My first cast

[sparky508]

So I did my first castings this weekend. They were only ingots, but I think I learned a little bit from the process.

I think my lead was too hot, as I got some ingots that came out looking like they were case hardened, all rainbow colored. My lead turned purple after a bit, and then some other cool colors, and it seemed like I was constantly getting a layer of black junk on top, that after I skimmed and let cool, looked a lot like good lead later. (All coming from 99 pure lead stock i acquired.)

I was using a propane burner, a dutch oven and some cheap kitchen utensils for the operation. An electric pot is definitely in my future, along with a thermometer as controlling my temp was never achieved. Either so cold that only the center was molten or so hot that it turned cool colors.

I had a couple of commercial cast bullets on hand, and tossed them into the mix at one point, everything on top cleared up really nice, and then went to hell in a handcart again, I suspect that this was the heat issue again.

Here's what I think I learned......

• My lead was getting too hot
o Assuming color change and excessive dross was lead oxide?
o Ingots had a case hardened color to them?

• I need a thermometer to try and control temp better

• Ladles and spoons need to be hot or lead will stick to them

• A little paraffin goes a long way……………… :shock:
o Didn’t have sawdust to try but am going to keep a stash once the spring /summer projects kick in

• If your kitchen tools that you stole from your wife have welded handles, you might find yourself with handles and no tools, also a wife who wants a new spoon and ladle………………………..[smilie=1:
o I replaced the broken tools with one piece handles as the welds broke loose on the ones I liberated from the kitchen.

• Casting is fun.:mrgreen:

62323
Here's the product of my labor, 125#s of ingots, notice a couple of them look like the were case hardened?

[turmech]

"Here's the product of my labor, 125#s of ingots, notice a couple of them look like the were case hardened?"

Your ingot mold will produce shiney ingots when it is cool and frosted ingots when the mold is hot. I don't know if that is what you are seeing.

[Hounddog]

I wouldn't worry about your ingots getting too hot or cold unless you are using wheel weights and run the risk of getting a zinc weight into your mix. My ingots were all rainbow colored the first time I smelted. Now I just turn the heat way down once everything has melted.

Hounddog

[sparky508]

Your ingot mold will produce shiney ingots when it is cool and frosted ingots when the mold is hot. I don't know if that is what you are seeing.

62327

Here's one next to a shinier one. Seems like they are less colored today, than yesterday........:confused:

Is it something to do with lead softening as it ages after being water quenched? I was tossing them in water so I could handle them sooner.

[DLCTEX]

It sounds as though you were smelting pure lead or at least low alloy lead, I don't get the color hues unless extremely hot when smelting WW. The only damage is loss of metal due to excessive oxidation, but much of the oxidation can be reclaimed with flux.

[David2011]

Sparky,

Nice! Welcome to Castboolits. I don't think I've ever run my pot hot enough to get blue ingots. I think what you're seeing is tin oxide. Keep the temperature down around 650* F when smelting. That will help reduce the oxidizing of the elements in the melt and will let any zinc you missed float to the top without melting. For the best safety in smelting, start with just an inch or two of wheelweights in the bottom of the pot and check carefully for zinc. Iron/steel WW won't melt so they won't hurt the alloy. They just float to the top. Get that "starter" melted and then slowly add more WW. If you fill the pot and have a zinc WW trapped at the bottom, the weights on top of it may keep it from floating to the top before it melts. There are thermometers available inexpensively that will work for casting. Once you have one you'll probably use it all the time. The Tel-Tru LT225R goes to 1000 degrees and sells for $20-25. An internet search should help find reasonably priced metal dial thermometers. It should go to at least 800 degrees.

Congrats on your first cast.

David

[Recluse]

+1 to the previous comments and observations, and I'll add that as you do this more often, you won't need a thermometer for smelting (useful tool to have for casting your boolits, though) as you'll see when the lead is melting, how the flux reacts with it, etc etc and you'll simply start pouring ingots.

Your ingots look just fine to me.

And it IS fun, isn't it?

:coffee:

[runfiverun]

pure lead has a blue,gold,purple tint to it when melting it down.
the ingots when air cooled have a blue/purple tint to them.
you can get enough oxidized dross off a pot of pure lead to not get any ingots if you keep on skimming it off.
i just melt it down and pour ingots/boolits whatever and don't mess around.