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Old July 6, 2011, 11:46 AM   #1
rbf420
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need help with ww to ingnots

whats the best way to melt down WWs im using a dutch oven and campfire (pallets) currently and its just not working, ive heard mention of fish fryers and particular model/brand thats good or any other methods that are worth mentioning? thanks for the help
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Old July 6, 2011, 03:02 PM   #2
flintshooter
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Any of them from Walmart, Lowes, Gander Mtn, Cabelas, (insert favorite outdoor store here). You will be surprised how fast you can melt a pot of lead with one of these. A good lead thermometer would be a good idea too.
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Old July 6, 2011, 06:56 PM   #3
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I use my fish fryer all the time, for the smelting process. As flintshooter has mentioned, any of these should be just fine. I literally can get mine to roar and the melt is fast. Most of my ingots are out of muffin tins. I also run sinkers and decoy weights.


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Old July 6, 2011, 07:23 PM   #4
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I use a fish fryer too. It gets up to heat quickly and I spend more time removing steel clips and dross than I do filling ingot molds. Once you start getting a melt, it goes quickly.

One caution: Once you've used an pot, pan, or spoon for melting lead, I'd mark it somehow so that it's never in the food business again.
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Old July 6, 2011, 07:40 PM   #5
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How many pounds are you talking about? I do about 10 to 15 pounds at a time in a stainless steel saucepan on an electric hotplate. It's cheaper than buying propane or Coleman fuel, and easier to control than burning wood.

(what I need is a big electric or natural gas furnace)
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Old July 6, 2011, 07:53 PM   #6
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So far I'm doing small (<50#) lots in my Lee 20# pot-one without bottom pour. It melts them almost as fast as I can sort them. If I get a few hundred pounds piled up I'll get a propane setup.
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Old July 7, 2011, 06:25 AM   #7
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Melt em anyway ya can ,as safely as ya can !!

Don`t add wet lead to a melt !!!

Don`t use aluminum pots or pans to melt in !!!!


JUST DON`T

& DON`T ASK HOW I KNOW THIS


I`ve been lucky not to be seriously hurt or burnt , YET
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Old July 7, 2011, 08:43 AM   #8
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You don't see them so often anymore, but a nice cast iron plumber's lead melting pot is perfect. Shaped like a small cauldron except for a flatter bottom. One of those with a stand is great. The fryer burners are fast, but a Bunsen burner is plenty of Btu"s for these things if you aren't in a hurry, and uses a lot less fuel. They're still made, along with special burners, though I don't know how many plumbers or body work guys actually use them these days.
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Old July 7, 2011, 08:47 AM   #9
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I've used a single-burner Coleman camp stove for years. $20 at walmart and I can get through about 60 lbs of smelting on one throw-away tank. I've been threatening for a very long time to just get a remote line for my 8gal tank and be done with little disposables, but just haven't yet. It works just fine as-is.
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Old July 7, 2011, 06:35 PM   #10
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Rangefinder beat me to it.
The Coleman stoves work fine and you can find them everywhere. New or old, it dont matter.

I much prefer my turkey fryer, but I end up using the Coleman once in a while.


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Old July 8, 2011, 10:15 AM   #11
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And I'd add in that when I got my turkey fryer burner I was able to buy just the burner. I think Gander Mountain had them for $30 when I was in there one day. About half what they wanted for whole fryer set at the time, though I've seen at least one of those complete sets online for $40. Lots of expensive burners are out there, too, but I've also noticed you can buy replacement burner tips for under $10 if you want to plumb your own and can make your own stand.
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Old July 8, 2011, 10:48 AM   #12
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I'm just about to get started too. I'm following the advice in this thread:

http://thefiringline.com/forums/showthread.php?t=346199

to get rolling. The turkey fryer is on its way!

--Wag--
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Old July 8, 2011, 12:51 PM   #13
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I prefer the fish fryer heigth.

I prefer the fish fryer burner, only because it sets up higher than the turkey fryer. Just a bit handier. ....
I also get more service out of my fish fryer as I can fry other foods outside, like chicken, potatoes, stir-fry and somtimes beef liver. ....

Quote:
I've used a single-burner Coleman camp stove for years.
I did as well and had plenty of heat to boot. Found this a bit tipsy where the fish fryer, is pretty stabile.


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Old July 15, 2011, 12:19 PM   #14
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I use a propane stove with a dutch oven. Works fine.

Steve
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Old July 26, 2011, 12:53 PM   #15
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Originally I used an old plumbers leadpot and burner but found that to be a bit unstable. I found an old "dutch oven" cast iron pot in a scrap yard (too rusted to be any good for cooking) and I use it on top of my propane turkey frier. Its a lot more stable and I can melt quite a bit more lead per session.

My scoop is from a long handled straining spoon that I attached a wodden handle to. To ladle the lead into ingots, I use the lyman ladle.

My ingot molds are cast iron corn roasters.

I worked for a little over 7 years in a tire shop and saved the old wheel wights from there. In a months time I could fill a 15 gallon drum with used weights (no, I brought them home in 5 gal pails with 3 to 4 gallons worth in each and stored them in the 15 gal empty oil drum untill I smelted them into ingots).
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Old July 29, 2011, 10:47 PM   #16
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I use a turkey fryer that I got at walmart. The only complaint I have about it is the timer system on it. Other wise for 45 bucks its hard to complain about.
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