(11-07-2016, 11:51 PM)Pete O Wrote: The benefit of my vast experience:This site has a chart of the melting point of various metals
http://www.engineeringtoolbox.com/meltin...d_860.html
Yellow brass 930 C as opposed to 660C for aluminium, 1127 or so for cast iron. You might need a carbon graphite crucible.
Good cite as the Engineering Toolbox is a wealth of information.
IMHO all aluminum, brass, and Fe melts should use a carbon graphite crucible. I'll plead guilty to occasionally using a steel crucible for aluminum as it was all I had available. Rest assured if I decide to build another small foundry it will 1) be fired with natural gas (not coal) and 2) use graphite crucibles.
Lead is a horse of a different color. I've known people who melted lead using their gas stove.
Like soldering it puts off lead fumes and as George Carlin said, "It's not good for ya".