Reducing oxidation of a ladle poor?

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

I ladle poor and seem to get a lot of slag that builds up. Will reducing with candle wax minimize this? If so, how often? Thanks!

[runfiverun]

when you ladle pour you are introducing oxygen back into the alloy every time you dip in the ladle.
you could take the time to keep on reducing the oxides back into the alloy but that will bring your casting to a halt.
what I do is develop a little rhythm where I swoosh the oxides to the side, fill my ladle,and cast with it.
once you get a bit of oxides built up it seems to kinda quit building up.
I will clean the alloy when I add more alloy to the pot or when it just coats my ladle so much it bothers me.
I hate trying to get a mold up to temp several times during a run, I know I end up with those start up failures and the off weight boolits.

[Four-Sixty]

Anyone know what element is oxidizing first? The lead, the antimony or the tin?

[Mk42gunner]

I'm not sure, but I think it is the tin; due solely to the liquid temp of the various metals. It could very well be what we term impurities also, since most of my casting has been with WW which are at best mystery metal.

I do know the scum layer is one reason I prefer the RCBS Dipper, it has that nice fin on the bottom to sweep the scum to one side before filling the ladle.

Robert

[leftiye]

Cover the melt with crushed charcoal. Use a ladle like a lyman with the spout. Stick the spout through the charcoal to fll it. Alternatively use a ladle with a bottom pour like a Rowell, and add a section with a spout to fill through.

My local welding/ metal supply has balls for making gate ornaments (or fence), cut off a section roughly 1/4 of the ball. Cut out a notch, weld in a piece of small dia. pipe for the bottom pour. Drill a hole opposite in the "hood" and attach a short piece of the pipe for a spout. And you'll need a handle - weld on a rod.

[bhn22]

I'm having the same issues. Interestingly, when I re-flux the pot, I get a lot of dirt left floating on top, which I skim off into my trash. No matter how clean the alloy seems to be, I still get a lot of dirt. It come off easily enough though.

[S.B.]

Cover the melt with crushed charcoal. Use a ladle like a lyman with the spout. Stick the spout through the charcoal to fll it. Alternatively use a ladle with a bottom pour like a Rowell, and add a section with a spout to fill through.

My local welding/ metal supply has balls for making gate ornaments (or fence), cut off a section roughly 1/4 of the ball. Cut out a notch, weld in a piece of small dia. pipe for the bottom pour. Drill a hole opposite in the "hood" and attach a short piece of the pipe for a spout. And you'll need a handle - weld on a rod.
How much does all this cost you? If this was nessisary you'ld think some inovative casting supply house would make this?
Steve

[bangerjim]

How much does all this cost you? If this was nessisary you'ld think some inovative casting supply house would make this?
Steve

He just made a Lyman side/bottom pour which only costs about $25!

bangerjim

[S.B.]

Thought I'd asked leftiye? Are you close?
Steve

[bangerjim]

Anyone know what element is oxidizing first? The lead, the antimony or the tin?

Tin will be the 1st to go at normal casting temps. Antimony will be up there a little higher in temp.

I use beeswax to reduce the slag back in at casting temps. Works like magic! Smells nice, and if you do not want the smoke, just light it with a butane grill lighter. I use one to heat my pour spout on the 4-20 at first to get the soup flowing nicely! I leave the wax carbon remains floating to minimize oxidation for a while.

Skimming rhythm as described above and a bottom/side ladle like RCBS is the way to insure your pour is clean and you leave the floating slag behind.

banger

[blikseme300]

Thought I'd asked leftiye? Are you close?
Steve

Nice way to make friends here.

[S.B.]

Nice way to make friends here.
Sure.
Steve

[grouch]

I flux at the beginning of a casting session, then just skim the oxide off with the ladle and dump it into the sprue pile. It reduces back into the lead when it's remelted, and since my bullet weights change very little batch to batch, I theorize that the oxide isn't separating out the alloy components.
Grouch

[Jayhawkhuntclub]

So if I just toss the slag in my rough lead bucket, it will work back into ingot form when I smelt?