Thin film on top of my mix ?

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

I finally got my corn bread mold and melted my mix formula up [ 9lb mag shot, 1lb pewter, 10.4 lb lino, 21lb pure, 22lbs coww ] witch gave me a formula of 2.29% tin, 3.96 Antimony, .26% arsenic, .02 cooper, 93.5% lead and proceded to flux with saw dust and pour my molds.

As soon as i dipped out my first ladle i would get a thin film on the pot and ladle witch would flow over the outside and into the mold. After 2 pous of ingots i refluxed and continued the prosses until done. I checked the temp and was around 850 deegres.

Is this film normal and not any thing to worry about ?

I will be casting out of a lee 10lb bottom poor with iether saw dust or kitty liter to help with oxidation.

Your thoughts please, Steve

[runfiverun]

gold colored film??
that is your tin.
turn the heat down.

film of gunky/funky looking silver alloy?
that's from the cold utensils and alloy cooling down.
warm up your ladle a bit in the melt.

[HATCH]

What about purple/blue ??

sent from my mobile.

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

gold colored film??
that is your tin.
turn the heat down.

film of gunky/funky looking silver alloy?
that's from the cold utensils and alloy cooling down.
warm up your ladle a bit in the melt.

Not a gold color, looked like almost a silver colored suran wrap wrinkled look on the Stainless Steel ladle sliding off as i poured into the ingot mold and would hang off the ladle also.
Im thinking was too hot, Probably the tin. Will the tin float to the top of my iron pot real fast even after stiring well ? When i flux it goes right back in and starts to form very quickly, Steve

[runfiverun]

your ladle is just cold,let it heat up in the alloy for a second.
you are exposing the hot lead to colder air by dumping it back off and into the pot,
it's making oxidized lead and thats the hanging off part.
plus it's introducing oxygen into your pot ,adding to what you need to flux back in as you go.

it's what happens to your pour stream between your spout and mold only on a bigger/longer scale.

[BACKTOSHOOTING]

your ladle is just cold,let it heat up in the alloy for a second.
you are exposing the hot lead to colder air by dumping it back off and into the pot,
it's making oxidized lead and thats the hanging off part.
plus it's introducing oxygen into your pot ,adding to what you need to flux back in as you go.

it's what happens to your pour stream between your spout and mold only on a bigger/longer scale.

exactly what its doing, Should i change over to a cast iron ladle for makeing my molds, The SS ladle i bought is pretty thick at a little more than 1/8"

[badbob454]

i would just let it sit in the melt for a few seconds to warm up

[runfiverun]

yep. i have been using a stainless ladle for 20+ years now it just needs to be warmed up.
it'll get smokn hot if you leave it in too long.

[cbrick]

At 850 degrees the oxidation rate is quite fast. What will oxidize first and fastest at 850 degrees is tin.

Turn down the heat, way down. No need what so ever to be over 700 degrees in a Pb/Sn alloy.

Leave your ladle regardless of what it's made of in the melt long enough for it to be at the same temp as the melt, then pour your ingots. Pre-heat the ingot molds as well, a cool ingot mold will give the same results as a cool boolit mold, wrinkly & ugly.

Rick

[lwknight]

Aghree, 850 degrees is just entirely too hot

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Thanks for all the replies, Was my first attempt at mold casting, Will turn the heat way down from now on