Removing lead oxide from cast boolits

[rickw55]

Actually,I have some cast .36 cal (.350 dia.) lead balls that I've had a good long while. They have developed a coating of lead oxide. What's the best way to remove it?
I know I could remove it by shooting them one at a time, but I'd like to remove the lead oxide beforehand. I don't want to handle them with the lead oxide still on them.
Any advice?
Thanks,
Rick W

[Beesdad]

Try a good quality spray paint... Let them dry and then shoot them

[prs]

Well, I guess you do not want to hear "recast as fresh bullets". The only way I know for you to not have to deal with the "removed" lead oxide would be to send it down the drain. Socially unacceptable and irresponsible to the public, but lead occurs naturally in many/most watersheds. Wet tumble with citric acid and detergent and see how distorted they may get if soft lead and with heavy oxide removed they may be pitted too. I would recast.

prs

[rickw55]

Thanks for the replies.
I have some citric acid I use for rust removal and file sharpening. I will try soaking them in it and see what happens. If that doesn't work, I will try re-casting!
Thanks,
Rick

[waksupi]

I imagine diluted muriatic acid would work. To prevent this in the future, after you have cast, put them in some water with dish soap. Then remove and dry. They will then not oxidize.

[rickw55]

Thanks for the advice, waksupi! I'll do that next time.
Rick W

[RustyMusket]

Waksupi is correct.....wash or coat new cast with soap to passivate the surface. Lead has multiple oxidation states and that new surface is just looking for 02 molecules.. :)

[bobthenailer]

try some CLR

[georgerkahn]

I imagine diluted muriatic acid would work. To prevent this in the future, after you have cast, put them in some water with dish soap. Then remove and dry. They will then not oxidize.

I never heard of water/dish soap "trick"; still one more reason for reading posts on this site -- it's pretty much always a learning experience for me.

Might I ask for "specifics" -- e.g., what brand (say, Dawn) as well as how much you use? I have a bunch of antique, not to be fired corrosive-primed lead boolited cartridges I'd love to preserve. Your soap/water trick surely sounds like a winner! I have used Flitz on a paper towel to remove lead oxide in past, which really works well.

Thanks and BEST!
georgerkahn

[RustyMusket]

George,

Your use of Flitz removed the oxide layers only to expose fresh Pb and start the slow oxidation process again. Coat with detergent, soap or a good wax and let dry. Rusty

[lwknight]

Put new bullets in the tumbler with a liquid car wax. They will stay looking new a lot longer.
I use nu-finish on my brass to prevent tarnishing but I think nu-finish has micro abrasives in it. It cleans brass good but would not want it going down the barrel.
Who knows? Maybe nu-finish would be good for oxidized bullets?

[John Boy]

I had trays of bullets under salt water from Super Storm Sandy. I just sprayed them with mineral spirits - let them sit awhile and then rubbed them again with the spirits

[rickw55]

try some CLR

Sorry, I'm new here. What's CLR?
Rick w

[William Yanda]

Google is your friend. Calcium, Lime, Rust. Commercial product readily available stateside to deal with hard water deposit etc.

[georgerkahn]

Thanks Rusty -- this is why I voiced my thanks for the detergent trick. I do believe the Flitz slows it down, but am ever appreciative of this great tip to use detergent and arrest further oxidation. In my wet pin tumbling of brass, a tip I learned on this site, too, is to use a bit of Armor-All Wash and Wax along with the Dawn and Clean-Eazy. I wondered if that (the Armor-All) might also work -- but I now need not try it. I surely WILL try the detergent... after the Flitz ;) .
george

[michiganmike]

I've never had bullets oxidize. I lube them all (tumble lube) as soon as I have done my quality control and eliminated the culls that go back in the pot.

But out of curiosity, why is oxidation an issue? Why not load and shoot?

[depoloni]

Lead oxide is absorbable through skin contact, and is one of the most prevalent ways (as such) that lead gets into the body is my understanding. No harm to "loads" per se, but you don't want to be touching the stuff more than necessary.

[rickw55]

I've never had bullets oxidize. I lube them all (tumble lube) as soon as I have done my quality control and eliminated the culls that go back in the pot.

But out of curiosity, why is oxidation an issue? Why not load and shoot?
For the reason depoloni explained in the post above:
"Lead oxide is absorbable through skin contact, and is one of the most prevalent ways (as such) that lead gets into the body is my understanding. No harm to "loads" per se, but you don't want to be touching the stuff more than necessary."
Couldn't have said it better myself!
Rick W

[GLL]

Are we sure the coating is lead oxide and not perhaps something else such as white lead carbonate? Lead carbonate is readily soluble in weak acids.

Jerry

[Echo]

Well, I guess you do not want to hear "recast as fresh bullets". The only way I know for you to not have to deal with the "removed" lead oxide would be to send it down the drain. Socially unacceptable and irresponsible to the public, but lead occurs naturally in many/most watersheds. Wet tumble with citric acid and detergent and see how distorted they may get if soft lead and with heavy oxide removed they may be pitted too. I would recast.

prs
Plus One...

[zuke]

Put;em in a wooden box loose.
Put box in trunk of car/truck bed.
Leave there for a couple week's and drive as normal.

[cbrick]

For the reason depoloni explained in the post above:
"Lead oxide is absorbable through skin contact, and is one of the most prevalent ways (as such) that lead gets into the body is my understanding. No harm to "loads" per se, but you don't want to be touching the stuff more than necessary."
Couldn't have said it better myself! Rick W

No, I don't think the lead is absorbable through skin. If you have it on your hands and rub your eyes, put fingers in mouth, pick your nose, smoke or eat you can get it into your system. Common safety practices such as don't do any of those things until you wash your hands thoroughly will keep you safe. Part of the liberal agenda is to make lead evil, it is not. It is not radioactive and it is not laying in wait to jump out and get you. Common sense and common safety practices are all that's needed.

All that said lead is far more toxic to kids 7 years and younger than it is to adults. By all means keep kids away from lead. If they do pick up any lead as with adults wash their hands thoroughly before they put their fingers in their mouth or eat anything.

Rick

[Retumbo]

So, how about stopping it before it starts. I know Lee alox does a decent job, but don't want to have it on all my stored bullets. I was kicking around the idea of storing cast bullets in a mason jar filled up with veggie oil or something else like Kerosene. At least with the Karosene you could drain it off and let the rest of it evaporate.

[sundog]

Stop it before it starts? Maybe straight JLPW (Johnson's Liquid Paste Wax). Just a thought...

[MN91311]

We had training films at work, before I retired, about safe lead handling. Lots of detail, but the central theme was that unbroken skin was a barrier to lead, lead oxide, etc,.
The danger was having it on your skin, clothing, etc, and carelessly transferring it to your mouth, nose, etc, where it got inside your body. Ingestion, not absorption. Unless washed, keep your hands away from your mouth, food, tobacco, etc, and you should be ok.
Also do not breath in anything that is being ground, scraped, or other airborne lead.
Common sense rules the day.