Using a cast iron pot to melt lead

[Billnpatti]

I am looking for a way to use my cast iron pot to melt lead to run ball. Several years back when I bought the pot, we ived in an older house that still had the gas jets for space heaters sticking out of the wall. I had an old Fisher burner that I could hook up to the gas jet and I could melt lead and run ball just fine. Now, we live in a newer home without the gas jets. So, I have no source for gas to operate my Fisher burner. I tried using the kitchen stove but one little tiny (in my opinion but not in hers) spill on the stove top got me banished from using the kitchen stove. Next, I tried using the burner on my fish frier. The grate was perfect but the burner was too big and I fried my hand every time I went to dip out some lead. My next idea was to use my small single burner gasoline camp stove. It looks sort of like a lantern bottom with a burner on top instead of a lantern globe. It worked great for a while and then as the grate got red hot, the weight of the lead and the pot caused the wire grate to sag until the pot was sitting on the burner. I had to replace the grate.

So here I sit. I have a cast iron pot, lead, ladle, molds, etc and no idea of how to heat my pot. Oh, BTW I did try heating it in a camp fire once but that is not a comfortable position to be in for very long if you want to cast very many balls. Anybody got any ideas on how I can heat my pot. I do have a bottom pour Lee electric pot and have been using it but I much prefer using a ladle and feel that I get much better balls using a ladle. I want to use my cast iron pot. Gimme a workable idea. :hatsoff:

 

[Tumblernotch]

Make a steel frame with a grate heavy enough to straddle your little stove. This will support your pot without smashing the stove. I use a Coleman two burner camp stove and the grate used to sag on it. I simply laid two pieces of 1/4" square stock across the grate to distribute the weight better and it works great.

 

[JayDee Flohr]

Quite a few different brands of elec. single burners out there. Here's one.....
Link

 

[nkbj]

Nobody jumped up and said don't ever do that indoors or around a food prep area so I'm honored to be the first.

 

[Billnpatti]

Thanks, Goodcheer, for pointing that out. :applause: You are absolutely right. Don't forget good ventillation, too. There are other safety considerations as well. :hmm: Lead is hot and can cause very serious burns if your pot is not secure and happens to spill lead on you. There is also a fire consideration. Whenever you flux lead, if you use too much flux you can have the vapors catch fire and possibly set something on fire in your work area. Use care in selecting your work area and do not use more flux than you actually need.

Thanks again, Goodcheer. Good catch! :thumbsup: safety must be a foremost consideration whenever we are running ball. Let's enjoy our passtime safely. :hatsoff:

 

[paulvallandigham]

Bill: Back when my Dad began casting, he too had an iron pot. He " rescued" an electric, single burner unit from a Pop corn popper, and used that. However, the heating element covered a wider area than his pot, so he had your problem of burning his hand in getting to the pot. Gloves only helped a little. So, he make a collar to fit the burner, out of sheet metal, that directed the heat towards the pot. That vastly improved the burner's ability to heat the pot up to casting temperature, but he had no thermostatic control to improve the heat, or cool it down. So, he eventually bought the cheapest electric pot that Lyman sells, to use with his ladle. The Cast Iron pot was retired and used to melt down scrap lead outdoors, where it was then poured into his Lyman ingot mold. But he used that dipper, and the open top pot for years, as did I.

You might try making a sheet steel collar to direct the heat from the burner to the pot, and keep it from burning you. And, If you go to most scrap yards, you should be able to find a piece of grating, or some kind of heavy grill that you can put on top of your Coleman grill- or replace it with the heavier metal. Since metal to metal acts as a heat sink, to some extent, just putting a heavy grating on top of the Coleman wire grill may cool the wire enough that it won't sag, or collapse. The nice thing about having a piece of heavy grating is that it is easily cooled down when you finish, by spraying it with water, or throwing it in a stream, AND, it can be taken with your pot to any campsight so you can cast, and demonstrate casting to the "pilgrims". :thumbsup:

 

[mazo kid]

How big is that pot? I would suggest just putting 6-8 pounds of lead in at a time if the weight is that much of a factor. With the lead up to casting temp, you can add a little at a time as you use it up. Yes, safety is a major consideration; I have a reloading bench in the basement and have an old range hood mounted in a corner, vented outside. I cast round ball and bullets and wear leather gloves and a long sleeve shirt. If you are working close to the pot, then safety glasses are a good idea also. I have 2 bottom pour pots and a couple of smaller cast iron pots that I use over a camp fire or with an old hot plate. Hope you find something suitable to continue enjoying this part of our hobby.

 

[necchi]

I use a Coleman two burner camp stove and the grate used to sag on it. I simply laid two pieces of 1/4" square stock across the grate to distribute the weight better and it works great.

Ditto, same set-up,,
I had round rod handy so used that, the "feet" of the small pot I have keeps it locked in position in the grate. And the 6-8 pounds is another good tip, that's about all I need to melt at a time and can get 150 ball out of it. Mine is x-ray lead sheet so I just slice small pieces off an add them as needed.

 

[playfarmers]

I used a propane camp stove before I got a Lee bottom pour electic pot.

 

[Jblk]

I use the burner from a turkey deep fryer.You can usually pick one up at a yard sale fairly cheap.A cast iron skillet will work just fine to melt your lead.A small ladle will complete your kit.You can also fashion a burner out of a old hot water heater.

 

[RADeO]

I am looking for a way to use my cast iron pot to melt lead to run ball. Several years back when I bought the pot, we ived in an older house that still had the gas jets for space heaters sticking out of the wall. I had an old Fisher burner that I could hook up to the gas jet and I could melt lead and run ball just fine. Now, we live in a newer home without the gas jets. So, I have no source for gas to operate my Fisher burner. I tried using the kitchen stove but one little tiny (in my opinion but not in hers) spill on the stove top got me banished from using the kitchen stove. Next, I tried using the burner on my fish frier. The grate was perfect but the burner was too big and I fried my hand every time I went to dip out some lead. My next idea was to use my small single burner gasoline camp stove. It looks sort of like a lantern bottom with a burner on top instead of a lantern globe. It worked great for a while and then as the grate got red hot, the weight of the lead and the pot caused the wire grate to sag until the pot was sitting on the burner. I had to replace the grate.

So here I sit. I have a cast iron pot, lead, ladle, molds, etc and no idea of how to heat my pot. Oh, BTW I did try heating it in a camp fire once but that is not a comfortable position to be in for very long if you want to cast very many balls. Anybody got any ideas on how I can heat my pot. I do have a bottom pour Lee electric pot and have been using it but I much prefer using a ladle and feel that I get much better balls using a ladle. I want to use my cast iron pot. Gimme a workable idea. :hatsoff:

There are lots of good ideas here, but do you have the option of converting your Fisher burner to propane? I am not familiar with the brand, but I am sure it has a metering jet which may be able to be replaced. I believe the jet orifice for propane has to be smaller than that for natural gas, but I don't know for sure. Hopefully someone here with more knowledge on the subject will give you expert advice.

By converting to propane you can use your existing equipment fed from a 20lb. bulk tank.

 

[laney1566]

Ditto! But I use mine for ingot making.

 

[Billnpatti]

Thanks, Gentlemen, for your very helpful input. I think I can combine your suggestions and come up with something workable for me. As soon as finances allow, I will buy a Lee pot that allows me to use a ladle. Meanwhile, I am going to put to use some of the ideas that y'all have given me. Thanks. :thumbsup:

Bill

 

[jbtusa]

I always use an old cast iron pot on my Coleman camp stove. Works great but only do that outside. Fumes!

 

[sniper68]

I always use an old cast iron pot on my Coleman camp stove. Works great but only do that outside.

:thumbsup:
My Dad being an avid caster and my managing a large sporting goods store for about 8 years, gave me the opportunity to use most furnaces on the market at the time(70's/80's).. :grin: I still use a Coleman stove with a cast iorn pot and laddle. I can produce much more constiant "round balls" that way and for me it's more fun. My Dad has passed and for the last 9 years, his furnaces are full of lead and setting out in the barn.

 

[poordevil]

I cover the area with alumn. foil. Any spills land on the foil. Clean up is just gather up the foil and toss! :thumbsup:

 

[OB OBrien]

Do I see in the picture that you have the molds over the other burner to keep them hot?
Thanks OB

 

[necchi]

Hey looks just like my set up, near the same size pot too.

OB,,I don't think he's got that burner on the left lit, I got the bright idea to try that, and put my Lyman mold next too the pot with the burnere going,,thought I'd ditch their advise and "preheat" my mold..
Guess what? I messed it up! :cursing: The sprue cutter plate warped because it's a different thickness metal and heated faster/uneven than the blocks! Put me out of commision till I ordered a new plate from Lyman,,Oh, and they cost 11.75 shipped.
So I learned to just cast and toss the first 20 or so with the iron blocks, Lee's heat up faster but don't hold it the same. It's a different rythym with aluminum vrs steel blocks

 

[sniper68]

I keep the left burner as low as it will go. You have to play around with where you leave mold, especially a Lee! I only have one in round ball, the rest are steel. Hey necchi, when your mold starts turning orange, it's a little too hot!

:rotf: Sorry. :grin:
What doesn't show is the half round notch in the wind screen that the handle is setting in. I pour over the pot, so run off and the spur go directly back in the pot. The ladle goes back in the pot between pours. The handle resting in the notch keeps it secure. :v
The propane torch in the background is my turbo temp boost, for when I first start off, or adding some more lead to refill the pot. :v