Soft lead sheeting

[NSP64]

I came into some soft lead sheets, and melted them down to make 50/50 with.
When it became liquid there was a lot of 'oatmeal' floating on top. I didn't flux it. I scooped it off the top. Should I save this to add into my w/w lead. I think it's antimony.
Once it cooled, it became very hard.
I was running the melt cold. (600*F)
When I added my straight w/w lead and cast some boolits they looked just fine.

[lwknight]

I have 2 of 5 gallon buckets of heavy hard metalic scoop off junk. Someday I will burn it in woodfire to reduce what lead I can before tossing it for good.

High antimony lead gets a slush that will stir in but will not stay till tin is added.
I think the oatmeal stuff is junk with a lot of good lead stuck to it.

[John Boy]

I scooped it off the top.
:confused: You should leave the 'oatmeal' in the pot and flux again. It will blend back into the melt and with the 2nd fluxing ... and then you'll only have dross with no metal of any kind in it
That 'oatmeal' was probably tin depending on the grade of the sheet metal - there are 4 grades IIRC

[NSP64]

I will add it to my WW only blend that I shoot everyday. I was making some 50/50 for hunting.

[EDG]

Sheet lead has a large surface area covered with oxides compared to the weight of lead. You wind up with a large amount of dross for the amount of lead. After you pour off the majority of the metal to make ingots throw the dross into a smaller pot with a lbs of metal. Flux again and you can often reduce the dross back into liquid lead. I have gotten rid of most of the dross by covering it with melted candle wax and stirring. In the end I had black and bown pepper looking particles left in the bottom that would not melt or reduce. That material was discarded.

[clodhopper]

I put my dross in a steel can, punch a couple holes in the bottom and set the can in the wood stove.
When the stove is cool, a modern art ingot lies in the ash.