Weird ash/slag on top of my melt

[wbrco]

Ok, so had the temp up pretty high on my Lee pot and started getting this stuff on top. Bullets cast fine. What is this?

http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20160305/75b31ef70101674cd5b5159fecb7ead8.jpg

[Yodogsandman]

Probably just oxidized metals from your alloy getting so hot. You could try to flux it back into your melt with a wax of some sort.

[osteodoc08]

Was it clean alloy when you put it in? I've never seen oxidized metal like that. It looks more like trash

[ShooterAZ]

I've had that junk in my pots before too. Not sure what it is...but once in a while I will completely clean my pot out and scrape a lot of that stuff out. Make sure you don't breathe any of it...it can't be good for ya.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

It may be oxidized metal or just plain crud that doesn't belong there as it could contribute to inclusions. If you can flux it and get any good metal out of it then do so. A blob or two of candle wax may suffice....will smoke so throw a lit match into it. Skim the ash or whatever it is out, and dump it. You'll probably have residue on the pot sides and bottom as well so a good cleaning would also be in order. LLS

[montanamike]

If your pot is too hot for too long it will build a hard crust over the surface (it's happened to me). I'm pretty sure it's oxidized metal from your melt as everyone else has said just skim it off and watch the temp closer next time

[454PB]

Mostly dirt, I've seen this a lot when rendering pure lead from old pipe and plumbing parts.

[madsenshooter]

I've ran into that a few times, little drippy sometimes got stuck on full blast. It's hard, won't flux back in no matter what you use, but I can't help with identification as to just what it is. Odd thing is, its loss doesn't seem to effect the hardness of my bullets, so it can't be metal, though there might some oxides. I'm leaning more towards dirt from someone's smelting process that hasn't found it's way out yet. What's left over after all the metals melt out. I seem to get it more with WW than with other alloys I custom mix. They weren't too particular about what went into them, it didn't take highly refined alloy to make a WW, if you know what I mean.

[wbrco]

This makes sense, it's all coww. Maybe I didn't flux this batch well enough.

[Mitch]

Plain crud and ****.need more clening befor putting in the casting pot.another round or 2 of sawdust would do it

[Big Dangle]

Yea I noticed it the first time when I left the temp up with only like a pound of lead in the pot. Think of it as burnt crust it won't flux back in I used saw dust and then wax, it just brakes up. Just make sure when your pot gets low adjust your temp.

[stubbicatt]

I notice when I use wax for flux I get that stuff. I use beeswax. Personally I think maybe it is ash or residue from the wax, or dirt. I don't get that when I used to use Marvellux.

[BCB]

I've seen the exact same stuff, and even the same color, when I am melting wheel weights I got straight from the bucket at a tire shop. They were dirty from whatever. I just skimmed it off and then fluxed, poured the alloy into ingots and did the process again and again...

Good-luck...BCB

[gmackhurry]

That yellow powdery stuff is Lead(II) Oxide. Mix it with acetic acid and you have the infamous lead sugar (sweetener) that has killed many Romans. Just remove and dispose as you would any other impurities.