Melting lead

[Lippy984]

So I acquired some lead flashing from a roofer, and tried melting it down to make ingots. I recently bought a small cast iron pot to use, and figured my Coleman stove would do the trick. I don’t know if the pot is just too big, or maybe the stove doesn’t get it hot enough. But it didn’t work all that good until I stuck the pot in the campfire. Melted real quick that way.
What are some heating methods for melting down large quantities of lead, so I don’t need to make a fire every time?

 

[mooman76]

I started out on a Coleman stove and did it for many years. Are you talking propane or gas? Mine was coleman fuel. A small cast iron pot is ideal.

 

[bpd303]

I too have used a Coleman stove with a large cast iron pot that would hold about 50 pounds of lead. After the pot got heated up, it didn't take long to melt the lead. I have also used one of those propane turkey fryer's with good results. For melting lead to cast balls/bullets I use an electric bottom pour Lyman pot.

 

[Lippy984]

I started out on a Coleman stove and did it for many years. Are you talking propane or gas? Mine was coleman fuel. A small cast iron pot is ideal.

I just bought a new duel fuel stove. I don’t have Coleman fuel, so I ran it on unleaded gas. I had it running on high for at least a half hour, and it was barely melting. The stove seemed to be operating just fine.

 

[Troyfairweather]

You can fold some tinfoil and seal up around the pot, it help keep the heat in. Big loose chucks of lead can be hard to melt, once there's some melted lead the rest melts down better.

 

[griffiga]

I used a Colman stove for years and it worked fine, for a pot I bought a small 4 inch cast iron frying pan. I could easily melt a couple pounds of lead in it

 

[Eterry]

I started with a white gas Coleman stove and a small cast iron skillet in 1979. IIRC, it was more sensitive to wind than my 45 rifle was. Make sure you turn it into the wind and use the side boards if they still have them.
It takes a while, over 30 minutes, to bring it to temp, after that adding a little lead at a time worked great.
Even my new fangled electric pot takes a while to come to melting temp.
Welcome to the Addiction.

 

[LawrenceA]

Originally I bought a little propane camp stove and a second hand stainless steel pot from the Opp shop.
For a dipper I used a second hand gravy ladle. Used Muffin tins to make my ingots.
Worked great for making ingots and fine for the most part for casting.

Got more into casting and now cast for:

• 224
• 257
• 310
• 326
• 451
• 458
• 490
• 500
• 530
• 540
• 577
• 610
• and 12g slug.

Now I use a LEE production pot for casting and use the pot and stove to melt down flashing, wheel weights etcetera.

 

[MSW]

just don't use the old aluminum pot from the 'dollar store' ... the bottom will blow out

 

[Enfield58]

I have a Lyman electric pot that holds 20 pounds of lead. It's served me well for almost 40 years.

 

[Lippy984]

Originally I bought a little propane camp stove and a second hand stainless steel pot from the Opp shop.
For a dipper I used a second hand gravy ladle. Used Muffin tins to make my ingots.
Worked great for making ingots and fine for the most part for casting.

Got more into casting and now cast for:

• 224
• 257
• 310
• 326
• 451
• 458
• 490
• 500
• 530
• 540
• 577
• 610
• and 12g slug.

Now I use a LEE production pot for casting and use the pot and stove to melt down flashing, wheel weights etcetera.

That’s exactly what I’m trying to do here. Use my Lee furnace for casting, but use a pot so I can pour into the ingot moulds

 

[Lippy984]

I think next time I’ll try all of your suggestions...pre-heat the pot so to speak, start with some clean lead in the bottom, and maybe make a tinfoil lid. Thank you all

 

[Linc]

Turkey fryer base with a cast iron kettle. Cast iron ladle to pour molten lead into ingots.

 

[mooman76]

I've used a kitchen stove too, both elec and gas but I wouldn't do that except with good clean lead. I now use Lee pots but you would want your lead clean for that too. I used my coleman stove so much the grate warped on it from use.

 

[ZUG]

I use a turkey fryer and a 12" steel wok to clean my scrap lead so I can make lead pucks which will go in my Lee 20 pound pot.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I have used a Coleman stove many times to melt down scrap lead. Get yerself an old dutch oven from a flea market and use that. Large quantities take a long time to get up to melt temp. After they do you can work at production speed.

 

[eggwelder]

I render all my scrap lead over a fire and a steel pot. Uses up the scrap wood, and wont get hot enough to melt zinc COWW in the time that i give it to melt. I use COWW lead for plinking

 

[Kansas Jake]

I too use a gas coleman stove to melt and clean scrap lead. I use a steel sauce pan about 6-8" in diameter. I have a small cast iron pot, but think it's diameter is almost too small to get into the main heat of the burner. As others have said wind can make a big difference in time to get up to heat. I try to turn the stove so the windshields break any wind. I just use plain unleaded gas in my stove. Years ago Coleman sold their gas because it was unleaded and most auto gas at the pump was leaded and would mess up the stove. Plain unleaded gas should work fine. Just avoid ethanol as it can gum things up over time.

 

[toot]

I use a turkey fryer and a 12" steel wok to clean my scrap lead so I can make lead pucks which will go in my Lee 20 pound pot.View attachment 43853

now I rely like that idea!

 

[Mulebrain]

As a cast iron junkie

Wonder how many have been eating food out of cast iron, that was used to melt lead.

Heck maybe it wouldn't be harmful, as long as you clean it out well