41mag
12-04-2011, 07:53 PM
Ok, I am somewhat new to this. I understand measuring in pounds, ounces, grains, grams, and so forth. Somehow my mind simply doesn't always wrap around simple things like percentages. It registers but then when I get everything ready to go I usually end up weighing everything out anyway.
This said, I have been using a blended alloy, put together from several hundred pounds of purchased, mixed WW lead of varied hardness, with a few ounces of 96% tin 4% silver solder thrown in for kicks and giggles. So far it has come out to be around the 12-14 BHN area. Casting with it has been very easy and fill out has been good.
This said I had one last batch, roughly 40lbs of the mixed ingots, half melted in my big pot when I ran out of propane. So this past week I fired up the pot again as I needed to clear it out and get ready to blend up some more. When it melted up nicely and I finished up with my second flux, I added 6 oz of 96% Tin 4% Silver solder to it.
I haven't had the chance to pour any of it just yet, but they already appear a bit more ringy than the others made from the same lead mix. They are also quite a bit more shiny.
My question is do you think I added enough to actually sway the hardness? I was simply looking to give it a bit easier fill out. I had added 3oz of the same to all of the other, just had this precut and rolled up, and didn't catch it until after it was a done deal.
My thinking is that it shouldn't effect the hardness too much, and fill out should be at least as good or better than with the other. All of the boolits I will be using this on are going to be air cooled so I am hoping that it stays somewhere in the same range.
Your comments are very much appreciated.
This said, I have been using a blended alloy, put together from several hundred pounds of purchased, mixed WW lead of varied hardness, with a few ounces of 96% tin 4% silver solder thrown in for kicks and giggles. So far it has come out to be around the 12-14 BHN area. Casting with it has been very easy and fill out has been good.
This said I had one last batch, roughly 40lbs of the mixed ingots, half melted in my big pot when I ran out of propane. So this past week I fired up the pot again as I needed to clear it out and get ready to blend up some more. When it melted up nicely and I finished up with my second flux, I added 6 oz of 96% Tin 4% Silver solder to it.
I haven't had the chance to pour any of it just yet, but they already appear a bit more ringy than the others made from the same lead mix. They are also quite a bit more shiny.
My question is do you think I added enough to actually sway the hardness? I was simply looking to give it a bit easier fill out. I had added 3oz of the same to all of the other, just had this precut and rolled up, and didn't catch it until after it was a done deal.
My thinking is that it shouldn't effect the hardness too much, and fill out should be at least as good or better than with the other. All of the boolits I will be using this on are going to be air cooled so I am hoping that it stays somewhere in the same range.
Your comments are very much appreciated.