A question on a smelter

[PuppetZ]

I was looking for a turkey drier and found one I think. It puts out 40k BTU so it should be plenty for smelting my WW. Only question mark for me is how would the aluminum pot would hold up to the heat. What do you think. Could I use it or should I look for an steel one?

[ssnow]

You should avoid aluminum pots and find a steel or cast iron pot.

[Teddy (punchie)]

Aluminum pot and old Colman three burner , let the lead not be melted where it is in contact with enough heat and it will melt. start slow and just a little heat and once you have some in the bottom you may get by.

[shadowcaster]

DO NOT use aluminum for smelting. It will fail and if Murphy is helping, it will be at the most inopertune time. Stick with cast iron or steel. Aluminum works fine for molds.

Shad

[mikeym1a]

I was looking for a turkey drier and found one I think. It puts out 40k BTU so it should be plenty for smelting my WW. Only question mark for me is how would the aluminum pot would hold up to the heat. What do you think. Could I use it or should I look for an steel one?

I asked the same question just a few days ago. The consensus was 'NO'. Mine is a fish fryer, instead of a turkey fryer, and it had a big aluminum pot with it. BUT, it is not heavily made, and is intended for temperatures in the 200 - 250 degree range, not the 500 - 700 degree range needed for lead alloy smelting. I made my pot out of an old freon can, cut off the bottom 1/2, and cut off the handles from the top, and welded those onto the sides. Now I need to make a skirt to go around the bottom of the fryer, and direct the heat further up the sides. I was only getting smelting temperatures about 1/3 the way up the pot. Like others have suggested, if you have an out-of-date LP can, remove the valve assembly, let set for a while, and then fill with hot water. That'll remove any left over LP from the can, do it again for 'General Principals', and then cut it apart. The LP cans are of heavier construction than the Freon. Others have used aluminum with success, but, I worry about it. So, I stuck with steel.

[alfloyd]

"It puts out 40k BTU"

That is the minnimum BTU output that I would use.
More is better. Mine puts out, I think, 75k, and it still takes a while to melt a pot full ( LP gas pot that holds 200 lbs of melted lead ) of wheel weights.

Lafaun

[cbrick]

As was mentioned, aluminum pots are designed and meant for cooking where the temp couldn't ever reach lead melting temps. Over the years there have been many posts on this forum of aluminum pots that gave way when full of melted lead.

Give the pot to the wife to use for cooking and get a cast iron or steel one for your lead.

Rick

[RickinTN]

I've purchased several stainless pots from my local Goodwill thrift store. I have not paid more than $6 for one, and most have been in the $3 to $4 range. I just bought a 6-quart for my smelting and prefer a 2-quart for my casting. I do have an electric casting furnace but have grown to prefer casting on my Coleman stove. I do ladle pour. When you consider that a quart pot will hold about 23 pounds of molten alloy it doesn't take as big a pot as one might think. I don't smelt in as large a batch as some others do and a 6-quart pot will easily do 50 to 60 pounds of melt and then be less than half full when molten. Aluminum scares me, and I see no need to take the chance. If I'm using a pot which has a handle I drill at least one hole through the handle and pot and bolt them together. I don't trust a soldered or brazed-on connection here. As mentioned above Murphy can appear at any time. I'm not sure, but I think Murphy's first name must have been Rick because I've seen the law in action more times than I care to mention.
Good Luck and spend just a little and get a good stainless pot,
Rick

[Defcon-One]

The pot will be very soft and thin Aluminum. It is a piece of junk, made in China and not even good for in the kitchen use.

I cut the bottom out of mine, leaving just a 1/2 " flange for side sability, and used it as a wind screen around my melting pot. It fits right around my 7 quart cast iron dutch oven perfectly and redirects the heat back to the pot.

It takes time for a large mass of lead to heat to melting temperature, no matter what size burner you use. You do not need a jet engine to do it. Just a little patience!

Just my 2 cents!

[PuppetZ]

Rgr rgr! Steel pot it is then.

[wistlepig1]

Cast Iron or steel, 10lbs of hot lead on your foot will leave a MARK! My2 cents