Last time I made boolits I left the pot empty. I was using roofing boots as my lead. Anyhow when I went to use my pot today it had redish flakes all around the inside of the pot.its a lee 4-20 bottom draw melter. Any clue what this might be? Is it safe?I mean I scrapped it out mostly and filled it with lead and moved on but wanna know if it's super dangerous or just regular danger. Thanks guy n gals!
It could be sulfur. It naturally occurs with lead, as does arsenic, and isn't always completely removed with the purifying process. Just a WAG.
The solid soft lead bullet is undoubtably the best and most satisfactory expanding bullet that has ever been designed. It invariably mushrooms perfectly, and never breaks up. With the metal base that is essential for velocities of 2000 f.s. and upwards to protect the naked base, these metal-based soft lead bullets are splendid.
John Taylor - "African Rifles and Cartridges"
Forget everything you know about loading jacketed bullets. This is a whole new ball game!
Rust?
I first kinda thought rust but I used the pot not thT long ago and these deposits were more flaking. I melted a bunch of aluminum in a galvanized pipe with a cap on it.that made sulfer yellow flakes that I was told was super deadly arsenic.this reddish stuff looked like the arsenic but was red with kinda a oranges hue.
Looking at my muffin pan ingots there seems to be a ring of this reddish on some of them going around the middle of the ingots.half way up the "muffin"
Could be oxides of lead or antimony. Lead alloys turn strange colors when overheated. I see orange fairly regularly.
Don't put any of the flakes in your mouth ... whatever it is can't be good for you .
And wash your hands after fooling with the stuff .
Maybe its from your fluxing agent .
Gary
Certified Cajun
Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
" Let's Go Brandon !"
Is it magnetic? Then it's iron. Should come off when skimming. As for cleaning the pots, & Melter, I use a sturdy wire wheel with a 1.4" shank with a extension bar chucked into my power drill. Don't breath this stuff in. It's a combination of oxides and will make you sick.
A good use for them leftover Covid Masks ... breathing in any of that pot residue can't be good .Originally Posted by Polymath
After getting the pot insides clean ... spray it with that black Drop-Out mould release spray , it's not great on moulds because of the Build Up and hard to remove ... BUT ... it's great to spray on the insides of a clean pot ... helps keep off pesky build up on the sides of the pot .
I stopped using it on my moulds but for the pot and the dipper it works great !
Gary
Certified Cajun
Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
" Let's Go Brandon !"
Years ago I bought sheets of lead (roofing lead?) with some sort of glue? backing. In my pot when I emptied it I had a layer of reddish sand in the bottom. I assumed it was iron oxide from the glue and tossed it. I figured it was stuck under the heavy lead and thus didn't float. Maybe I was wrong?
Wayne the Shrink
There is no 'right' that requires me to work for you or you to work for me!
OK guys so live in Florida aka freedomland so I don't own or want to own a mask sorry to anyone reading this in a non free state.Let's go Brandon! But on a serious note I do have mold release spray so I'll just clean the pot out and give her a spray. I'll check the red stuff with a magnet in the morning.
Just a little FYI here.If you clean out the rust in your lead pot do this.Secure the nozzle of a vacuum cleaner to the side of the pot.This will get most if not all the dust,dirt,crap and corruption taken care of.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo
People never lie so much as after a hunt,during a war,or before an election.
Otto von Bismarck
Orange is most likely lead tetroxide (Pb3O4). I get this occasionally when using pure lead and have my pot a little on the hot side.
It's made commercially by passing a stream of oxygen over heated lead so it makes sense some will form occasionally while casting.
Turning the temp on my pot down a little usually stops it from forming.
Best advice right there. Also, avoid casting naked and never flux with urine.
Worst case it is cadmium. Very nasty stuff. This much can kill you => "."
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cadmium_oxide
Oh come on casting naked should expose something , I want to be upwind from anyone casting with urine as a flux .
What's wrong with urine?
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