Casting/melting lead...

P

pilot_dc

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Ok, did a search, no luck...

Does anyone melt lead over a propane burner? Will this get hot enough, any other reason it wouldn't work?

Since I already have a propane burner, I'm thinking it's much cheaper to buy a cheap metal pot and laddle than an electric melting pot.
 
Yes propane is hot enough to melt lead. I constructed a large bottom pour pot that is heated by a propane torch (tiger torch) for reducing wheel weights into ingots and for alloying large volumes of lead. I would find casting bullets out of an open pot with a ladle too time consuming and frustrating for the amount I need to cast. I use a lee 20 lb cap. bottom pour electric pot for the actual bullet casting, I believe they are about $100 and it was money well spent.
 
Heavy metal

A propane burner, the kind sold at Canadian Tire for cooking corn cobs, is perfect for melting and cleaning wheelweights.
The only thing: make sure it can withstand the weight of a cast iron dutch oven full of 30 pounds or more of molten lead. You don't want it to tip over and spilll its contents!
I tend to favour low height burners for that reason.
A tip: take time to sort your wheelweights to make sure you don't let zinc ones slip through; this could ruin your entire alloy batch.
A good casting thermometer is a great accessory to avoid going too high and melting any zinc weights that got past the first sorting. If you monitor your heat carefully, it will float on the liquid lead like a viscous blob. Get it out before it melts and alloys.
Buy a cheap stainless ladle and drill a few small holes in the bottom to let liquid metal drip back into the melting pot when you are skimming dross. I riveted two wood handles on it and taped the whole shebang with aluminum muffler tape.Does a fine job.
I use Marvelux; it doesn't smoke and catch fire but it captures any floating dross and oxide.
I use a filtering mask for sorting wheelweights and primary metal fluxing and cleaning.
Once the metal is cleaned, you're safe. Lead and lead oxide dust are what is dangerous. Always keep your hands away from your mouth and eyes and wear gloves. Don't smoke.
Good luck!
PP.:)
 
I use a two burner propane camping stove. I only use one burner, and a heavy stainless steel kitchen pot. It works very well. It melts as fast, or faster than a bottom pour pot that I borrowed.
I use a ladle for casting, I usually do a few hundred at a time. It works fine for me.
 
How can zinc wheel weights be identified so they can be culled out before melting. I haven't seen any weights that look different in any recent batches. What should I be looking for so I don't spoil any bulk batches?
 
safest bet is to get your weights from a place that sorts clip-on weights from stick-on weights. The square stick-on weights are close to linotype alloy and you don't end up sifting steel clips from your melt-pot.
 
Cheap and simple way to tell when the alloy is getting too hot. Successive bullets come out frosted. At that point, I turn down the heat until they drop shiney but not frosted.

This way I don't need to cool the molds. Seems to work with WW alloy.

If I water quench, then the frosted bullets don't really matter but by then I have turned down the heat.

I use the propane burners found at surplus supply shop. comes with its own metal stand and is much more durable then a Coleman propane stock. Also, I camp with my coleman and the thought of having melted lead on it turns me off.

Jerry
Jerry
 
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