Sonnypie
08-20-2011, 03:00 AM
OK. So I'm real new to this.
I've been banging away making my 30 caliber boolits with Rotometals Lyman #2 formula.
I added a little 60/40 solder for the flux and went to get the Grandson from school. (Turn the furnace down when idle next time. Check)
When I got back there was this odd layer that looked like dirt on the surface of the pot of molten metal. It was hard like baked clay or dirt, and looked like refried beans. Chunky and jagged.
It took an awl to break through it, and I managed to carefully break it up and remove it into my slag can.
I'm pretty certain the batch got too hot during my absence from the shop.
I'm using a Lee Pro 4 - 20 furnace and was running it at 7 1/2, but had turned it up to 8 a little while before and was casting away and putting the sprue back in as I went along.
That's why I figured it overheated during the idle time with no cooled sprues to hold the temperature down.
Once I got the junk off and out, the metal appeared ok and cast like it had been for the duration of the session. I did a huge amount of boolits today.
What was that crust?
Did I burn up the Tin or Antimony in that batch?
I have never seen anything like that before.
Feel free to slap me upside the head. :killingpc [smilie=1:
Dad probably would have.
I've been banging away making my 30 caliber boolits with Rotometals Lyman #2 formula.
I added a little 60/40 solder for the flux and went to get the Grandson from school. (Turn the furnace down when idle next time. Check)
When I got back there was this odd layer that looked like dirt on the surface of the pot of molten metal. It was hard like baked clay or dirt, and looked like refried beans. Chunky and jagged.
It took an awl to break through it, and I managed to carefully break it up and remove it into my slag can.
I'm pretty certain the batch got too hot during my absence from the shop.
I'm using a Lee Pro 4 - 20 furnace and was running it at 7 1/2, but had turned it up to 8 a little while before and was casting away and putting the sprue back in as I went along.
That's why I figured it overheated during the idle time with no cooled sprues to hold the temperature down.
Once I got the junk off and out, the metal appeared ok and cast like it had been for the duration of the session. I did a huge amount of boolits today.
What was that crust?
Did I burn up the Tin or Antimony in that batch?
I have never seen anything like that before.
Feel free to slap me upside the head. :killingpc [smilie=1:
Dad probably would have.