Smelting?

[kerkring]

What kind of setup do you guys and gals use when you need to melt metals such as lead for e.g. projection
experiments? What is the cheapest and easiest way of doing it?

1> With gas using a turkey burner?

2> With electrical heating using a hotpad that can go over 350°C? Or with a soldering iron?

3> With a coal fire?

And what do you use as a crucible? Metal or ceramic? Will an iron or steel cooking pan do? And do you need
to pour the molten metal into another kind of mold or container for cooling so you can recover it? Or how do you remove your cooled down sample from the crucible?

thanks

[theFool]

In general, I use an electric hotpad controlled by a 1000W dimmer so that I keep the temperature under check and steady. I haven't try smelting, but I suppose a porcelain crucible would do well.

[Salazius]

I use wood.

[solomon levi]

I use stainless steel as a crucible.
I pour the metal out on another iron plate.

Lead has a very low melting point.
You could just use a propane torch in a stainless steel "crucible".
Yes, a cooking pot will do.
Or you can find stainless steel bowls at a thrift store for a couple bucks.

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