Blue/purple/gold skim ?

[shooterg]

New to casting/swaging/etc. I've been "mining" the pistol berm and getting quite a lot of lead that way - especially after SASS shoots ! Filled the Lee pot up with cleaned up range bullets today and after skimming jackets out, I got this blue/purple/yellowish gold looking skim that won't go away. What is it / is this 12 lbs. just trash now ?

I know I need something other than my Lee pot to smelt with - it's on the Christmas list !

[Dale53]

shooterg;
Just ignore the colors (or enjoy them:mrgreen:). It's typical of soft lead.

The best smelter for the average joe is the Turkey Cooker. Get one that is sturdy and has enough output. Then get a cast iron dutch oven and "smelt away". You won't need a terribly large one - lead is heavy. This is far superior (and the cookers can be had for $40-$50 and the Dutch over around $25-$30 for a total of $75.00 or so for a GREAT Smelter). I like a lead pot that will hold 100-150 lbs.

Dale53

[copdills]

welcome to the forum and +1 on what Dale53 said

[Freightman]

Be careful smelting in your bottom pour pot, that is the best way I know of to make your pot a drip-o-lator

[runfiverun]

drop some tin in it, it will go away.

[alw700]

Hello all I have been lurking here for a while.
Learning for all you guys that have been doing this for a long time.
Can someone tell me where I can get tin to add to pure lead.
So it can be cast in to pistol boolits.
Arthur

[454PB]

Welcome to the forum, Arthur.

The quickest/easiest source for tin is Lowe's or Home Depot. Buy the leadfree solder, which is usually 95% tin and 5% antimony. If you're looking for 100% tin in larger quantities, check out Rotometals by clicking on the orange banner at the top of this page.

By the way, using tin to harden lead is a waste of money and alloy. Tin is best used for fluidity while casting in about a 2% ratio. If you're looking for a harder alloy, you need antimony.

[slimpickins]

So whats a good source of antimony?

[docone31]

Wheel weights.
I use roofing lead. About totally pure. Even the joint is a flange rather than soldered. I make up about 10lbs in ingots, and 10lbs in wheel weights.
I water drop my wheel weight mix. Works pretty well.

[oneokie]

So whats a good source of antimony?

Do a search for Antimony Man.

[snaggdit]

Linotype has 4% tin and 12% antimony. This site (http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm) has info on content and some alloy recipies. As mentioned before, WW have tin and antimony as well, just not in as high proportions as linotype. If you want to get close to WW from pure (and why, when WW are already there) linotype is your quickest (and cheapest) way. Without the arsenic present in WW, though, you won't get any additional hardness from water dropping. Don't know what your intended use is, so only guessing. 50/50 pure/WW up tp all WW gives good boolits for normal pistol loads. Magnum pistols, WW to WW water dropped and rifles WW water dropped to WW/lino water dropped. That is just a general outline.

[felix]

Snaggdit, arsenic is not required, but usually there is enough foreign material, such as aluminium, sulphur, etc., in WW to emulate what arsenic will do to a lead, antimony, tin mix. ... felix

[snaggdit]

Felix, I know, but didn't want to confuse someone just beginning. Not really wrong info, just not the whole 9 yards worth. If he went with pure and tin and/or antimony then tried water dropping, he would be in for a dissappointment. Easiest to just say use some WW with the pure if that is the desired goal...

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

At the Cabela's pre-Christmas sale in 2007 I bought their $99.95 Turkey Cooker with 8qt dutch oven for half price. It will hold over 200lbs of WW alloy by adding one one gallon plastic bucket
(the ones WW come to the tire stores in) at a time and skimming. When the oven is 90% full I start pouring ingots. I am teaching my nephew the casting/reloading business, and this is his
Smelting 101 Class.

Rich
Cape Buffalo Killer

[Crazy4nitro]

Awesome Post,Great Answers.
I had this "Issue" the other day while ingoting. I seperated the ingots out from the first ones I Cast. I thought maybe a Zinc one slipped in and Melted on me.

Phew...I feel better now.

'Nitro

Edit: I was Smelting WW's btw.....