What metal is it?

[richbug]

I picked up a 55 pound ingot of a mystery metal a few weeks back. it was about 9"x14"x 2". AMAX was cast into it. I thought it was Lino, when I bought it but it doesn't cast like lino. I broke the pieces in half using a railroad pick so it would fit in my smelting pot, it was very crystalline in structure, large crystals. Melt is at a very high temperature, no idea how high, I don't have a thermometer. Gtes kinda a purple skin on it as it hardens. It doesn't cast nice neat ingots, almost has a stringy consistancy to it. It also gets very crystally when it starts to harden in the pot.

According to my lee hardness tester, it is 33 BHN 1 hour after cast into ingots.


Any Idea what it is?

[largecaliberman]

Richbug,

The way you described the ingot--- very crystalling in structure, large crystals, melt at a very high temp.... it looks/sounds like antinomy. Take a lump of the metal and try alloying the metal with lead at a high temperature. Let it sit in the melt and observe if the lump is disolving slowly (throw in a generous layer of charcoal dust on the top of the melt to mitigate oxidation). After the lump melted into the lead, remove the charcoal layer, throw in your flux, skim off what ever crud and add a little bit of tin, cast a boolit and run a BHN if it comes around 22, no wrinkles, etc then you are in business------- LINOTYPE!!!!!!

Word or warning WATCH OUT FOR FUMES!!!!! or else.....

[richbug]

ANy body need some Zinc? Pretty sure that is what it is. I added 1 pound to 10 pounds good bullet alloy, and got uncastable slime...

[Old Ironsights]

Bummer.

How about showing some representative pics of what bad/zinc adulterated alloy looks like when cast?

[richbug]

Bummer.

How about showing some representative pics of what bad/zinc adulterated alloy looks like when cast?

Will do next week, wife should be home any minute, got a big mess to get cleaned up. If I forget, remind me please.

[Old Ironsights]

Thanks.