smelting solder dross???

[arjacobson]

I am looking to smelt 110lbs of solder dross I just received. I have already test melted a bit in a large ladle and it smokes like none other.. When I do the whole batch I am looking to do it at a buddys house out in the sticks because of the smoke.. Is there any tips to smelting this stuff such as constantly stirring to remove the flux?? It looks like the flux turns to a powdery substance and holds the small solder balls in place.. Any help is much appreciated

[lwknight]

Try a small test batch and toss in a bit of tallow or candlewax and see if it releases all the little balls of solder then you can skim without losing anything.
You did say solder dross so I'm guessing that it is not the flux from the solder??

Maybe you could wash the stuff before you melt it??

[arjacobson]

I would callit solder drippings but the man I bought it from calls it solder dross. It is wet with flux.....

[trk]

It's easier to do than WW - (no clips).

I use a little borax sprinkled on the top and then stirred - the crud bonds to the borax and turns to a gray light powder - easy to skim off.

If this is lead-free solder, it may or may not have any antimony. The stuff I smelt is 96/3.5/0.5 tin/silver/copper. In which case note that it will cool slowly - heat transfer isn't as good as with lead-tin alloys.

[trk]

If you don't know what the flux is that is on it - be careful to stay upwind.

[GLL]

I just did a 200 pound batch of 60/40 "solder drippings" in my large welded steel pot. As everything become liquid the solder flux floated to the surface and smoked badly. I added three big hands full of oak cuttings from my wood planer along with a 1/4 pound block of paraffin and stirred for 15 minutes while periodically adding more oak and wax to keep the fire blazing. The flux burned down to ash and as the fire went out I skimmed the debris and cast into 5 pound ingots.

I ended up with 37 of these 5 pound ingots! :)

Jerry

60/40 solder
http://www.fototime.com/FAFCDABCB7A382A/orig.jpg

[*Paladin*]

Man, those are pretty ingots!

[arjacobson]

thanks for the tips guys. I will give them a try...

[Philngruvy]

Man, those are pretty ingots!

That picture put a smile on my face!

[bumpo628]

I ended up with 37 of these 5 pound ingots! :)
60/40 solder


I like your ingot mold too.