Almost pure lead?

[Wayne Smith]

I opened the second of three wraps of sheet lead I got a couple of years ago and melted some of it down. Got this at a local metals wholesaler, mix of importer and junk dealer. It was all he had, about 350 lbs worth.

I got a lot of light brown shading to yellow powder off it and the top has a skim of something that is Colt Niter blue in color and a thin coat that I can't skim off and candle wax don't change. The powder is powder at temperature but cools into a relatively solid mass. That skim coats the ladel and turns grey as it cools. This stuff casts like pure lead when I get it cleaned.

What do I have here? It's being used in muzzle loaders and C&B revolvers and shoots fine. This is more of an academic curousity.

[Cherokee]

I do believe you have pure lead. Blue color on the top is common, and if it gets really hot, the color gets more gold tone. The brown and yellow powder are impurities you want to get rid of.

[1Shirt]

Wayne, I agree with Cherokee. Got a bunch of sheet lead that came off the walls of X-Ray rooms that were being remodeled. Same results as yours! Skim off the crud, add some tin, wheelweights, lino etc. and cast a bunch.
1Shirt :coffeecom

[buck1]

Flux it with bullshops method. Pine shavings and a fair bit of bees wax at about 800F.
Skim and your lead should be good to alloy with. I also have had lead like yours, and no problims at all. ....Buck

[Wayne Smith]

I didn't think it was a problem, just curious what that light brown dust is. It's all the same, and I initially thought it was iron oxide from the cast iron pot, but it's in a steel pot now and way too much for it to be from the pot.