Adding antimony

[blysmelter]

Some (ok-many) years ago I read an articel about adding powdered antimony to molten lead. The product described was a "Kit" consisting of powdered antimony and a special flux.
Anyone know of such a product beeing available to day?

[MT Gianni]

Bill Ferguson has it, I believe. Look in Handloader Mag. for adds or google. I think he has a web page. Gianni.

[blysmelter]

Anyone got a link? Handloader magzine is a strange bird at this side of the world:-(

[45nut]

http://www.theantimonyman.com/
There he is. :coffeecom:

[blysmelter]

OK, I see the antimony, what about the flux?
Or-how do I do this?

[45nut]

Its on the online ordering page,, Called "Lets" No Smoke, Stink or Flash, Non-Toxic, Water Soluble-2 lb.

http://www.theantimonyman.com/shopa.htm

[blysmelter]

Bill answered my mail and after having read his thoughts on adding antimon to my lead-well-I dont think its worth the work.
And he doesnt sell the correct flux.
Guess I need to find a source for printers lead.

[leadladen]

Blysmelter
I have seen several offerings on linotype on this site and on e-bash,,,but it now seems to be in the market with platinum and gold!!!

[Quality NUt]

If you guys have access to a heavy / sturdy pot, adding antimony to the mix isn't difficult. (To this redneck, anyway) I have a couple ingots left that I have somewhere around 30% Sb. (Sounds like steel if dropped)
I just put the granulated (or even the chunks) Sb in an old plumbers pot, apply super btu blowtorch (homemmade) and wait for the Sb to turn shiney.
Once melted, I just carefully lower the PREHEATED Pb/Sn ingots into the pot.
As always, ventilation is a must. I've been told/read? Sb is much worse than Pb in any form.
QN

[trooperdan]

Bill answered my mail and after having read his thoughts on adding antimon to my lead-well-I dont think its worth the work.
And he doesnt sell the correct flux.
Guess I need to find a source for printers lead.

Blysmelter, I thought that Bill Fergeson was THE man for the antimony flux! I have a large bag of pink powder that I "think" came from him, along with instructions on to alloy antimony with lead. What was the major problem that he relayed to you?

[felix]

Major problem is the flux used to allow lower temps, such as 650 degrees, to make the alloy. The flux he sold some time ago, but I never looked into what it was. Whatever it is/was, it would decompose above 675 degrees or thereabouts making it useless and possibly toxic in the gas state. This specialized flux business prevails in the manufacturing of babbit, and must also be used exactly as prescribed when reheating the babbit to pour into a bearing arrangement. ... felix

[Dale53]

Bill Ferguson used to sell antimony rich bullet metal (you would then add appropriate amounts of pure lead or ww's depending on what you wanted to end up with. Since the antimony was already alloyed with lead, it was easy to handle. I notice it is no longer offered. The metals world has gone crazy. If this keeps up, we no longer will have to worry about Hillary - no one will be able to afford to shoot...

Dale53

[imashooter2]

Back years ago, I built a charcoal and brick blast furnace as described in the NRA book to melt the antimony and made some 50/50 alloy. It was an enormous PITA. I hoarded the stuff like gold, occasionally chipping off a chunk to throw into the pot. Then one day I came home from work to find it all gone. My beloved FIL had an underground pipe corrode through and decided he'd fix it by digging it up and then pouring molten lead around it. Naturally, for a project like that he walked right past the ugly piles of pipe sheath and lead scrap to the shelf with the bar solder and nicely stacked marked ingots. I about had a stroke. The kicker... his carefully thought out plan didn't work.

[blysmelter]

What was the major problem that he relayed to you?


Sorry for my late reply; main problem acc to mr.Ferguson is the toxity of antimony. A local norwegian company offers lead alloyed with å high percentage of antimony, less trouble going that way although more expensive.
I have also traced a relativly large batch of monotype cast dowm to ingots and used as ballast in a boat. The owner has agreed to trade 1:1 with lead:-)