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I usta melt my casting lead in an Aluminum pot. Is there a problem with using an aluminum pot? Never had a problem so far with the resulting ingots.
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YES. The aluminum pots loose their strength at the high temperatures that you smelt lead at. Aluminum works for fryers where the temperature doesn't climb above 400F. When smelting, you are at the slump temp for aluminum AND it is trying to contain a much heavier and denser material.
Aluminum pots used for smelting can and will fail catastrophically. When they do it will be with little or no warning. There is nothing you can do except run like hell if the pot starts to slump. I'll spend the extra $30 and get something made of the proper material.
I have an aluminum basket I put my WW into and set into my smelting pot so I don't have to skim for the clips. At room temperature the basket is very sturdy, but once it gets up to temp in the smelting pot, the aluminum is as soft as wet pasta. I would not trust that to contain the full weight of the melt.
Smelting lead in an aluminum pot is like boiling water in a paper cup. Technically possible, but a very bad idea as you have no safety margin.