There is no "Smelting" going on here

[Reverend Recoil]

Lead smelting is the chemical reduction of lead oxide ore or lead sulfate to free the metalic lead element from compound. What everyone is doing is simply cleaning up trash items from scrap lead. That is not smelting.

[runfiverun]

yep.
but we gotta call it sumthin.
and we do return the oxides back into the alloy when we flux, so it's as close as we are gonna get.

[RU shooter]

Yes ,But it makes us all feel rather industrial when we call it smelting

[Tatume]

You're right, but having a distinct term to differentiate between preparation of lead alloy and the casting of actual objects (ingots or bullets, or fishing sinkers, whatever), is useful. Everyone here knows what is meant when the term "smelting" is used, so in the vernacular it is therefore correct. Another way to put it is, smelting, as it is used here, is technical jargon.

[Lefty SRH]

Lead smelting is the chemical reduction of lead oxide ore or lead sulfate to free the metalic lead element from compound. What everyone is doing is simply cleaning up trash items from scrap lead. That is not smelting.

What do you want to call it?

[ku4hx]

Yep, that's why I like the term "blending" ... as in a recipe. Been trying not to use "smelting" since my new-shooter wife asked me to explain the difference between "casting" and "smelting". But those old fart neural pathways are hard to break or reroute.

[LUCKYDAWG13]

i like Recycling going Green

[montana_charlie]

Lead smelting is the chemical reduction of lead oxide ore or lead sulfate to free the metalic lead element from compound. What everyone is doing is simply cleaning up trash items from scrap lead. That is not smelting.

Thanks for keeping us humble Reverend.
We don't actually flux, either.

So, when will you be publishing the dictionary of appropriate terms for us to use when describing our activities?

If you have no plans to provide us with an alternative, and you disagree with our choice of words, perhaps you would be happier on a casting forum where they speak a language you approve of.

CM

[white eagle]

There is no "Smelting" going on here

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Lead smelting is the chemical reduction of lead oxide ore or lead sulfate to free the metalic lead element from compound. What everyone is doing is simply cleaning up trash items from scrap lead. That is not smelting.

what ever..........
its called I make boolits from it

[wallenba]

What do you want to call it?

Seper-melting. (melting/seperating)

[Longwood]

I suspect smelting is also correct because of the many materials we use.

It may be that a more proper word would be refining, but since most people here are fine with "Smelting", who gives a rats-***?

[44man]

Smelt--to reduce ores by fusion in a furnace.
To obtain a metal from the ore by a process including fusion.
To melt or fuse, as a metal, smelten to melt.

Smelt, a stinky little fish.
Smelt, past tense and past participle of smell.
Since when I SMELT my lead, it STINKS so all meanings are correct.
Nothing said here bothers me except for trying to make spruce plates, I can't get it to work and it would sure be easier then cutting steel.

[GLL]

I thought everyone here "smelted" their own lead sulfide (galena) !
I know all of my neighborhood wonders why we are all going blind and have teeth falling out !

Jerry

Galena samples my students get to play with:

[Longwood]

Nothing said here bothers me except for trying to make spruce plates,

I have heard of using a cedar plank for baking a carp,,, but never a spruce plate for smelt.
Have you tried pine or fir?
Are we cooking Smelt or Carp?

Smelting lead and baking stinky fish at the same time,,,,, Hmmmmm,,,,

[Revolver]

Someone pointed this out to me when I first got started but I chose to keep using the "S-word." It seems to be widely used and accepted for the most part. We could nitpick it to death, and it may not be "correct," but it works and most of us know what we mean.

I guess cleaning up filthy wheel weights could be called refining? Nah... smelting.

[softpoint]

Hmmm. Smelting could be fishing for smelt, too

[kenyerian]

I love deep fried smelt. very Tasty

[Jim Flinchbaugh]

I smelt something once, but it as just the chili I had for lunch

[geargnasher]

Lead smelting is the chemical reduction of lead oxide ore or lead sulfate to free the metalic lead element from compound. What everyone is doing is simply cleaning up trash items from scrap lead. That is not smelting.

Technically you're correct in a way, but then there is the accepted usage, which isn't entirely inaccurate, either. When I say I "smelt', I melt scrap lead, smelt it per your definition by using carbohydrates, hydrocarbons, and carbon monoxide to reduce the oxide compounds and remove trace impurities, and pour ingots. Pretty much what a real smelting operation does except they start with mostly lead oxide instead of mostly lead alloy with a relatively small oxide percentage.

There are words such as "text" used as a verb that have come into accepted usage, as well as "irregardless" which is the stupidest thing I ever heard, but is in the major dictionaries now on account of the evolution of usage. I suppose one can accept that and be happy, or not.

So, on to "spruce plate", "spur plate", "Hodgdon Tightgroup", "Alliant Reloader (insert number)", "websight", and "flux with wax", and all the other little things one can nitpick to death if they're bored and really enjoy instigation as a hobby.

Gear

[Gtek]

You are correct by exact definition Reverend, we are SINNERS!
And what is today fellow melters, we are covered.
Happy Easter! Gtek