Over smelting?

[LDHD]

Greetings Castors,

I’m concerned I may have ruined my alloy. I started out by mixing 2 to 1 lead to lino. It came out at 14 BNH. I took 3 of those ingots and added one more lead. About 15 lbs worth. Thinking to make 3 to 1. It came out 13 BHN. Something wrong there. I’m shooting for 10 BHN for 38sp and 45 acp target. Yesterday I mixed that 2 to one alloy to lead. I haven’t checked the hardness yet but the ingots are gray and gritty, not shinny like the first melt. Could I have ruined the alloy by over smelting? I have the RCBS thermometer and kept the melt under 700 for the most part. I think it may have drifted up to 750 once. Comments would be appreciated please.

LDHD

[felix]

Without a quality/quantity analysis of the feed stock, there are no guarantees on the lead or lino you used to make your "final" alloy. So, you are doing the correct thing by mixing and matching according to your hardness requirement. Typically, you want to mix at max pot temps fluxing thoroughly, if just for shiiiits and griiiins. Let the pot cool slowly while getting a feel for the temp length (temp difference between liquid and solid) of the slush stage. If excess "froth" appears at the top while cooling without any disturbance, spoon that out for inclusion into some future batch. Now heat the pot back up and draw off some boolits for hardness check. Continue mixing in "new" stuff until your mix is right on. ... felix

[captaint]

LDHD - Can't think of why or how you could have hurt your melt. Sounds like you may need to flux it some more. As long as your melt didn't get really different looking, it should be ok. You're going to want to flux it again when you go to cast anyway, and that ought to do it. Enjoy. Mike

[LDHD]

Thanks, that's good to know. I'd hate to think I had to pitch 20 lbs of aloy.

LDHD

[Calamity Jake]

Greetings Castors,

I’m concerned I may have ruined my alloy. I started out by mixing 2 to 1 lead to lino. It came out at 14 BNH. I took 3 of those ingots and added one more lead. About 15 lbs worth. Thinking to make 3 to 1. It came out 13 BHN. Something wrong there. I’m shooting for 10 BHN for 38sp and 45 acp target. Yesterday I mixed that 2 to one alloy to lead. I haven’t checked the hardness yet but the ingots are gray and gritty, not shinny like the first melt. Could I have ruined the alloy by over smelting? I have the RCBS thermometer and kept the melt under 700 for the most part. I think it may have drifted up to 750 once. Comments would be appreciated please.

LDHD

3 points in hardness is not enough to worry about, you can have that much error in the setup and the tester that checks the hardness.
This isn't rocket science, KISS
The hardness is going to change over time anyway, the newly poured alloy that checks 10 today will check 12/14 in a 10 days to a couple of weeks.
Now to answer your ? No you didn't ruin your alloy, what you see is frosting from the ingot molds being hot.
When you but this alloy in your casting pot, flux it real good

No flames here!! JM2¢

[Pepe Ray]

Of course you should be cautious in your blending.
Of course you guard against contamination of your mix.
BUT occasionally crap happens. Make lemonade from your lemons.
The most screwed up alloy will still make sling shot ammo and you'll never feel guilty for wasting good stuff to just practice.
A good sling shot w/a .50 cal. ball is a very potent arm, and quiet.
Pepe Ray

[leftiye]

Hot ingot molds produce frosted ingots.

[LDHD]

Thanks for the help.

Hot ingot molds is probably what I had.

I'm still going to remelt and add more lead. I would like to get down to 9 or 10 BHN. That last melt was 12 BHN.

LDHD