Arceagle
06-07-2012, 06:02 AM
I have been scrounging up lead since last December and now have around 700lbs. I have smelted it down as I got it and have several small batches that I am wanting to blend together to have larger batches of consistent material. I have been mixing small amounts of different materials in my Lee 20lb. pot while casting, but it looks like that would be more consistent if I had a larger base stock to mix from.
I have a couple of questions before I start blending batches.
First I would like to test everything for zinc before throwing it in the pot. My ingots all look good, but if I test with acid (I bought some of "the works" to test with) how small of a contamination will show up on the ingots?
Will contamination show up as the white fizz like it does on zinc? I tested some zinc and it produces a noticeable reaction, but the the few lead ingots I have tested only leave a dark spot where I tested them.
I have about 200 lbs of pure lead I want to keep separate for now, the rest is range scrap and wheel weights mostly clip on from different sources. I also have several small batches of misc. sources like stick on wheel weights and things that friends have given me. Some of these may be in batches as small as 10 lbs to some as large as 150lbs.
I would like to blend them up in 100 lb. batches so I have consistent material from casting session to casting session. I also have accumulated several pounds of Tin and 100lbs.of Magnum Hard Bird Shot, but thought I would keep it separate and blend it in small batches as needed depending on the desired hardness of what I am casting at the time.
I have a couple of questions before I start blending batches.
First I would like to test everything for zinc before throwing it in the pot. My ingots all look good, but if I test with acid (I bought some of "the works" to test with) how small of a contamination will show up on the ingots?
Will contamination show up as the white fizz like it does on zinc? I tested some zinc and it produces a noticeable reaction, but the the few lead ingots I have tested only leave a dark spot where I tested them.
I have about 200 lbs of pure lead I want to keep separate for now, the rest is range scrap and wheel weights mostly clip on from different sources. I also have several small batches of misc. sources like stick on wheel weights and things that friends have given me. Some of these may be in batches as small as 10 lbs to some as large as 150lbs.
I would like to blend them up in 100 lb. batches so I have consistent material from casting session to casting session. I also have accumulated several pounds of Tin and 100lbs.of Magnum Hard Bird Shot, but thought I would keep it separate and blend it in small batches as needed depending on the desired hardness of what I am casting at the time.