You guys are so full of.....

[The Double D]

I have been reloading and casting bullets for almost 40 years. I have been fluxing by dipping the edge of a paraffin wax bar in lead and stirring with my ladle and doing just fine, thank you very much.

Some of the stuff you guys post here is just so outrageous that today I thought would try some of your silliness and prove you all wrong.

Right now I am living in South Africa and don't have any of my own casting gear, so I have to borrow everything.

http://www.fototime.com/1AED96864F0AF38/standard.jpg

I have this pile roof sheathing lead to melt down.

http://www.fototime.com/C53CE17E3E0D19C/standard.jpg

I cut the strips up and put them into the pot to melt down. Earlier this week they were installing a door in my office and I grabbed up the sawdust and chips.

http://www.fototime.com/80E0319FE1AB81D/standard.jpg

A fine mess that made. So I got out the pine stick and started stirring. Well that worked just swell, I can feel the dirt sitting in the bottom of the pot. Wait my stick is getting shorter. Ah I guess that isn't dirt in the bottom of the pot I feel, but the ash from my stirring stick burning off. Well the sawdust burned to some very fine ash and the pot was left clean. Time to pour.

http://www.fototime.com/2DB981A1F974A0F/standard.jpg

End result about 34# of clean lead. Hum, that sawdust and wood stir stick trick works pretty good. Have to try that again.

http://www.fototime.com/8F25DFA6DA375B0/standard.jpg

Aw but this last one is pure nonsense. Remelt the the skimmings, right that will productive. Oh well I'll indulge you guys.

http://www.fototime.com/BA547AD308C35CB/standard.jpg

Wow, that works!! This is the pot after the flux, clean and pour. Those two 1/2# ingots sitting to the side in the picture above are the results.

Here is the dross from that final clean. Little to no lead left. I have tossed tons of that stuff. Never will again.

http://www.fototime.com/90A51DE5DF12536/standard.jpg

Well now! Maybe you guys can teach an old dog new trick.

So let me finish the title "You guys are so full of.....some pretty neat ideas!!!!

[omgb]

As long as I have a bullet sizing press and as long as that press continues to leak tiny amounts of lube, I'll have all the flux I need thank you very much. Sheesh, what some guys do to have fun. I operate on the K.I.S.S. principle where less is always more.:mrgreen:

[45nut]

Nice post, I was a little concerned about the title to the thread at first. :) The pics and the essay more than made up for it though.

[The Double D]

Nice post, I was a little concerned about the title to the thread at first. :) The pics and the essay more than made up for it though.

When your toys are 10,000 miles away and it is Sunday afternoon, and the propane tank goes dry and there no place to get propane on Sunday...To much free time so I had to play!!!

Half the challenge of getting people to read what your write is a good title.

omgb leakage goes back in the top...doesn't it?

[44man]

Hey, thats almost the same plumber's furnace I have! :) Great little toy.

[standles]

omgb leakage goes back in the top...doesn't it?

Not on my Lyman 450. I use it as flux myself. Not going to back everything out to add bits and pcs back to the luber.

Steven

[MT Gianni]

I keep my leakage in a plastic dish and add it when I add the next lube. Gianni

[kodiak1]

Double D good read.
Do the same with my lube leakings back in next stick. Thrifty or cheap?
Ken.

[The Double D]

Yes you can get some real pretty patterns in you lube from the leakage. All streaked through with reds and greens and blues....

[Topper]

Great post, good read.

[Newtire]

Yeah DD, good post. I thought it was going to be one of those slam posts like we have when the weather starts getting cold and folks get grouchy with cabin fever. I'm going to try the melting down of the skimmings myself. You just cover it all completely over with the wood shavings right?

[montana_charlie]

About melting those skimmings...(I was thinking about this the other day).

You know we have this question-debate-argument-food fight thing about "losing tin from the melt".
I think we all agree that tin doesn't just waft away into the air like some of the old books seemed to imply. So...if tin gets lost...it pretty much has to get scooped out of the pot as tin oxide.
And, it's my belief that the ratio of tin oxide to lead oxide will be higher than the tin to lead ratio of the alloy.

Enter skimmings...

Among you guys who save skimmings until you have a jar full (or whatever), I would like to find one or two who are into tin/lead alloy...rather than typewriter/tire iron alloy.

I don't have anything to skim, so that lets me out. But if there is a 'skimmer' or two out there who uses the 'real butter', his (their) skimmings should show a high tin content when melted down, reduced (fluxed), and checked with a hardness tester.

Any qualified volunteers?

CM