SkookumJeff
02-06-2011, 12:54 AM
After months and months of studying, weeks and weeks of collecting equipment, I finally set up and conducted my first smelting session today. I was using lead window sash weights I purchased to smelt down. I don't have a smelting ladle and substituted my Lyman casting ladle to pour muffin tin ingots. It worked 'ok' on the small muffin tin mould but not so well for the medium sized muffin moulds, I had to pour each mould in a couple of pours. Is this a problem for the ingot? I'm too ignerint to tell.
I think I got my lead too hot. I was skimming a metallic cottage cheese looking material off the surface of the molten lead. After the initial skimming, I thought I would be done. But after some time, it seemed like this material would build up again on the surface of the molten lead and if I left it alone it would interfere with dipping my casting ladle in, clogging the ladle. I felt like I had to skim it off again. It also seemed to form around my Lyman ladle & was difficult to scrap off if it cooled a little. Is this just lead? I would have left it alone except it was difficult to pour ingots with this material on the surface of the molten lead in the pot.
I was using a combination of black walnut and maple sawdust from my table saw to flux the material with. Seemed to work ok, but what do I know? Question - I was stirring the flux in as best as I could with a wooden stick. Stirring it into the molten lead...is this right? It was cool how it would smoke and then burst into a little fire ball. Love it. Not sure I was doing everything right, but I was having a heck of a good time after my nerves settled down a bit. I think I got my lead too hot, it turned a greenish or golden color? After fluxing it would be rainbow colored for a short time, then that would fade out. I don't have my thermometer yet, I wish I had it & don't think I'll try smelting more until I get it.
I smelted for a couple of hours and only poured a couple of muffin tins before shutting down to evaluate what I'm doing. Everything seemed to go OK but I wasn't certain about overheating my lead and uncertainty about whether I was skimming dross or lead. Once I get my thermometer, I'll give it another shot. I'm considering remelting all the ingots I poured today to get more consistent ingots. One thing I'll say in closing. I have Lymans Cast Boolit Handbook 3rd ed. I've read it a couple of times. I've been cherry picking this site for months, also the LASC site. Yet once I started, I STILL felt like I hadn't spent enough time studying. This is one heck of a complicated activity! When I got everything cleaned up and put away today, I told a few buddies - I didn't burn myself...I didn't burn my clothes...and I didn't set my house on fire.
I figure it was a successful first smelt. Its a start anyway, finally. :-D
Oh! One more question. Does anyone use tongs or some other tool, to drop lead into the melting pot once molten lead is in it? Seems dangerous to use my hand to tenderly drop chunks of lead into the smelting pot once it's up to temp, even with gloves on. I'm thinking some heavy tongs or pliers would be safer?
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate this forum and the people who participate in it.
I think I got my lead too hot. I was skimming a metallic cottage cheese looking material off the surface of the molten lead. After the initial skimming, I thought I would be done. But after some time, it seemed like this material would build up again on the surface of the molten lead and if I left it alone it would interfere with dipping my casting ladle in, clogging the ladle. I felt like I had to skim it off again. It also seemed to form around my Lyman ladle & was difficult to scrap off if it cooled a little. Is this just lead? I would have left it alone except it was difficult to pour ingots with this material on the surface of the molten lead in the pot.
I was using a combination of black walnut and maple sawdust from my table saw to flux the material with. Seemed to work ok, but what do I know? Question - I was stirring the flux in as best as I could with a wooden stick. Stirring it into the molten lead...is this right? It was cool how it would smoke and then burst into a little fire ball. Love it. Not sure I was doing everything right, but I was having a heck of a good time after my nerves settled down a bit. I think I got my lead too hot, it turned a greenish or golden color? After fluxing it would be rainbow colored for a short time, then that would fade out. I don't have my thermometer yet, I wish I had it & don't think I'll try smelting more until I get it.
I smelted for a couple of hours and only poured a couple of muffin tins before shutting down to evaluate what I'm doing. Everything seemed to go OK but I wasn't certain about overheating my lead and uncertainty about whether I was skimming dross or lead. Once I get my thermometer, I'll give it another shot. I'm considering remelting all the ingots I poured today to get more consistent ingots. One thing I'll say in closing. I have Lymans Cast Boolit Handbook 3rd ed. I've read it a couple of times. I've been cherry picking this site for months, also the LASC site. Yet once I started, I STILL felt like I hadn't spent enough time studying. This is one heck of a complicated activity! When I got everything cleaned up and put away today, I told a few buddies - I didn't burn myself...I didn't burn my clothes...and I didn't set my house on fire.
I figure it was a successful first smelt. Its a start anyway, finally. :-D
Oh! One more question. Does anyone use tongs or some other tool, to drop lead into the melting pot once molten lead is in it? Seems dangerous to use my hand to tenderly drop chunks of lead into the smelting pot once it's up to temp, even with gloves on. I'm thinking some heavy tongs or pliers would be safer?
Thanks everyone, I really appreciate this forum and the people who participate in it.