Name yer meltin' Pot - recommendations?

Well, I tend to be primitive. I have a fire pot that I use on those camp grounds that don't allow ground fires. I set this up on an old aquarium stand. Using dropped maple branches for firewood. I stick my three legged cast iron cauldron, with the lid on, in the middle of it. The cauldron used to be one of those fire starter pots that set by a fire place. I build up a good pile of coals, move the cauldron to the side and bank them around the cauldron. By now the lead is melted, and its just a matter of waiting for the surface of the lead to turn a nice straw color. Next to this I have a short piece of 1x10" that holds an old sheet metal skillet, my moulds and a cushion of cloth to drop my balls and bullets on. The skillet also does the duty of cleaning salvage lead. I'll do a picture the next time I throw balls. When I salvage lead, I pour the cleaned lead into a soapstone mold I made. It comes out in the shape of large 1/4 inch thick flat washers. I can string these on a rope for easy carrying./ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif

 

[mowolf]

Sharps4590 where bouts in the Ozarks are you located?

 

The 20lb/ Lee is the best bang for the buck. My Saeco 22lbs. pot works great for my aloyed bullets.

 

[Stumpkiller]

I've got my trusty Lee 10 lb. bottom pour w/thermostat. For the initial melt of scrap lead into ingots I use a small, black iron kettle (plumber's pot?) that also holds about 10 lbs. on my 30 year old Coleman stove.

There is just something magical every time I skim the dross off that crud in the iron pot and am greeted with the pure, silver shine of molten lead.