got some smelting done today

[trucker76]

Well the rain let up and I decided to deal with these wheelweights. Started with 140lbs and ended up with 131 approx. 1lb bars. Only had 1 floater I must've missed somehow after sorting twice. Damn zinc looking like lead. Still got 100lbs of straight lead to smelt.

Few things I learned, cast iron rocks. Leather work gloves will not insulate your hands while picking up said cast iron pot with molten lead in it. Triple sort your wheelweights, look for floaters when smelting (all I could think when I saw one of was trailer park boys "we got a turd in the punchbowl, repeat we got a turd in the punchbowl"). Uh what else? Oh the camp stove. Got one with a pair of 10,000btu burners. It works, but save yourself a headache and get a hose to connect it to a grill propane tank. Those green tanks are just little bottles of frustration. Sawdust for flux worked great, sadly I had to make my own. Chop saw with a catch bag and a scrap 2x4 provided enough in about 3 minutes. Bring a chair, you will be waiting a while for the first batch to heat. In the pic you see a cast iron pot and a skillet, I used both sped the process a lot. Used a stainless steel ladle to fill the molds.

In all it was a good day.



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[garymcgehee52]

Good job man. Like how you stacked them, neat.

[JSnover]

Good job. I started with the same equipment but upgraded to a turkey fryer and a large Dutch oven. If you hit the mother lode, you might consider doing the same.
All in all, nice work.

[clintsfolly]

My brother (Wells) and I smelted yesterday and got just over 1000 lbs of 50/50 ww/22range lead. That help clean up some of the mess in the barn. Clint

[Cloudwraith]

Looks great! I noticed your plywood has warped. Mine did that also with the heat from the molds. Towards the end the molds wouldn't lay flat and I got some sloped ingots. I was thinking of getting some cement board instead of plywood. Has anyone tried that?

[trucker76]

The plywood was warped because it was sitting outside in the rain and snow all winter on it's side.

[JSnover]

I just use cardboard. Lighter than plywood and warpage is a non-issue.

[R.M.]

All my benches in my casting shed have cement board on them. Seems to work for me.

[1bilmr59]

Looks good I have 1000 lbs to do.

[lightman]

Good Job! I've got a lot of sorting to do and I'm dreading it! What a PITA. Lightman

[Sekatoa]

M first "big" smelt was a few months ago. It was smaller than yours, yield was about 75 lbs. I used the Turkey fryer setup, couldn't imagine using the camp stove and small green bottles.

I have a coupe old 'ov gloves' I use over thin leather gloves. They provide a lot of insulation from the hot paddles, ingots, molds , etc., but a better grip than welding gloves.

[a.squibload]

Nice pile.
Might try the cement board, maybe easier to clean up.
I have lead spatters all over the garage floor.

[cdngunner]

hmm, you guys give me hope. I have 220lbs of all lead wheel weights to process and another 50lbs of other lead.

My friend will be coming over with beer, so the whole process should be somewhat enjoyable.

BTW, after how many beers should you stop casting?

[imashooter2]

My brother (Wells) and I smelted yesterday and got just over 1000 lbs of 50/50 ww/22range lead. That help clean up some of the mess in the barn. Clint

LOL! You've been here long enough to know better. Where are the pics?

[silverado]

You guys are pretty dedicated... I've been using a 10 pound lyman pot melting the ww, fluxing, and casting in one go. I get good fill out with tl molds but not as good with lube groove molds. Too cheap to buy tin.

[a.squibload]

hmm, you guys give me hope. I have 220lbs of all lead wheel weights to process and another 50lbs of other lead.

My friend will be coming over with beer, so the whole process should be somewhat enjoyable.

BTW, after how many beers should you stop casting?

Never STOP casting, but intermissions are allowed as necessary.
(PS are your boots spattered with lead?)
:>)

[cdngunner]

I use a small setup where I can do maybe 30-40 lbs of lead at a time. I have splattered my glove once when the candle fumes ignited un expectantly. Usually splatters are on the lawn...there is a whole schmelting session waiting to happen to separate dirt and grass from lead :)

[zuke]

You have to get the adapter that let's you hook up to a 20lb barbque tank

[a.squibload]

... Too cheap to buy tin.

Read about pewter, I got another pewter cup at the thrift store
yesterday for $2, enough tin for 3 small pots of lead, maybe 4.
I use a quart saucepan for casting. Just cut up the pewter item
or hold it in the lead 'til part of it melts.