Researching the "stickies" and reading does pay off....

[Abidingguy]

Hello all,

Just cast my first ingots today after just having acquired materials/WWs to cast over the last couple of weeks, and got happy enough with the results that I decided to post. Figured that today was a good a day since I had some free time after everyone opened their presents. I'm also looking for ideas about something towards the end of the post.

I acquired everything you see, except for the 3 buckets of WWs that I scored recently on the lower left, from an older gentleman who no longer felt the need to cast. After researching the basic tools required to get started, I discovered that I was given literally everything I would need to start; hence my ability to cast so quickly. He left alox, wax, ladles, molds, etc., etc....pretty much everything I've been reading about and/or seeing on videos.

232720

After setting everything up and getting the pot to 600+ degrees, I began melting the WWs and removing lots of dross...was surprised how much I kept removing!

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I think I took out lead with the dross as well, but I'm sure I'll get better with more practice. Once the lead started looking clean, I fluxed with wax a few times to ensure a better result.

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Final product! I was amazed at how much the ladle weighed when I was pouring the molds, but I'll get used to that too, I suppose.

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Now to my question. I found it difficult to get the last bit of molten lead from the bottom of the pail in to the ladle, while also noticing that this last amount of lead had what appeared to be a good bit of dross. Do y'all:

a) Keep removing the dross and use up every bit of molten lead? If yes, how do you get it out short of trying to pick up that very hot pail?

b) Pour out the last bit of molten lead, apparent dross included or not?

c) Let the remaining lead cool until the next melting session.

I thought about doing (a), but had a heck of a time getting that last bit out...any ideas? Thanks for reading.

[Wayne Smith]

Let it cool and melt it in the next session - in fact, it's better to leave a bit more than what you can't get in your ladle. Clean lead in the bottom melts and that speeds up the melting of the rest that you put in.

[Scooby]

I like to leave about a 1/4" in the bottom of the pot for the next session, I will let it cool then the next day when I am putting the melting stuff away I will take a screw driver and carve in the lead WW, RL, or P. that way I know what it is for the next session. Your set up looks good, I have melted close 10,000 pounds of wheel weights for making shot, this website and the members of it are top notch. Enjoy the new hobby and read all you can.

[lightman]

Welcome Aboard!

It looks like you are off to a good start. And yes, there is a lot of good info in the stickies.

I usually leave some lead in the bottom of the pot to speed up the next melt if I'm using the same alloy. With a smaller pot you can often turn off the burner and handle the pot with welding gloves and vice grips. But, the hardened lead left in the bottom should fall out pretty easily after it cools. Its pretty common to have dross and trash left in the very bottom of the pot. It seems to cling to the sides of the pot and then fall into the lead as the level gets lower. I take the remaining hard leftover piece and mark it in some way describing the alloy and save it for the next melt.

A lot of guys save the dross and add it to the next melt if using the same alloy. If fluxed properly you really should not have anything but some ash and wheel weight clips or whatever lighter metal was attached to your scrap. But don't feel bad. Most of us get some lead when we skim the junk off. I don't save this when I smelt but I do save it when I'm casting from a smaller pot.

Like I said, it looks like you are off to a good start. The only suggestions that I could make would be to mentally review your process after you have done it once and change the few things that may bother you or that seem to use a lot of time. My old back does not like to be stooped over so I have arranged my set up to be about waist it high. I also try to set it up to use the fewest steps between the pot and the molds as possible. Seeing videos of guys pouring ingots on the ground make my back hurt! Look and see if you can arrange things so as to reduce a few steps or do less moving. Most guys need more ingot molds. After a few cycles they get hot and you have progressively longer waits for the lead to harden. Like I said, review your last melt and think of improvements. And start cultivating sources for more lead!

Edited to add, do not add material to a pot with molten lead in it. If the new material has even a little moisture it can cause a steam explosion. We refer to that as the Tensil Fairy and She is bad news! You can turn the heat down and let the molten lead harden, lay the fresh material on top and bring the heat back up. It does not have to be cold, just not molten.

[GregLaROCHE]

I like to use sawdust to flux for melting range scrap to make ingots. I then use a little sawdust and wax before casting boolits.

Also, I 100% agree with getting what you’re working with up to a good hight. It’s a lot easier if you don’t have to bend. For casting, I like to have things set up so I can sit in a chair.

Not saying my way is the best, just the way it’s worked out the best for me. Good luck!

[tazman]

Very good advice so far. I see no need to repeat it.

[MOA]

All very good advice.

https://i.postimg.cc/c4JLnTwk/2018-12-26-02-39-27-1-Facebook.png (https://postimages.org/)

[JBinMN]

Welcome to CB.GL forum!
:)

Looks like you are doing fine so far! If you have not found them yet, here is a link to the CB.GL Archives:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/f-8.html

Lots to go thru when ya have the time!
:)

I imagine you are a fan of the "Dude", and the movie, "The Big Lebowski", with your member name being how it is. At least, that is the first thing that came to my mind when I saw it.
Cool.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TE_oIIIwWl0
LOL
;)

Enjoy & once again, Welcome!
:)

ETA: I forgot to mention that when I smelt, I pour the lead into flat cake pans I got from garage sales & thrift shops to a depth of about 1/2 or so to make flat "sheets", and then I stack them until later.
I do not have enough ingot molds, like was mentioned above, so that is how I deal with the molds getting too hot & having to wait for them to cool. The pans let them cool faster due to surface area & are easy to store just stacked. I cut them into smaller pieces when I need them, or when I feel like making ingots.

That is how I have been "getting by" so far, without having a lot of ingot molds. Just thought I would mention it, if it might help in some way.

G'Luck!
:)

[Boolseye]

Looks good. That last bit is always like that-I sometimes just let it cool in the smelting pot and deal with it next time, or cast with it if I can fit it in the casting pot.
It’s not an exact science. Sometimes you can pick up the smelting pot with your gloves and pour it off into your ingot mold. Not a big deal either way. I’d be more concerned with breathing lead or the tinsel fairy.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Like the others have said, I leave some alloy with or without dross in the bottom of the smelting pot. It does speed up the next smelting session.

[OS OK]

Now you will be making/modifying miscellaneous tools to better fit your process...

A very handy tool I made was a long handled pot scraper where I radiused the bottom corner to fit the bottom radiused edge of the pot. The idea was to better clean the inside of the smelt pot where the fine dust and gunk seems to adhere.

[pjames32]

I also leave the last bit in the pot for a future session. I do drop an intact clip on wheel weight on top as its cooling if that was what I was smelting so I know what the alloy is. You can take it out of the pot intact when cool if you are changing alloy source.
I also use sawdust when smelting dirty lead to help clean it up.

[Conditor22]

I like to flux as soon as everything is melted. I find it removes more of the lead from the dross. I always flux with pine sawdust and at least once with some sort of wax. the wax allows for a more complete fluxing.
Yes LOL lead is heavy.

** always work upwind of the pot when smelting. NEVER add unknown lead to molten lead, there may be moisture trapped in the unknown lead that can cause an explosion often capable of emptying the entire pot of molten lead on to you and whatever is around it aka the tinsel fairy

[lightman]

I also leave the last bit in the pot for a future session. I do drop an intact clip on wheel weight on top as its cooling if that was what I was smelting so I know what the alloy is. You can take it out of the pot intact when cool if you are changing alloy source.
I also use sawdust when smelting dirty lead to help clean it up.

Dropping some like material on top of the dregs is a good idea. Is much more permanent than my sharpie!

[Abidingguy]

Thanks much for all of the responses! Didn't expect this many replies given my n00b status on these boards. And I already learned my lesson about adding additional WWs to the molten lead...I heard a small pop with one of the WWs come from a rusty clip area, so no I won't be doing that again! And yes, I am a huge fan of The Dude...one of the best flicks ever!

Now, to reading about "Leementing" my Lee molds...already ordered me some Bullplate after reading how great that stuff is.

[Hardcast416taylor]

As to removing the steel clip from WW`s when smelting I use a 1" round by 7" long magnet to pick the clips out and brush them off into another container by having a heavy leather glove on one hand. I use both wax from pieces I get either free or from a thrift store and sawdust. I stir either one into the lead dross and skim after about a 3 - 5 minute rest for the dross to have risen. I flux at least 3 times before I pour ingots. I flux again when using the ingots for actual casting. If you are concerned that you are scooping lead out with the dross, at a later date remelt the dross you`ll be surprised at what lead is there. I leave the last lead, about 3/8" in the pot bottom for the next time smelting.Robert

[pls1911]

WhooHoooo!
Kudos to the gentleman for paying forward the skills and equipment and feed stock for casting.
It would be good for you to get back with him occasionally to share your experiences and problems with him. I know he would enjoy it, ang be glad to know his good turn is being well utilized.

[Wayne Smith]

Cast with those molds before you do anything to them. I assume that the guy who had them used them successfully as they are and there is no reason why you shouldn't as well.

[WHITETAIL]

Welcome to the forum!
And you are doing the right thing by reading
all the stickys that pertain to smelting.
The Guys, and Gals here are the best.
They all share the knowledge they have.
Good luck and may GOD bless!!:p

[Echo]

Welcome, Mate, to the best forum on the Web! No flames, well proctored, and FULL of Info, as you have seen!

[mdi]

Welcome, I do believe yer hooked! I've been on a lot of forums since 2009 and find there are distint "personalities" of each forum; some are "dictated" by heavy handed Gurus, some are solely devoted to absolute new comers and subject matter is found in every reloading manual, and some are full of gentlemen/ladies that are similarily "addicted" and very willing to share their knowledge. Castboolits is the latter. Every question I have had since I started casting is covered in the stickies and on threads and I don't believe I've had to ask a question as every aspect of boolit casting is covered somewhere in the forum...