Smelting Pot

[AftermathAmmo]

Hello all,
I am trying to get into the whole reloading and casting process of bullet making. I had a few questions I was hoping some of you could answer for me. I have obtained quite a few lead weights for casting and I watched some videos on how to smelt them into 1lb ingots to then put into a Lee pot to be cast. My question is where could i buy a bigger smelting pot to melt large quantites. The one the man had in his video was about the size of a charcoal grill and it was hooked up to a propane tank. I guess my other question is since I am brand new to this what would you guys recomend I purchase off the Lee website to get my bullet casting going. I am already ordering there Press Kit so thats taken care of I just wanted to know what all I would need beside a mold, the pot and the ladel.

Thanks for the help.

[smkummer]

A dutch oven works great for larger quantities. A turkey fryer will work to melt wheel weights with the dutch oven on top. You really have to make sure you keep zink from melting in your pot or you may waist the whole pot of lead. If you melt real slow with a low temp., you can avoid the zink from melting if they make it into your pot. goood luck PS. I usually sort and melt my wheel weights in my Lee 20LB. pot. www.castboolits.gunloads.com is a great site for lead "boolits.

[Gatofeo]

Cast iron or thick steel are needed for melting lead. NEVER use an aluminum pot: the aluminum heats, is weakened, and the weight of the lead can crack or break the aluminum pot, suddenly throwing molten lead all over the place.
An old Dutch oven is good, but they're not found at a cheap price as they once were. At least, not here in Utah. I used to see them occasionally at thrift stores. Today, folks snatch them up for cooking or as decorators.
I paid $12 for mine at an antique store. The owner gave me a good deal because it had no lid and was rusty. But it had a good, strong bail.
You absolutely should have a bail (handle) on it, so you can move it around while hot.
I heat mine on a propane stove designed for a turkey fryer. Propane is best because you can set up anywhere. I've taken mine out camping in the desert, set up "shop" and cast over the weekend.
If your neighbors can see you casting, be prepared for some know-it-all to demand you stop "polluting" with toxic lead. For the past 15 years or so, lead has become -- in the minds of the uninformed -- as toxic as cyanide. Lead should be cast outdoors or in a well ventilated area, and keep your hands away from your mouth and eyes while doing so, but it's not as dangerous as many folks believe.
Wash your hands before eating or drinking (though few people put their hands in what they drink).

The warning to keep zinc out of your lead is correct. It will cause your alloy to become lumpy and useless for bullets. There is no cure, no purification. Such lead can be cast into 1-pound coffee cans and made into anchors. That's about it.
I understand that some of the wheelweights used today have zinc in them. You'll have to check the net to verify that.
I know of no means to positively identify zinc in scrap lead before casting. Perhaps the net has a means.
I have a few hundred pounds of lead, collected years ago before zinc became an issue.

By all means, try to go with propane and a cast iron pot. It's portable and probably cheaper to use than electricity.