Hi there Ron,
Way back in the 80's i needed a solder pot because i had to do a lot of tiny wire wiring for some test stuff. I didnt want to buy one and i didnt want to have one running for hours even when not being used every second. So i decided to build one that could start up quickly.
I took an older Weller soldering gun, broke up a larger diode with a stud mount (i think it was a 1N5588 or similar with big stud) and used a nut on the stud to bolt it right between the tip of the gun. The diode with lead broken off and guts drilled out formed a small 'pot' made of mostly copper. When the gun trigger it pulled in, the little pot would heat up and melt the solder inside. Didnt take long to get it hot and then i was able to tin the small wires that way.
I guess you use rosin with yours? That's a good idea. I cant remember what i used if anything. Lots of times it was also used to cook off the enamel at the ends of some magnet wires.