Very dirty wheelweights

[chris in va]

I picked up a pail of wheelweights that were literally dug up out of the ground (for reasons unknown).

I smelted a few ingots, but somehow dirt still collects on the skillet. Any special way of fluxing the junk out of the melt?

[stainless1911]

I use a dry wooden paint stir stick, and old lube.

[Doc Highwall]

I would wash them and let them dry first.

[docone31]

That dirt just floats off the melt. I wouldn't worry about it.
Get a spoon, and ladle off what collects if it warrants it.

[white eagle]

skim and go

[R.M.]

Stir, stir, stir. All the agitation will bring the crud to the top, then skim. As has been said, a dry, wooden stick makes a good tool. Must be dry though.

[Baron von Trollwhack]

The skillet is the problem. You may have it too full to float the junk on the surface so you can dipper it off. BvT

[lwknight]

If you have entirely oo much crud to deal with , you can skim off as much as you can , ladel up from the middle and cast into ingots till the pot is low enough to pour the rest out.
Clean the pot and remelt the ingots. This time the crud will be easily manageable.

[bigboredad]

when I'm doing very dirty wheel weights I'll flux two or three times and stir a bunch. I picked up a stainless spatula at the good will store and use it to scrape the bottom. as I pour my ingots I continue to skim the dirt off. after the first pan (I use a muffin pan) I will go thru the same process. If I'm done for the day after the pan and left over lead has cooled I flip out out and then brush the pan and the bottom of the lead that was in the pan. That has worked out well for me