuzzy

The end one is no more (by door opening, and 1 was finally emptied and turned into muffins before sister inlaw needed burner back for her canning last season...

(The 2007 date on the drum pic is correct...... the others is from last year... battery change in camera and not reset date)

I have been bring more weight home from work slowly, maybe 5lb a week as I find it (larger weights over 1oz)... drums is now buried under other debris currently, and I am beyond lazy when it come to dealing with the drums full of lead..

Ok - any advice for how to get that kind of lead? None of the mom and pops in my area are willing to let it go, and I may have to resort to the recycler...

Posted: 9/12/2010 6:53:51 PM EDT

[#13]

I use a turkey fryer burner and a cheap dutch oven from Harbor Freight. I smelted about 100 lbs last week to clear some room out in my garage and I did not even put a dent in my stash.