How much sawdust?

[pdgh59]

When using a Lee 10lb electric pot to make Lyman #2, how much sawdust should I use? Do I need to have enough carbon to completely cover the molten alloy and make it airtight or does a spoonful of sawdust do the trick?

[NavyVet1959]

Some will say don't use any... The only time I use sawdust is when I'm smelting up an alloy from wheelweights and I don't do that in a small Lee casting pot.

[Elkins45]

I tried to like sawdust but I just can't. I use rosin as my casting pot flux. Sawdust is great for smelting but I don't have anything to smelt.

[OS OK]

That dinky little 10# pot is used for pouring molds with clean Pb going through. Anything granular used for flux will eventually get into the valve...use paraffin, it's said that a pea sized chunk will do...me, I use a butter bean sized chunk, I want to make sure that Pb is covered.
You'll get better overall results blending in much larger batches...this way there is less error when you are an ounce or two off the ratios.

Unfortunately if cost is a major factor...this hobby requires a few dedicated tools.

[Springfield]

Just sawdust doesn't do that good a job of cleaning the lead, in my experience. I put some sawdust in and them melt in some wax. The sawdust works as a wick and I get a better flame(to eliminate the oxygen?) and find it works much better. When it all turns to ash I scoop it out. If it is still lumpy I do it again. I mostly do this in my large smelting pot, but sometimes in my casting pot(Magma) and I haven't found it plugs the spout. For example, I just melted down 300 lbs of linotype pigs into smaller ingots. It was pretty clean but I did have a bit of dross, so it is now cleaner than it was. But a 40 lb pot isn't a 10 lb pot, might make a difference.

[Yodogsandman]

If your 10 lb pot is a bottom pour and you're just adding clean ingots to it, about any wax will do. I'll use either paraffin, beeswax or maybe just any scraps of leftover lube to reduce oxides back into the melt. I use a small piece of wax, a little bigger than a sweet pea and once it melts on top, light it off with a wooden match. Then scoop and stir the oxides back in. Make sure to scrape the sides and bottom when doing it. Any dirt or dust is then skimmed off into a metal can.

Sawdust should be used a few times to clean the alloy while rendering down (smelting) wheel weights or other dirty alloys in a solid bottom pot. Use enough to cover the top surface and touch it off with a match once heated. Scoop and scoop the lead alloy through the sawdust to remove dirt and contaminates. Finish off the alloy cleaning by using a wax to reduce oxides back in as described above.

[Nose Dive]

Agree with all above... I use sawdust and sulfur 'generously' when SMELTING in a big SMELT pot. scoop or two of sawdust...scoop of sulfur... then load the pot with your smelt...I SMELT TRASH and roadkill...so need help cleaning out stuff. Now...if you have never done this...BE CAREFUL as it will SMOKE...STINK...BELLOW OUT MORE SMOKE...STINK....need face shield and breathing mask.... mix well and keep temp under 725 or so... scrap pot bottom, side..scrape out dross..... mix well.... then...as all above...I add wax...of any nature...BUT I USE CHEAP stuff...I do not have the bucks for beeswax.... I 'collected' about 50 or so toilet seals from an demo'd apartment complex and use it too. so...if the smelt is still bad news...many time it is...i add some more sawdust and mix.... I save the wax treatment for the very last.... I dip into molds or cupcake tins and let them sit awhile. I always have to alloy to get the brinnel to suit me. My GO TO FIX is pewter. But..did bump into some TIN and have used it. AGAIN...this is SMELTING and NOT CASTING boolits. And, Did I say above i smelt trash, grud and corruption. Watch the temp and DO NOT USE SAWDUST and-or SULFUR INSIDE. It is DANGEROUS.

Nose Dive
Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

[country gent]

In my big ladle pot I use saw dust and parrafin mix stiring and working the melt thru it and the carbon wax mix thru the melt scrapeing the sides and bottom to re blend the alloy together every so often. On my lee pots I just use the parafin or a small ball of bullet lube scrapeing and stiring. I have found that at times sawdust ash can cause pot drips in the bottom pours. I mostly use the big ladle pot to cast since the big bullets I cast 365 grn -550 grns a 10 lb pot dosnt last long. You can try both in your pot and see what works for you.