a new problem

[XWrench3]

well, at least for me. i ran out of cast 45acp boolits 3 days ago, so last night, i made up another batch. about 1/2 way thru, i had something happen that has not happened to me before. i added an ingot of w.w. lead to the pot, and it started sizzling, and bubbling. the tinsel fairy made a quick fly by, but she did not do a lot of damage. just a few small streamers that did not go far. i have always stored my ingots in 5 gallon plastic buckets, with 4 holes equally spaced around the bottom so if there was any moisture, it would have a way out. the bucket sits inside my unheated garage against one wall, a few feet from the side door. i want it to be convenient to get to. i am getting to the bottom of the bucket, so this may be why i have never before had a problem. obviously, some moisture got in there, and did not find its way out. i am concerned that if i drill a bunch of holes in the bottom, the plastic will break, and all the lead will just fall out. i am looking for ideas to help keep this from happening again. and obviously, heating the garage is not an option.

[Calamity Jake]

Lay your ingots on the edge or near the heat source of your casting pot to preheat them and drive off moisture, problem solved.

[jmsj]

Xwrench3,
Sure sounds like somehow you got moisture in/on your ingots. Do you preheat your ingots prior to adding them to your pot?
When I am going to cast a large volume at one sitting, I will put some ingots around the rim of my casting pot and let them preheat before adding them in. I sometimes preheat them in a small pot (holds 6-7 pounds) on a hotplate. Preheating the ingots allows the ingots to get rid of moisture before going into the melt and doesn't drop the melt tempature as much.
Be careful if putting the ingots on the rim of the pot. I have left them on there long enough for them to get soft and fall apart. Not really melt just break into pieces, some in the pot nd some outside the pot.
Good luck, jmsj

[44man]

I keep all of my lead in the basement. It is DRY down here. In fact I dry pre-cut wood down here before making furniture or gun stocks.
The garage is always changing and stuff sweats. I always have rust problems in the garage.

[canyon-ghost]

That's the trouble I have with 5 gallon buckets. The bottoms keep water in. When you get that low, pour 'em out on the floor or counter, spread it out so it dries up.

[Gohon]

Concrete is porous and will act as a wicking agent of ground water unless it is sealed with a good sealer. If those four holes are in the bottom of the bucket then moisture will get into the bucket and only evaporation will remove it. To keep moisture away from your ingots you need to stow them so there is a good air flow around them. All my ingots are stacked on shelves under my work bench and I've never had a problem. At the very least I would get the buckets several inches off the floor and drill a lot of air holes in the sides of the buckets.

[dragonrider]

Never add cold ingots to a pot. Always preheat in some manner, doesn't matter how as long as they are hot when you add them to you pot.

[**oneshot**]

Sounds like condensation. Preheat them. I even preheat my ladle--- Yep, that happened once: After fluxing and skimming I grabbed my laddle and dipped it in--- sizzle pop!!!! Never again.

[ShooterAZ]

Never add cold ingots to a pot. Always preheat in some manner, doesn't matter how as long as they are hot when you add them to you pot.

I too have learned to NEVER ADD A COLD ANYTHING to the pot, ingots, ladles and molds included. If you bring something outside where it is much cooler from a warm house...you WILL get condensation. I too had a cold ladle sizzle and pop...It got my attention to say the least.

[GRUMPA]

I too have learned to NEVER ADD A COLD ANYTHING to the pot, ingots, ladles and molds included. If you bring something outside where it is much cooler from a warm house...you WILL get condensation. I too had a cold ladle sizzle and pop...It got my attention to say the least.

As much as I hate to admit it that happened to me only once, I think I had a pucker factor of 9.5 when it happened. After that anything that touches molten lead gets warmed up first.

[Echo]

Lay your ingots on the edge or near the heat source of your casting pot to preheat them and drive off moisture, problem solved.

+1. My method precisely. Also pre-heats to reduce the drop in temp when adding.

[fredj338]

I usually preheat ingots too. If I add cold, I put a sheet of heavy alum foil on top. Even my flux stir stick gets set on the edge of the pot for a bit before stirring, especially in winter.

[XWrench3]

thanks guys. i will drill some holes in the side of the bucket, and i will get them up off the floor at least a few inches. this is the first time i have emptied a bucket in the winter, so it is new to me. most of my casting is done when it is much warmer out. but when you run out of boolits, you got to make more! what do you think about a bucket inside of a bucket? would the extra inch or so of air between the two help keep things dry? of course, both buckets would have ventilation holes.

[303Guy]

I keep a layer of sand on top of my molten lead. I can shove wet or green or both wood stick into it and it only stirs the pot. Maybe I'm pushing my luck!

My 'ingots' are circular castings which are too big to get submerged by the melt. They generally go in edgeways. Even so, I do need to heed this warning.

[Grandpas50AE]

thanks guys. i will drill some holes in the side of the bucket, and i will get them up off the floor at least a few inches. this is the first time i have emptied a bucket in the winter, so it is new to me. most of my casting is done when it is much warmer out. but when you run out of boolits, you got to make more! what do you think about a bucket inside of a bucket? would the extra inch or so of air between the two help keep things dry? of course, both buckets would have ventilation holes.

As long as they are in a place where temperature and humidity can fluctuate, they have the capacity of forming condensation, that is a big reason many of us preheat the ingots on the edge of the melting pot for the next fill up - preheating them dries up any condensation that may have formed.

[41 mag fan]

Wouldn't if they were cold, and being placed in heat, moisture would condense on the ingots, causing the tinsel fairy syndrome?
Maybe someones posted this and i missed reading it.

[uscra112]

If cold ingots are exposed to warm and moist air, water will condense out on the lead, sure enough. So keep heating the ingots up until the water evaporates off again.

[XWrench3]

well, it sounds pretty much like everyone is in agreement. i will have to preheat the ingots when casting in cold weather from now on. just one more step to add in. putting them in the basement would be to far to drag out to where i cast.

[Bill*]

The ingot acted just like a nice cold glass in the summer, but it was hard to see on the lead.