cheap source of dutch oven for smelting?

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I have to buy one as I don't have an old Dutch oven.

Anyone know a source of cheap ones? It seems even walmart gets $78 for an 8 QTcast dutch oven.

Seems I should be able to find a cheaper one, especially considering it will never see food. [wink]

Should I just go with a smaller than 8 Qt? I see some 5 qt for about $30.
 
It's been a while since I last bought any black iron, but we've gotten most of our dutch ovens at yard sales and flea markets. Both of those activities have mostly moved into Craigslist, so you should definitely search there. Ebay would certainly have something for you, but shipping such a heavy item would probably put you upside down pretty quick.
 
Depends a lot on how much smelting you plan to do.... If you are planning a few hundred pounds or less then I would contact patriot and get one of the SS pressure cookers he offered a short time back.... I said I would take then but if you are looking to get started smelting that would be the fastest/cheapest way to get the ball rolling...

If you are thinking bigger I would go with a propane tank bottom like you can see on the mega casting thread.... A bit more work but I like these much better than my dutch ovens due to the concave bottom and the price is right.... Much easier to ladle when the pot starts to get low....

I have to buy one as I don't have an old Dutch oven.

Anyone know a source of cheap ones? It seems even walmart gets $78 for an 8 QTcast dutch oven.

Seems I should be able to find a cheaper one, especially considering it will never see food. [wink]

Should I just go with a smaller than 8 Qt? I see some 5 qt for about $30.
 
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The CHEAP dutch ovens can be had from :

1) Harbor Freight - http://www.harborfreight.com/catalogsearch/result/?q=dutch+oven They have two sizes. Bigger is better.

2) Your local small town "dollar stores".... I found a huge one, with a small defect at one of the no-name dollar stores here in Maine. When I complained about the defect, the owner dropped the price to something that made it very worthwhile.

You should be aware that some of the dutch ovens have legs, while others do not. The legs can be an issue, depending on what you use for a burner stand.
 
Rich,

Search through here for the 'smelting-pot-made-from-an-old-propane-tank' threads/posts. This is what I do. I get them free at the dump.
 
I have a couple of newer propane tanks, it would be a shame to cut them. If I got an old one, it would probably cost me more for the cutting blade than to buy a cheap dutch oven.

Thanks for all the suggestions, unless someone can cut me a tank, I'll look for a cheap dutch oven.

I actually purchased one of the walmart combo burner/dutch oven combinations, but had to return it as the dutch oven had a nice crack in it!
 
I mangled a propane tank and it is the bomb and if I wasn't on blackberry, I would send pix.
I don't use the dutch oven anymore. I bought it at Harbor Freight for $29 I think. Worked well for all the times I used it.
 
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I cut 2 propane tanks a few weeks ago. I used one cutting wheel on an angle grinder and left plenty to do more cutting. I cut both tanks in half just above the weld and then cut a 3" ring to weld onto the bottom as a base. I still need to weld the rings on. I couldn't find the welding helmet. It only took an hour to remove the valves, flush both tanks with water, and make the 4 cuts. I circled the tanks with painter's masking tape where I wanted the cuts and zipped right on through.

My guess is an ad on craigslist would turn up a few unwanted propane tanks and probaby a couple dutch ovens. Ask your propane filling station. I'm sure they have a few that were abandoned that were too old to refill. If you can't go to yard sales try a few thrift shops. Most have tons of kitchen stuff.
 
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