Cleaning Lead

[flatnose]

I am buying 92-6-2 from a reputable source. Probably many of you are getting it from the same source. I can not seem to get the trash out of the lead. I have fluxed with beeswax, pine saw dust. It shows up in the bullets no matter what I try and seems to show up worse at higher temps. Sometimes worse than others. Amazingly to me it seems to get better as the pot gets near empty. Does anyone have any suggestions?

[pworley1]

What does the trash look like?

[flatnose]

Looks like dirt for the lack of a better description. It will actually etch the bullets.

[Wheelguns 1961]

Do you scrape the sides of your pot when stirring and fluxing? I like to keep my pot clean.

[flatnose]

Yes i do. I have even drained and cleaned it. I am almost positive it is in the alloy. This has been an ongoing problem. I guess I need to try different supplier for my lead. This is a popular supplier that I am sure many here have purchased from. I am lost for answers as of now.

[mfraser264]

See if you can locate some real lead flux, Marvelux or Frankford Arsenal CleanCast Lead Fluxing Compound(Midwayusa.com Product #: 593033). These fluxes truly remove slag and other contaminates.

[bangerjim]

Remember beeswax is a REDUCER and not a FLUX. It will not clean the carp out of your re-melt.

I have melted some really dirty filthy Pb in my day and have always ended up with clean perfect Pb by fluxing 3X with pine sawdust. The last melt, I throw some beeswax in (I make it into 1/2" balls for easy measuring) just to get everything (Sb and SN) in the soup. 3X with pine dust should do the trick.

Save your beeswax for your casting pot to keep the Sn in there while casting.

Banger

[Bazoo]

No offense meant, do you know how to flux? Are you new to casting? What I think you’re describing is oxidized alloy on the top of your melted alloy. It gets in your bullets if you don’t leave a large enough sprue puddle. It will float out of your bullet though if the sprue puddle is large and doesn’t run over your mould edge or into the adjacent cavity. I shoot bullets anyway if they have minor oxide inclusions.

When you flux with sawdust you get lead that is technically fluxed well but that doesn’t cast well compared to lead that’s fluxed with beeswax. Put two pea sized pebbles of wax in the pot and let it melt. After about 30 seconds, stir well, including scraping the pot, and turning air/wax down into the alloy. After another 30 seconds to minute of stirring the lead should flow better and be water-like. If it isn’t, flux again with beeswax. Candle wax won’t act the same. Then the lead should really cast well about a dozen casts before you get a buildup up grey sludge again. I scrape this off as needed but don’t flux until I add more to the pot.

It is possible that you have a batch of ornery alloy if you are not new to casting. I have had an ornery batch before. Buy some other alloy and test it to see if you get the same results. If so, then you can mix the ornery stuff in a little at a time to use it up.

[gwpercle]

See if you can locate some real lead flux, Marvelux or Frankford Arsenal CleanCast Lead Fluxing Compound(Midwayusa.com Product #: 593033). These fluxes truly remove slag and other contaminates.

A lot of people bad mouth Marvelux but in Glen E. Fryxell & Fred Applegates book " From Ingot to Target " it is recommended ... I read it and bought a Jar ... It Works .
To get a real clean flux I use a three step : Pencil Sharpener Shavings ( wood shavings) + a little beeswax on the shavings ... stir well w/ wood paddle (small stick) and next add Marvelux ...
Stir well and skim well ...Scrape sides & bottom of pot with metal skimming spoon ...scrape well to get trash loose and out . Then ...
Repeat ...two light fluxes are better than one big one ... you must stir well and skim well to get all inclusions out .
I like to use a beeswax along with wood shavings and Marvelux because it will clean all the trash out, using just one flux ...won't get it done... but if you have only one - Marvelux does the best job because it is a commerical lead flux !
Gary

[flatnose]

I am not new to casting but for the last 30 yrs i shot wheel weights in handguns. Almost exclusively light target loads. As of about a year ago I started buying this 92-6-2 and have had this problem off and on. Sometimes it is real bad and sometimes not so bad. I said earlier when the pot gets low it is never as bad!.I have tried pine saw dust, marvelux, beeswax and nothing really seems to have an effect. When it is doing this nothing seems to help. If casting as cold as possible it will not look black but can still see it sometimes in the bullets. Thanks guys for all the suggestions and help I really appreciate it.

[Bazoo]

Why don’t you call the place you got it from and complain. Maybe they will send you some fresh to try.

[triggerhappy243]

i am not new to casting but for the last 30 yrs i shot wheel weights in handguns. Almost exclusively light target loads. As of about a year ago i started buying this 92-6-2 and have had this problem off and on. Sometimes it is real bad and sometimes not so bad. I said earlier when the pot gets low it is never as bad!.i have tried pine saw dust, marvelux, beeswax and nothing really seems to have an effect. When it is doing this nothing seems to help. If casting as cold as possible it will not look black but can still see it sometimes in the bullets. Thanks guys for all the suggestions and help i really appreciate it.

is it possible it has zinc in it? Only way to test it yourself is with muriatic acid. Then try xrf testing.

[justindad]

I purchased some 92-6-2 that gave inclusions in the bullets… more than I would expect. I fluxed in a small pot, and then transferred the clean lead via ladle to the bottom pour. I didn’t get wrinkles like I am with my wheel weights, which I think is contaminated. I refluxed before each casting session, so most of the lead was fluxed with sawdust & beeswax several times, but there was always inclusions. I just received clean alloy from Rotometals, so hopefully I see an improvement. Maybe it’s me.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Be sure to give the pot and spout area, a deep cleaning before you blame the alloy.

[farmbif]

flatnose is buying from a reputable source.
can you share with us the name of this reputable source?
im just guessing here. but its getting more and more difficult to get pure alloys. I know from my years working with the owner of several huge scrapyards that all kinds of stuff is in those bins, crates and bales of alloys that get sold by the truckload. and im guessing its pretty costly to separate these alloys once they are all melted down together. I'm not sure of the processes these alloys go though once they are shipped out of the scrap yard but would be interested in learning more of how its done.

[OFFSHORE]

Tagging in!!! I have been experiencing the same issue, although I get all my pure lead from recycling centers as lead pipe or roof flashing, stuff that is easily bent by hand and my wheel weights from several tire store sources. I flux with pet cedar shavings, bees wax, two to three times and still get "dirty looking" bullets. I'm a hunter/shooter and for my hunting handgun bullets I use a 30:1 ratio (50%COWW/50% soft lead/1lb. pewter) and for rifle bullets I use a 30:1 ratio as well (100% COWW/1lb. pewter). Not that it has effected my accuracy, but I sure do like nice shinny boolits out of the mold vs. wiping each of them down after sizing/loading.

[FISH4BUGS]

The key piece of information to me is that when the pot gets down, the alloy gets better and I presume less slushy. That means, to me, that the heating gizmo isn't working right - there is less volume to heat up when the pot gets lower and lower and the heating gizmo can work just barely enough to get the temperature higher.
My theory?
Temperature. Your thingie that controls the temperature in your pot may not be doing what you think. I think adding heat until the slush integrates is your option. Get a thermometer and see if you can get it up to 850 - guaranteed to clear up the slush.

[Bloodman14]

Had a similar problem years ago with scrap lead and picked-up wheel weights. Thought it was the alloy for some time. Went to clean out the pot for the third time, and when I picked it up, some 'stuff' fell out of the bottom of the pot. Took it apart and found a mostly burned-through heating element. Bought spares and have been fine since.

[flatnose]

I am using a pid. I actually have two of them. i dont want to mention the place I am buying the aloy but all of you are familiar with them. The alloy has certs. I will try to figure out how to post a picture. At least then everyone can see instead of my description, not that us rednecks have not mastered the english language.

[flatnose]

ok here is a picture of a real bad one
sometimes it is on only the body and when you size them even .001" it is gone
anyone have any suggestions?