Smelting bullets from rubber backstop

[10sandxs]

We had an unseasonably warm day today so i decided to smelt some reclaim bullets from a rubber backstop. After the rubber fire in the pot i figured I need to pick the few pieces of rubber out of the scrap bullets. After three hours of sorting and two hours of smelting later I had 410 lbs of lead and 50 lbs of copper jackets. Paid about $100 for the bullets and can sell the jackets for $75. $25 for 400 lbs... not bad...

[Tatume]

Very cool! (figuratively speaking, of course).

[lightman]

Thats a good days work and a great price on the lead. I would like to see a closer picture of your pot and burner.

[BNE]

I bet the neighbors loved the smell! That was a good days work.

[runfiverun]

did you know rubber will float on salt water.
you might need to get the solution up into the 12-14% area..

[Tatume]

Thats a good days work and a great price on the lead. I would like to see a closer picture of your pot and burner.

Did you click on the photo. It enlarges substantially.

[Shiloh]

Smelting wheel weights can be kind of noxious. I can't imagine the fumes form a rubber back stop.

Shiloh

[lightman]

[QUOTE=Tatume;3403498]Did you click on the photo. It enlarges substantially.[/QUOTE

Thanks, I'm trying to see the bottom of the pot. I can't quite make out the spout.

[10sandxs]

Yes, i had several people walk by with the "what the heck is he doing" look and some even asked. Several were fainted by the silvery metal, especially when pouring ingots.

Here's a picture of the setup from a lower perspective which shows the burner a bit better. I had it set on about medium most of the day and it took about 5 minutes to reduce a quart of bullets to lead and copper cups.

[10sandxs]

Lightman, I'll get some closeups of the spot this evening. Pretty simple setup

[Sgtonory]

Nice score. My neighbors love me also when i was melting 1000lbs of range scrap a week last year.

[eljefe]

If you have the room, you can lay your bullets out on a tarp
and use a leaf blower to blow the rubber out of the lead scrap.

Of course, you will have a few smaller pieces go with the rubber.
You will also have to collect and dispose of the rubber.

[NavyVet1959]

If you have the room, you can lay your bullets out on a tarp
and use a leaf blower to blow the rubber out of the lead scrap.

Of course, you will have a few smaller pieces go with the rubber.
You will also have to collect and dispose of the rubber.

Basically, separating the wheat from the chaff...

[montana_charlie]

What kind of 'rubber backstop' ... shredded tires?

[eljefe]

The rubber typically used in backstops is "playground" rubber
or rubber mulch. It is recycled tires with the steel belts removed.

[montana_charlie]

It is recycled tires with the steel belts removed.

Thanks ...

[10sandxs]

Hi lightman, here are picts of the spout for the inside of the pot. I welded two nuts on a piece of threaded rod onto the inside of the rings and used them as a guide to center punch the hole in the bottom plate prior to welding. Grind a point on the threaded rod and grab it with a vice grip to open and close. Two turns is wide open. The last pic is the hole. Hard to see, but look for the little lead drip, that's the hole.

[lightman]

Thanks for posting those. I'm thinking about a bottom pour smelting pot. Looking at ideas.