Antimony

[shaman]

I was trying to chase down an local source of linotype. The source had just recently run out, but they also had tin, lead and antimony at what seemed to be reasonable prices. Tin and Lead? No problem. However, I am hesitant to jump into dealing with un-alloyed chunks of raw antimony. What say y'all?

[44man]

Need small pieces with the right flux. Antimony will alloy at 600* with the right flux. Got my flux from Bill Ferguson, the Metal Man. I do it all the time at 600*. Takes very little flux, too much and you need to start over.

[Dusty Bannister]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?227273-Bill-Ferguson-quot-The-Antimony-Man-quot-Out-of-Business

Sorry, no longer in business.

[44man]

That is sad. Good man but cranky. I talked to him many times and took it in stride. He really knew lead and alloys.
I don't know if Roto Metals has flux but antimony can be broken into small pieces with a hammer. Magma flux might work.

[Sgtonory]

Also interested in adding antimony to lead as I have tons or range scrap I would like to make harder for rifle loads.

[milkman]

his website is still up
http://www.theantimonyman.com/antimony.htm

[nylocmik]

Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper (what I am all about) to cast your boolits and heat treat them to your bhn?

[alamogunr]

his website is still up
http://www.theantimonyman.com/antimony.htm

Go to the link that Dusty Bannister posted. It explains that the family requested no more phone calls. Apparently they don't know how to take down the website. I would have thought that someone would volunteer to help but Sierra Vista, AZ is apparently somewhat out of the way.

[shaman]

Hmmm. So, I take it that dealing with unalloyed antimony is not dangerous? OK.
However, this is just my luck! The magic flux that made it all work was sold by a dead man.
Any ideas what was in the flux? How it was used?

As I understand y'all, here's what I could plan to do:

1) Fix up a big pot and melt lead in it. Get it up past 600F
2) Add flux and chunks of antimony and stir until homogenous
3) Pour ingots of 50/50 lead/antimony
4) Repeat process with the TIN and Lead -- 50/50
4) Later, as needed, cast large bullets (I have a .54 mold) from the ingots
5) Next time I'm trying to cast for my rifle, plop in just so many of the lead/antimony bullets and lead/tin bullets to my Lee Production Pot to make it just right
6) Cast nice hard clean shiny rifle bullets.


BTW: Thanks to Hamish. He told me my signature line was AFU. It's fixed now.

[sleeper1428]

Check out this discussion. You'll find the info you're looking for regarding the special flux that allows you to easily alloy antimony into a lead-tin mixture. This flux was first sold by LETS (Leading Edge Tool Service) run by Tom Novak and then later by Bill Ferguson who took over the business when Tom closed up shop. Unfortunately, it's no longer available in reasonably sized amounts - smallest size I've been able to find on-line is 50lbs.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?123046-Memory-Lane-Leading-Edge-Tool-Service

sleeper1428

[44man]

Sure don't need 50#! :veryconfu The stuff is pink and hygroscopic, will suck moisture like crazy so it must be in a sealed jar. I wonder if Borax will work. Needs a cleaning action along with an oxygen barrier. Takes very little and works at 600* best. Some say even copper will go into lead at low temps, I don't know but maybe.
If you want 50-50 lead antimony without the right flux, you are talking great heat, I did it once, never again. It did work to add to alloys. It is real easy to get antimony into WW metal or pure at much lower temps.

[shaman]

I'm fairly sure that since I'm now in my mid-70s that I've probably got a lifetime supply of antimony and Alloyer's Flux and that's good since about the only way you can get that flux nowadays is to buy it in bulk. It's actually a mix of zinc chloride and ammonium chloride and there are two or three companies who sell it, usually as a flux for industrial galvanizing operations, but the smallest container I've seen available is a 50 lb bag which would be enough to supply the needs of 10 to 20 ardent casters for quite some time. Other than that one 'small' size, the rest of the companies have a multi-ton minimum sale requirement which pretty much rules them out.

Zinc chloride + ammonium cloride ==> antimonal peace and harmony.

There's bound to be a way. I'll have to talk to my chemist buddy.

Thanks for the tip.

[rosewood]

From a cost standpoint, Rotometals sells antimony/lead where the antimony content is the same price as pure antimony. Just buy the antimony/lead bars they sell and mix accordingly. They even mention this on their website.

[alamogunr]

QUOTE
"As far as Bill Ferguson is concerned, I'm fairly sure he's still around and that he is still selling some boolit making components although he no longer handles the pulverized antimony nor the Alloyer's Flux."

Only partially true. Bill Ferguson is still around in body but suffering from alzheimer's. The business no longer exists. The above quote was taken from a post by sleeper1428 on 1/2/2012. I'm afraid the above quote will produce a new round of phone calls that the family does not need.

Bill was in his mid to late 80's the last time I talked to him several years ago.

If someone can prove that this is in error, they should produce evidence.

[leadman]

I made my own Superhard like Rotometals sells. I used my plumbers furnace and a smaller cast iron pot. I put a measured amount of antimony in the pot and cranked up the heat. Did this outside with a fan blowing the fumes away from me. When the antimony was melted I added a measured amount of pure lead in small amounts so the pot temperature would not drop to much. When all the lead was melted and pot temperature very hot I turned the heat down and then ladled into my ingot molds.
Worked great with just a normal fluxing with beeswax. I did wear a respirator but with the fan could have done without it probably. Respirators are not too expensive and good insurance.

[williamwaco]

from a cost standpoint, rotometals sells antimony/lead where the antimony content is the same price as pure antimony. Just buy the antimony/lead bars they sell and mix accordingly. They even mention this on their website.


yes!

Ditto!

[44man]

I made a mistake with flux and stored boolits, saying sulfate and though it also there , most will be an oxide. Oxide is the white stuff you see on old boolits. Pure the worst.

[shaman]

Good thinking. I edited out the part about Bill Ferguson.

[Cadillo]

I was trying to chase down an local source of linotype. The source had just recently run out, but they also had tin, lead and antimony at what seemed to be reasonable prices. Tin and Lead? No problem. However, I am hesitant to jump into dealing with un-alloyed chunks of raw antimony. What say y'all?

I use a lot of monotype that contains quite a bit of antimony. In order to get it to mix with my melt, I have to raise the heat up pretty high, well above normal casting temp, and then flux it well with quite a bit of sawdust. I then let it come back own to my normal or even lower temp. The tin and antimony allow for a lower melt temp.