source for pure Antimony and flux.

[rodm1]

Where can I get Antimony for casting and the proper flux? Researching the flux it seems like the proper stuff needed to mix the Antimony with Lead isn't available any longer.

Thanks,

[quail4jake]

Sure you want to try to alloy Sb with Pb? Hard road and very toxic...Try Rotometals superhard, pre alloyed 30% antimonial lead. Good luck, stay un poisoned!

[rodm1]

Yes I do, "Hard road and very toxic" I'm aware but would like to try it anyways. Rotometals is a plan B or C.

Thanks for the warning.

[farmbif]

from what I understand it is no so easy to get pure antimony to mix into lead. I'm no expert but in shooting cast bullets there's not a whole lot that cannot be done with both Linotype and lyman #2.
if you have pure lead and want to make it a harder alloy one path that is very viable is to mix in some foundry type into your pure lead. or just buy Lyman #2 or Linotype from Rotometals. at least you will know exactly what alloy you have when getting from a source such as Rotometals.
I spent years working with a man who owned scrap yards and had an xrf gun and never ever saw pure or even close to pure antimony.

[quail4jake]

Yes I do, "Hard road and very toxic" I'm aware but would like to try it anyways. Rotometals is a plan B or C.

Thanks for the warning.

Sounds like you know what you're doing, please let me know how this goes. I appreciate the plan B and C approach and none of us knows when Rotometals may be no more...it's in Kommiefornia, you know!

[jdfoxinc]

I have seen Rotometals carrying Sa.

[oso]

How much antimony (Sb) do you want? I have used Sb and have a few pounds extra. I'm not poisoned and neither is my family (it is used as flame retardant in children's clothes).
Special flux not needed. Search the forum for antimony and look for posts by folks who have done it like KYcaster, runfiverun and yours truly.

[Scrounge]

Where can I get Antimony for casting and the proper flux? Researching the flux it seems like the proper stuff needed to mix the Antimony with Lead isn't available any longer.

Thanks,

How much antimony do you need to add? Can you get the mix you need with 95/5 Tin/Antimony solder added to your lead? Or close, anyway?

[Rich/WIS]

Have done it in my smelting set up (propane tank/turkey fryer) by lining the bottom of the pot with Sb and covering with ingots of range lead. The Sb in contact with the pot will get hot enough to start to melt and will alloy with the softer stuff as it melts. Need to get the pot HOT and then when mixed cut back the heat. I used about half the soft alloy over the Sb and when mixed added the other half to bring the temp down to reduce oxidation of the Sb. As a ball park use enough soft to make an alloy that is about 30% Sb, and then add more to get the alloy percentage you want. While this worked I decided it was easier to buy foundry type as it would get me not only Sb but Sn in the final alloy.

[USSR]

Sounds like you know what you're doing...

Actually, no, it doesn't sound like he knows what he's doing. Pure antimony melts at 1,167 degrees, dude!

Don

[rodm1]

Thanks everyone this gives me a starting point. It definitely easier to buy the alloy but you learn nothing in the processes.

[Conditor22]

There was a guy (the antimony man I think) that used to sell powdered antimony and flux so you could alloy your own, powdered was the key.

[B.C.Jay]

Been there, done that.

Melt the antimony first, it takes lots of heat, definitely can't do it in an electric pot. Slowly add lead and as the lead melts in, the alloy fluid temperature will quickly become managable. Add tin last.

Avoid any of the white antimony oxide. If you try and heat it directly with flame (like with an acetlyene torch) it will oxidize like crazy.

[Burnt Fingers]

Actually, no, it doesn't sound like he knows what he's doing. Pure antimony melts at 1,167 degrees, dude!

Don

Well DUDE, you can dissolve sugar in water without reaching the melting point of sugar. The same goes for antimony and lead.

[Dusty Bannister]

Maybe this old thread will help folks new to making casting alloy from raw materials. Seems some are getting the instructions backwards. Just read through the entire thread and you can choose the sequence of steps that work well for others.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/arch.../t-166808.html

[USSR]

BF,

We ain't talking about sugar. We are talking about a highly toxic element that requires a higher than normal temperature to alloy into lead. Even the OP sees that this is not a good idea.

Don

[Steve Steven]

I have mixed pure lead and antimony, but not easy. I got a stainless pot, made a lid for it from high temperature 1 1/2" insulation material board that fit into the pot tightly, placed the lead and chunks of antimony in the pot, and heated it with an oxy-acetylene torch so the bottom of the pot was red hot and kept it hot for 15 minutes. The lid is necessary to prevent the antimony from converting to antimony oxide, a dense white vapor that is not good for you, the lid is to keep oxygen away from the hot antimony. The hot melted lead will dissolve the antimony (remember the comment above, "you can dissolve sugar in water without reaching the melting point of sugar") slowly, the smaller the chunks of antimony are the faster they will dissolve in the hot lead. I would shake the pot (GENTLY!!) to hear if the antimony was still in chunks. Don't take the lid out until the pot has cooled down to less than say 800deg F, then pull the lid out and check to see if the antimony chunks are dissolved. You will get a small amount of white antimony oxide smoke at first, but if your lid in the pot is tight it won't be much.

Steve

[LAGS]

I would buy chunks of Antimony from an outfit in Santa Fe springs California and have it shipped to me.
I can't remember the name of the company , since it has been 10 years since I ordered any.
Last shipment was 25 lbs and I probably have half of it still.
I would just melt my lead and add the broken up chunks to the pot.
After an hour or so at 700 degrees , the Antimony would start to melt.
But stay away from the fumes as they can be toxic.
I did get slight Antimony poisoning once and was sick for two days.
After the Antimony is melted , I would flux the mix ,THEN add my Tin.
That way the Tin does not burn off half of it cooking for so long.

[Dusty Bannister]

Normal oxidation does occur and the components burn off at an equal proportional rate. So the dross will have the same proportion of lead as the original melt. The key is, for those that did not read the thread I referred to earlier, is that tin and antimony like to combine. The antimony does not melt, it dissolves into solution. This will take place at your normal casting temps, you do not need a blast furnace to do it. Just keep it covered to prevent exposure to oxygen and stir from time to time if you absolutely can not leave it alone.

[oso]

FYI when I got my antimony from U.S. Antimony they couldn't mine competing with the Chinese so they sold Chinese antimony.
Search function here not working easily for me. Here are some additional informative discussions:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...mony-with-lead
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Pure-Antimony
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-much-Antimony
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...lloying-safety