Range Lead Newbie Question

[Combatvet]

I'm hoping this is the correct forum to post this in...

I have 120 lbs of range lead and I am trying to melt it down. I have sifted a lot of the dirt and copper pieces out. I am looking for some direction in the best way to remove the copper jackets and dirt from the lead pool. I started removing the pieces with a pair of forceps, but that is not a feasible solution. I am thinking that a SS slotted spoon would work?

For clarification, this is the first load of lead that I am melting myself, my father got me into casting as I need a hobby having recently retired from the Army. He showed me how to do this with isotope lead, nice clean and easy...

Any comments are appreciated.

Regards,

Vet

[wyofool]

A slotted spoon works just fine. Make sure the handle is long enough and wear your PPE's.

[popper]

Slotted spoon is fine for skimming the slag, stir/mix/scrape (to get crud to the top) & flux well - but NOT in your casting pot.

[mdi]

Just get the larger chunks of dirt out and melt it all together (some guys will cut FMJ bullets with dikes so no pressure builds up and "explodes" the jacket). My first "slag skimmer" was one of Ma's slotted spoons (I never told her I stole it). Used that one successfully for a few years until I broke the handle and it was getting pretty hot when I used it. Went to the dollar store and got another. Works as well as anything I know of...

[RoadBike]

I use a large, long, perforated, stainless steel spoon, and it works well. Boolits that are fully encapsulated in copper, either with plating or jacket, I snip with a set of bolt cutters. Using diagonal cutters gave me blisters even with gloves on.

[Pee Wee]

I use a Chinese dipper that is more of a stainer with a long steel wire handle

[Combatvet]

I appreciate the comments, i decided to go with slurred spoon. I might try the Chinese dipper if things are too small to be caught by the spoon.

[Landshark9025]

I use this:http://www.homedepot.com/p/Charcoal-Companion-Stainless-Steel-Deep-Fry-Fish-Skimmer-CC5129/204780023

Also, once it is good and hot and it has melted and you've stirred it up good, throw a piece of wax in there. For me that seems to help get even more lead out of the jackets.

I cut the TMJ ones with a large lineman pliers. Otherwise you may lose that lead.

Make as big a batch as you can, then search out user BNE. In exchange for one pound of lead he will test your alloy so you know what it starts at. Range scrap can vary.

Have fun!

[Victor N TN]

If you have a lot of other things you can do, you might want to consider actually washing it in soapy water and rinse kind of thing. It will get a lot of the looser stuff out... BUT BEWARE You need to let it set for several days to completely, COMPLETELY DRY !!! If a piece of wet lead gets dropped into a hot pot of molten lead, it's somewhat like a low level explosion. And hot lead flies through the air and lands on almost everything within range.

Use caution and it's a good way to clean part of your range lead. BUT, you can be seriously injured if you don't keep your mind on what you're doing. I usually let any that I've washed sit for at least a week. That has always worked for me.

Good luck & be careful.
Victor

[robg]

Slotted spoon works fine

[Traffer]

As stated by another poster, Do not use your casting pot for refining your junk lead. Get a dedicated rig for smelting. I first started with a propane gas burner and a smallish cast iron pot. Purchased one of these:
https://www.walmart.com/ip/Lodge-LMP3-1-Pint-Logic-Melting-Pot/22576900
They are not very big but actually hold about 6 lbs of lead. I bolted a wooden handle to mine and even used it to pour directly into the mold with. My arm got tired pretty quickly though. hah. I still use it to smelt small batches of lead. It can easily be used for a casting pot but hard to regulate the heat on a plain gas flame.

[blackthorn]

When melting scrap lead, always start with a cold pot. Fill the pot with scrap, apply heat, skim, flux and pour into ingots. It is OK to dump a second load of scrap into a hot EMPTY pot BUT never dump cold scrap on top of (or into) liquid lead!!!

[gwpercle]

Instead of a slotted spoon one with holes works better, long handled , stainless steel with equal spaced holes , got mine in a big hardware store that sells outdoor cooking stuff , BBQ grills , crawfish boiling and fish frying rigs. When you pick up clips and stuff the melt flows through the holes. Slotted spoons sometimes let the clips fall through...the holes don't.
I had to buy another for kitchen use, for some reason I find them more useful than slotted spoons

Gary

[mold maker]

A framing hammer with a waffle face makes short work of FMJ. All you need is one tiny break in the jacket.
If you use a big spoon for dross and stirring, make sure the spot welds that attach the handle are strong enough for the task. Scraping the pot, full of lead, puts lots of strain at that point.

[lightman]

Make sure your spoon has the handle riveted on and not soldered. It will get hot enough to melt the solder. A 1 piece spoon would be even better.

[WRideout]

Glad you are here, CombatVet, from one army veteran to another. Everything that has been said before is true. I find that oil of any kind works better than wax or equivalent for fluxing. It seems to coat the jackets, and lets them release the lead easier (it seems). When separating out the jackets, I dump all the stuff from the top of the pot into one of those big aluminum pans the caterers use. Then I can pull out all the jackets and segregate them for the scrap yard. If there are any FMJs that haven't opened up, I hit them with a hammer and chisel, and put them back in the pot. Jackets sell for copper price, so a full coffee can will get you a few bucks.
Wayne