Is it ok to use stainless steel pan to melt wheel weights? Thanks in advance.

No reason it wouldn't melt lead, but there are reasons the cast iron pots are used. One is that molten lead is hotter than a plastic or other non-metal pot handle could likely stand up to. Another is that you have to flux and stir lead, scraping the bottom of the pot, so the pot has to withstand that treatment indefinitely. Another is that the molten metal is heavy. If you try to pick up a conventional stainless pot by its handle you might have it bend or break, spilling molten lead all over the floor or yourself.

If you never move the pot off a burner or ring stand while it's hot, and only dip metal out of it, it may be OK. I just wouldn't pick it up until the metal has solidified and cooled enough to be safe to touch, so I wouldn't be pouring ingots from it. Cast iron is cheap enough that it's not worth messing with a lightweight stainless substitute.

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"First contemplation of the problems of Interior Ballistics gives the impression that they should yield rather easily to relatively simple methods of analysis. Further study shows the subject to be of almost unbelievable complexity." Homer Powley

Go down to the local second hand store and get an old cast iron dutch oven ....should be able to pick one up for under 10 bucks .

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unclenick,

Excellent assessment of a stainless steel pot for bullet casting. You covered the plastic handle and safety issues that applied to an event nearby last year-you said it all.

Webley

Can't see why not, I cast my first ingots with one, "noobie" had a copper base which I think helped hold the heat.

The only worry I have is where I drilled holes to fit an carry handle, looked a bit flimsy & if it fails, will not be a pretty sight.

I started out with a stainless one quart pot. It worked OK. Is what I had. Cabbaged on to a two quart cast-iron one for free. Is much superier because of the reasons unclenick mentioned. Also ( because of increased capacity) it makes better use of common heat sources like Coleman stoves and turkey fryers.

Very sturdy material at the tempuratures we are working with.
Cast iron is the best most cost-effective choice for home casting work.

Cheezywan

MY experience: I'm new to bullet casting as well as super cheap. I made the pot the I use out of aluminum (I had access to a TIG welder and scrap AL) and bolted a tube steel handle to it. It heats up quick but also cools quick so I have to pay attention (which is good). I didn't want to spend too much to get started 'cuz I wasn't sure I would stick with it. My results were good but I still haven't made up my mind on my future with bullet casting. If I do decide to keep doing it, I'll buy a bottom poor furnace. Your mileage may vary...

I don't advise using aluminum for a smeltering pot as it's my understanding that aluminum can't take the high heat required to melt lead alloy and will eventually fail. Strongly suggest switching to a cast iron pot which is what most of us casters use. You should be able to find one at your local thrift shop for a very reasonable price.

Lead melts at around 400 which is the high side of regular cooking operations. A lot of cooking pots and pans are AL. However, the biggest negative IMO, is AL's quick cooling. Cast iron holds the heat much better.

All this seems to complicated when lee sells a melter for $20

You are probably citing 400 degrees Centigrade which equates to about 650 degrees Fahrenheit. Add some tin, arsnic, and antimony and the melting point goes up a bit higher. Putting about 40 lbs of wheel weights into an AL pot and firing up a propane heater under it for about half an hour for smelting is not safe. Especially if it's done with the same pot regularly.

Use the $20 Lee melter for clean alloy.
Melting wheel weights, range scrap, etc is best done in a different pot.
..

I have two

I've been casting for a long time. When I first started I melted some wheel weights in an aluminum pan too, I soon also melted the pan. Its just plain not too smart.

I also melted them in a stainless fry pan using a propane stove for heat. The handles didn't last long. They were something like bakolite, not normal plastic, and definetly not reiable.

A cast iron pot is just a lot safer, and when it comes to molten lead, I'll go the safe route.

I used to make fishing sinkers long before I started casting bullets and used an aluminum pot. Fahrenheit or Celsius, that pot melted (actually slumped and fell apart). The aluminum does not indicate high temp by color change like iron or steel would, just gave way with about 20 lbs. of lead in it, heated on a Coleman stove. When I started casting bullets I used a stainless steel pot with no problems at all. My SS pot had a SS handle that got hot but I used gloves if I moved the pot.

Just need to "think through" what you are doing. Molten lead is NOT something that you want to deal with while wearing a thong and walking in flip-flops.

There are "stickies" that address this at the top of this board. Is good to re-read them every now and then for safety. Being careless or too cheap just once can cause a lifetime of trouble that can be avoided if you "just think about what you are doing".

Be safe all.

Cheezywan

gentlemen I have been casting lead for 40+ years now. I will tell you 2 things that happened to me and let you deside as to what you want to do. (1) I wa about 18 and had been casting fish sinkers with a friend who had all the stuff to do it with. to make a long story short he dies. and his wife gave me all the moulds he had and the little turkey fryer that he haad built. but not the pot so.. I get me a aluminum pot and start melting some lead. it's a hot day I go inside to get a drink. and come out to find that the pot had failed. (what a mess ) the thing to learn from this is DO NOT USE ALUMINUM POTS TO MELT LEAD IN. (2) skipping ahead in life I am around 59 years old now I get a cast iron pot to melt lead in. it works great till one day I was melting some wheel weights. and pouring ingots. I got some crud in my ladel. and hit the side of the pot to knock it out. when a hair line crack formed. and a thin ribbin of lead came out the side of the pot. again what a mess .I will never use a aluminum or cast iron pot again to melt lead in. I will only use steel pots now. you ask what kind of a steel pot the best kind there is FREE. here is what you do go find a lod 20 lb propaine tank. take the valve out of it. put in a small bottle of Dawn dish soap and fill with water. let it set for 5 days. this is called purgeing you have to do this to get all the gas out of the tank. after 5 days get a side grinder and cut the tank in 1/2. presto there is your melting pot. it will hold 100 + pounds of lead. but just rember to purge the tank first. if not you can end up HURT or even DEAD. and for those that do not have the equiptment or do not want to do this give. me a pm and I will help you. I hope this helps some one to be safe and not get burnt by moltant lead. Forest Punch

Very good information Forest. Thanks.

Thanks forest I liked that post too

One thing I want to clarify about the pot I made. The base is about 1/2 thick, the sides are 1/8 thick. It has not melted down despite several hours of use. I will say it is not a long term solution but it worked for me. I used a propane camp stove as my heat source. My long term goal is to get a Lee or RCBS bottom pour furnace.