Waage melting pot...anyone know about these?

[Geofois]

I picked up a used one for $20 and see on ebay they are like $300 used but it says solder melting pot, but thats the asking price not the getting price. Anyone know why they are so expensive? I just figured I'll play with an old one before buying a Lee bottom pour. It's heavy, square, with what looks like an iron bowl. Maybe it's just for solder so probably just put on ebay. Temp ends at 500 so not hot enough for lead.

[Sandspider500]

Did you turn it on?

[Sandspider500]

I'm sure it can get hotter. Open it up and monkey the thermostat. If you can keep that washer and dryer running, you can get that to melt lead.

[Geofois]

Originally Posted by Sandspider500

Did you turn it on?

"It's aliiiivvve!!" It probably hasn't been turned on in years. I put a lyman thermometer in it and it stopped at 600F exactly. I put a lead ingot inside that I think is pure lead and it melted it. Maybe the lyman thermometer isn't accurate since lead melts at 621.5F right? The material that was inside melted then pooled then I put the ingot inside. Hopefully it wasn't solder. If it is solder and I mixed it with lead can I add more lead and make some minies?

[Sandspider500]

I bypassed the thermostat of a little 10lb Lee pot and it will melt zinc, that's 785f. It runs 500w. I have seen the Lee 20lb pot get up to 1200f and it's 700w. What's the wattage of that waage you have?

How much solder was inside? 50/50 melts at like 420f something. Wheel weight lead is like 520f.

[Geofois]

Wattage is 600
I don't know what the material was. It's from a guy who's grandpa did lots of casting so I'd think it was lead but I'm not sure. Maybe 4oz or less of metal. It was so little when it melted it was just a couple mm of depth maybe 4mm.

Should I melt it again and tilt it away from me to dump it out carefully? Or maybe ladle it out? I can use my pencil to check bhn and if it is soft then probably fine for a minie ball.

[Sandspider500]

Nah, throw some lead in there and cast.

[Geofois]

When I used the pencils I ordered to test it seems what is inside the melting pot is at or above bhn 14 with whatever is inside. Maybe I better turn it upside and and turn it on and let it just empty out. Since there isn't moving parts that should be fine right? I can put something at the corners to keep it off the ground that won't burn then use my fishing weights. When I used the pencil on those they seem like pure lead. The ingots I got are probably from wheel weights and not pure lead. If I cast a few minies from the ingots that won't mess up the barrel will it? I'd thing worst case they just won't expand and accuracy will suffer but they should still be softer than the barrel.

Edit: I think the ingots I got are in the 14 bhn range and maybe they were quenched but my 2.5lb fishing weights are pure. I read when they age they can get harder but I think they have to have antimony and tin. The 10 mm thick piece plopped out so now it's totally empty. I'll play with the fishing weight for making minies.

[Sandspider500]

You'd be better off with pure.

[pacrat]

When I used the pencils I ordered to test it seems what is inside the melting pot is at or above bhn 14 with whatever is inside. Maybe I better turn it upside and and turn it on and let it just empty out. Since there isn't moving parts that should be fine right?

IMO, not advisable. No moving parts, because these type little smelters use convection to transfer heat UP into the pot. With the cast iron pot acting as a heat sink drawing energy away from the innerds.

JM2c

[Geofois]

Originally Posted by pacrat

IMO, not advisable. No moving parts, because these type little smelters use convection to transfer heat UP into the pot. With the cast iron pot acting as a heat sink drawing energy away from the innerds.

JM2c

That's a really good point.

[JPimbo]

Once upon a time they sold wage at Buffalo arms