I looked all over the Internet for a replacement for my antique 8-inch diameter 50 pound capacity cast iron pot I use with my plumber's pot to salvage range lead into ingots. My old one developed a crack which has slowly been growing with use, and I was afraid to continue using it lest it “fail” at the least convenient time.
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia
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Ed, Have you looked at one of the Lodge Logic dutch ovens on Amazon? 10 1/2 x 4 with a lid and handle for 27 bucks with free shipping and should easily handle 50 lbs of lead. I just got the 7 quart for cooking and it looks like it'd be pretty good for melting lead.
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Pat, yes I have, and they won't fit inside the heat shield on my plumber's pot. A flat bottom Dutch oven wastes melt space because when their level is below 1-1/2" you can't dip a full 3-lb. ladle, but they still have 25 pounds of melt which you cannot reach.
A standard 8-inch (50#) plumber's pot is 8” ID, having 5” depth with full hemispherical 4” radius bottom which you can dip until it is almost empty. The 5” diameter outside notched, flat base sits solidly in the triangular burner guides with absolutely no wiggle. Well worth the $50 price for capacity, and safe, sturdy stability.
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia
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Sounds reasonable since I never tried it but I did find and old filthy plumbers furnace and pot in the trash when I was out “junkin” one day. The plunger was totalled and just on a whim I stuck a tire valve stem down the hole and it was a good tight fit. I drilled the cap so it would stick through and have been using it for about 10 years without a problem. I have to replace the stem once in a while but a few pumps with a tire pump and she's up and running. Just goes to prove one man's trash is another man's treasure.
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As Ed stated the trouble with the “Dutch Ovens” is their flat bottoms that keep you from filling tthe dipper, and pouring from them is at best a hot and risky proposition.
B.E.Brickey
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We used to weld cast iron pipe to correct this problem when I worked in the steel mill. Maybe a local welder could help you out.!
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Hummm. I have seen the problem with the flat based cast iron dutch ovens as melt pots, neighbor down the street has one and in fact it is a pita to get all of the melt out of the last 1 1/2 inches of the pot.
I on the other hand, being a frugal as I am, made my own out of an old 20 lb propane cylinder. I cut it in half with a jig saw, fashioned a handle out of a piece of 3/16 steel rod and presto!
The bottom is like a bowl allowing me to use my Rowell 3lb ladle and get all but a tiny bit out of the pot and best of all I can melt around 120 lbs of metal and alloy as I need. I use it on top of an old Turkey fryer burner and I fashioned a heat shield out of some scrap sheet metal to help keep the heat around the pot and off of me while I ladle out the alloy into the ingot molds. Works like a champ. Cheap too!
I have seen some freon cans, I think they around the 8 inch diameter, maybe on of those will work in place of the cast iron.
I cast out of a pot the size you are talking about Ed, Have you looked into the local hardware store to see if they can still get the old sytle plumbers pots? Thats were I picked mine up at for an amazing $14.00...
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...Have you looked into the local hardware store to see if they can still get the old sytle plumbers pots? Thats were I picked mine up at for an amazing $14.00...
All they have are the 12 lb. and 20 lb. toy sizes.
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia
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Hi Ed,
Can you use a stainless steel mixing bowl?
I know they look pretty thin, but stainless is fantastic, tuff, stuff.
I have two, one flat bottom bucket that will hold 75#+ that goes on an old turkey fryer burner.
The smaller one (2Qt?) goes on top of an electric hot plate with a heat shield around the base. Heat shield is a bit of #10 can cut to fit. The large one cost ~$3 at the local junk/antique store. Small one I found at a garage sale with the muffin pans for ~$1
I make the master alloy in the big pot, block it out in muffin tins, then melt muffin blocks in the little pot as required.
While I've only used these for about 3 years, they show little if any signs of deterioration. I expect to get at least 3 - 5 more years of moderate use out of them. I'm casting between 100-200# per year.
BWC
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In past experience thin gage pots didn't hold up through long ingot casting sessions. When we get ready to do this we process a ton of backstop scrap over a weekend. I'd rather get a professional grade piece of gear which will last. The money we get for the copper jackets skimmed off will more than pay for it. Money is not an issue.
73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia
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Ed,
Try Buffalo Arms. They have a 50#, 8” pot for under $30.00. I have been using one for years.
:coffeeGus
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How many BTU burner would be required for a 50#pot ?
Jim
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Go to your local propane supplier, not Uhaul or a gas station, but the source supplier. They usually have several stoves of varying BTU.. I use one I got from Harbor Freight and I think it is around 20k BTU. Only cost me $9.00 plus $16.00 for the hose regulator assy. Have been using it for several years and it can get my 50# pot to over 800 degrees if I choose.
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I got one from Lowes or Home Depot. Same stove with either a turkey fryer or a cast iron pot. The pot will hold 100# of lead. Works great for melting wheel weights down. I think I paid $30 for the whole thing.
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Take a look at these pots! < http://www.ironpotsdepot.com/departmentsnameJambalaya-Pots-Standspath10396.html >
Willis Gregory
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Try this for a sorce for burners & pots
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My setup is almost identical to Jeff's. It's just a single high output burner that's mounted inside a low angle iron stand/cage affair from Cabelas. Included was the hose and connections for a 20# propane tank. Relatively inexpensive a few years ago.
A source for different size cast iron pots, ladles and such are second hand / antique shops. I just searched untill I found an old hemispherical pot that holds up to 80 #, which set me back $15.00 as I recall. In another place I paid a couple bucks for an old long handled iron casting ladle. Kind of surprising what treasures one can find in these places sometimes, when one has more time than $$.
RD
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One place I haven't seen mentioned is to go to your local plumbing trade supplier. Since just about everything is plastic these days they might have one in the back room they'd be more than happy to sell you. Would sure save on postage.
PETE
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I got a goss lead melter, looks like a turkey cooker but all steel, Use a old dutch oven with a cake cover for a side shield with the top cut out and use the top for a lid. But when you get it 3/4 full of melted alloy it wants to start harding up. Dont know why as its putting out alot of heat. It will get steam in 10 mins.with a 5 gallon. pot of liquids cooking, After cooking 3 hrs. at full heat the metal part were the flames come out of ice up.
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I have a dutch oven that I bought from Harbor Freight, I think it will hold 40 pounds. I got two then they were last on sale. I will need a bigger one probably next summer, maybe sooner.
With the current weather, cast bullets maybe the way I heat my shop, the old furnace died last night.
Merry Christmas,
Jerry
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I have a flat bottom Harbor Freight Dutch Oven - it is 12” in diameter and holds about 150 lbs. When it gets low I can easily tip it for the rest. It is not a “shaky"proposition. I left the “legs” on the bottom of the oven and they add a bit of security if needed. However, I don't have ANY problem tipping it over to finish it off.
Here's a picture of it:
The ingot sinking out of sight - you're looking at probably 150 lbs of lead in there.
My brother and I did 650 lbs of smelting in an afternoon.
Ed, you're a better man than I am, these days. I have done 1000 lbs in a day and 650 in an afternoon was quite doable but I seriously doubt I could match you for a week ends work!
Dale53
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That looks just like my rig. I'm glad to know the cooker will hold that much weight. I've been smelting a half a pot at a time.
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Cast Iron Pots
Aubuchon hard ware
Antimony man site furnace and accessories
Bob D
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I cut a 20lb propane tank in half and welded a couple handles on it. It worked good over a turkey cooker. It of course has the round bottom. Mike
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I cut a 20lb propane tank in half and welded a couple handles on it. It worked good over a turkey cooker. It of course has the round bottom. Mike
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The only advise I have about using a dutch oven to melt lead is that if you find one at a grage sale or something that looks old do a little research before filling it with lead. Some of the old Griswolds are going for well over 200 bucks nowadays and I'm sure there's other brands doing the same thing. Buy one of the new cheaper brands from Walmart or Harbor Freight and leave the Lodge and comparable brands for the kitchen.
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I use a dutch oven that I got at HF for not that much. At a local junk store I found a really useful ladle, for not too much money, really a bargain.
Jerry
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