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Thread: Smelting? Not likely.

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Smelting? Not likely.

    Smelt/smelting is a word one sees frequently used on the site, and used incorrectly. I would be mightily impressed if anyone had the equipment to smelt lead. We melt it, plain and simple, that is all we do.

    Smelting: Uses suitable reducing substances that will combine with those oxidizing elements to free the metal. Reduction is the final high temperature step in smelting. It is here the oxide becomes the final elemental metal.

    Sooo...smelting is part of the process of extracting the metal from the ore, not something done at home with a lead furnace or other source of heat and casting into bullets or ingots. That is simply melting lead, not "smelting".
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

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  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by sharps4590 View Post
    Smelt/smelting is a word one sees frequently used on the site, and used incorrectly. I would be mightily impressed if anyone had the equipment to smelt lead. We melt it, plain and simple, that is all we do.

    Smelting: Uses suitable reducing substances that will combine with those oxidizing elements to free the metal. Reduction is the final high temperature step in smelting. It is here the oxide becomes the final elemental metal.

    Sooo...smelting is part of the process of extracting the metal from the ore, not something done at home with a lead furnace or other source of heat and casting into bullets or ingots. That is simply melting lead, not "smelting".
    This subject has been discussed before, and many different opinions have been expressed, BUT, I agree with what you said.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Froogal, I did not know that or I wouldn't have started the thread.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

    NRA Benefactor 2008

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    But smelting sounds so much more intriguing! Don't go peeing in all our cereal.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    Quote Originally Posted by Hanzy4200 View Post
    But smelting sounds so much more intriguing! Don't go peeing in all our cereal.
    Agreed. It is a PITA job, which has to be done, so if I can feel a little more glorified, I will take the benefit. (or did I just hit an extra key with my fat fingers and misspelll "melt???!!!"

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Do you realize how many times this has been discussed? It’s the same thing every time. There are may terms used incorrectly. Caliber and cartridge are probably used incorrectly more than any other terms. As far as “smelting”, you won’t change anyone’s use of the term through education. Hasn’t worked in the past and won’t work in the future.

  7. #7
    Boolit Master
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    Interesting, some feel it important to differentiate between smelting and melting scrap lead, and take no notice when people say they "casted" a pile of "cast" bullets. Perhaps it is more important that the reader understand the action undertaken rather than grammer being used?

  8. #8
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    Quote Originally Posted by sharps4590 View Post
    Smelt/smelting is a word one sees frequently used on the site, and used incorrectly. I would be mightily impressed if anyone had the equipment to smelt lead. We melt it, plain and simple, that is all we do.
    That is simply melting lead, not "smelting".
    I know! And agree. At first it bugged the $#*& out of me, but I think most people know better and enjoyed using the slang term tongue-in-cheek, so I got over it
    Just one of those things.

    In these times, I am far more "bugged" by national events to even think about causing unrest here among us like minded people.

    Be safe and happy scrap lead rendering.
    Chill Wills

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy
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    Would deriving lead from range scrap be considered smelting in light of you definition?

  10. #10
    Boolit Master Thumbcocker's Avatar
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    I kind of like "rendering" myself.
    Paper targets aren't your friends. They won't lie for you and they don't care if your feelings get hurt.

  11. #11
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    I always heard that "he who smelt it, dealt it".

    If this is the most upsetting thing you see discussed on this site, you have an awfully easy life.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master
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    Really, I’ve been picturing all the members having ore crushers in their back yards, buildings with furnaces and big slag piles that they routinely dispose of quietly in local forests and fields. Just thought it was either so common that it wasn’t even being discussed or that everyone is silent on it because they are operating illegally as there hasn’t been a new lead smelter approved in the US in a long time.

    Sarcasm off.

    It doesn’t matter because usage is unlikely to change, but what would be the proper terminology for using heat and mechanical action to separate an alloy of lead, tin, antimony and arsenic from other items that are suspended in the alloy? It’s more than melting, and it’s not really smelting ore, so what is it?

  13. #13
    Boolit Master
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    I have always used melting as it is easier to type and even easier to say than, what was that word again, oh! Smelting. He is right though but it is a moot point. A lot of things written on here are sometimes hard to get the point so you have to read between the lines. Have a good day and happy melting, smelting, rendering, heating up, and casting, casted or what ever you want to call it, we will figure it out and give you the best answer we can come up with.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Refining comes to mind to define the entire process. Seems to be what all the local mining engineers use. Maybe I notice it more than others because I live very near what used to be the "Rolla School of Mines" and am surrounded by engineers of all stripes and, most of the Deer Run mines and facilities are less than 50 miles from me. In other words, I live in the lead belt, the largest lead deposits in the world.

    I wasn't trying to stir the pot or be critical nor was I aware it had been discussed at length previously as I mentioned. If I'm using a word or term incorrectly I'd prefer to know so as not to appear I don't know what I'm talking about. The thread can be let go or deleted but it won't change the facts.
    "In general, the art of government is to take as much money as possible from one class of citizens and give it to another class of citizens" Voltaire'

    The common virtue of capitalism is the sharing of equal opportunity. The common vice of socialism is the equal sharing of misery

    NRA Benefactor 2008

  15. #15
    Boolit Master
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    I can get behind “refining” and do tend towards precision in language, it was just easy to be snarky.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by JimB.. View Post
    I can get behind “refining” and do tend towards precision in language, it was just easy to be snarky.
    I've read extensively in melting and casting jewelry and utility metals, and actually melted and cast a little bit in aluminum. Got friends in my local area who cast brass & iron as well, for railroad & model railroad equipment. It's generally referred to as melting. Fluxing, degassing, and skimming dross are normal activities in those realms. Aluminum oxidized very easily, so it's an utter necessity with that metal. Some of the extreme jewelers will actually refine their scrap, but most folks just send it off to be refined unless they're cheap bastriches like me. Unfortunately, I'm just a bit of grammar nazi, so I dislike the misuse of "smelting." Though I'll probably get over it one of these days. And I snark quite easily but I'm trying not to go overboard with it.

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    I’m horrible with grammar & spelling , so I’m perfectly happy Casting boolits

  18. #18
    Boolit Master Dapaki's Avatar
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    Well.... Thank you so very much! I'll just go play with my 100 round-clip-mag if you all are gonna be so SMELTy!


  19. #19
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    I'm with Sharps4590!

  20. #20
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    I smelt it- then quickly blamed it on the dog

    Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G930A using Tapatalk

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