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Tinbender
02-15-2012, 03:37 PM
Hello from Arizona,

I wanted to give a beginners impression of the Fryxell and Applegate Guide to boolit casting.......which has been recommended in several posts.

It certainly answers allot of questions........some I didn't even know I was going to ask yet!

The information is very technical in places but fear not the subject information is followed by a short "this is what it means and this is how it relates to what we are doing" summery for the layperson....boy I really appreciate that:grin:

The only question not answered for me concerns the mechanics of alloying......specifically the different melting temperatures of PB, tin and antimony?

For instance I have 125# soft PB and on Roto-metals Antimony and tin is available. If the proper amount of each is dumped in a pot ....heated.....fluxed.....and stirred do we now have a finished alloy? Is there an order in which one adds the components according to melting temperature?

Sorry folks my mind is wandering.......and it is to small to be out by itself:grin:

Anyway a very good recommendation IMHO an well worht a couple hours reading:coffee:



Thanks Dave

462
02-15-2012, 04:17 PM
Dave,
Lyman's Cast Boolit Handbook, 3rd and 4th editions, have very informative metallurgy articles that were written by metallurgists. I found the 3rd edition's article to be easier to comprehend.

KYCaster
02-15-2012, 05:42 PM
Melt the lead first, add the tin then the antimony. The tin will help dissolve the antimony.

No need to get the temp above 700 deg.

Jerry

BulletFactory
02-15-2012, 06:44 PM
Dont ever, ever give up.

runfiverun
02-15-2012, 10:09 PM
tin does help alloy antimony into lead.
if adding super hard from rotometals, you will most likely se some bubbling and funny looking stuff going on.
turn the heat up to about 775 when the alloy gets there then turn the heat back down and start fluxing.
you'll get the superhard to alloy in better this way.
strangely when i add in antimony ore i do it at 610* after i get it broke down and alloying in i then turn the heat up and flux after that i have no problems adding in the high antimonial alloy to other lead.

Tinbender
02-15-2012, 11:03 PM
462,

I will definitely be spending some time with one of the Lyman's Handbooks....thanks for the suggestion.

KYcaster,

that makes sense..thanks

runfiverun,

I had been wondering if antimony that had already been alloyed with lead would be easier to work with than pure antimony. Fairly pure lead has been easier to come by and with shipping costs being what they are I thought buying tin/antimony to alloy might work well if creating the alloy wasn't to bad.

BulletFactory,

Don't worry about me giving up.......not in my genes :wink:


My son and I have been poking around for WW ......no joy yet but we will keep trying:2 drunk buddies:

thanks Dave

runfiverun
02-16-2012, 02:18 AM
definately easier to work with.
it's far less time consuming also.
i spent many an afternoon stirring and fluxing antimony ore into lead making an alloying material.
get all that soft lead you can,mix the superhard,or get some linotype to mix it with.
it'll save you lots of headaches.