smelting range lead

[krallstar]

Hey all, spent some time this weekend smelting range lead. This is my first time doing this. Ended up with 125lbs of ingots. Here's my question, the lead came from our indoor range. We use angled steel plates as the stop. There is also a rubber type curtain to minimizer splash back. I ended up with these lead logs they form up under the steel stop. After awhile they drop down and i take them home. So first time smelting, using a coleman stove to melt. Put chunks of these logs in to melt. So after they melt down i get very few jackets but what i did get was this kinda dirt that floated and seemed very dry. I scooped it out and pored my ingots. Does that dirt stuff seem like what i should have been seeing.

[BLACKTALON]

Absolutely,
That is called dross. you can get more dross to come out of the lead by adding a small chunk of paraffin wax and stirring into the mix. the wax will melt and ignite so be ready for that. as you stir you will see more of the dross come to the surface. skim this off and dispose of properly. you should then have a very silvery liquid gold.

[krallstar]

Yup, using wax to flux. Just wanted to make sure i am doing this right and not ruining my lead. Now when i melt these ingots in my lee melting pot i still do a flux correct. And if i keep the pot filled any stuff that's left will sit on the top. won't be casting for about a month till my anniversary comes up. Got a Lee 4 20 waiting to be opened. Also how do i dispose of this dross.

[BLACKTALON]

I flux when I smelt into ingots and I will flux again before I cast into bullets. You wont ruin your lead as long as you keep zinc out of it. As far as disposing of the dross, that's tricky as it is lead and an environmental hazard. I take mine back to the range and dispose of it with the lead that will be mined and sent to the recovery service. Let them worry about it.

[krallstar]

"I take mine back to the range and dispose of it with the lead that will be mined and sent to the recovery service. Let them worry about it." I like this idea.

[krallstar]

A couple of posts up http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?197681-Fluxing-the-melt Says not to use wax. I am confused. I have read that you do use wax then sawdust.

[John in WI]

A lot of folks have better luck with sawdust than paraffin. I think the idea is that you're using the flux as a source of carbon. That helps turn the metal oxides back into a metal that goes into the melt (instead of floating on top).

I've had good luck with using a little bit of wax on the first fluxing, then sawdust later. I found that the wax really seems to ball up the garbage (debris, gravel, WW clips...). For sawdust, I used a spade bit and drilled out some pine knots on UNTREATED pine planks. It seems like the more sap the better. Also, I use a wooden rod as my stirring stick--to really get some carbon in the bulk of the melt.

sounds like you made a pretty good score--are you addicted yet? Melting lead was like crack cocaine for me! I tried it once and was immediately hooked. Buying fishing sinkers at garage sales, picking up WW in busy traffic, filling my pockets with boolits every time I go down range to check my targets... I'm a boolit fiend.

[shadowcaster]

From cbrick on another thread:

Waxes and/or lubes are NOT flux. Wax & oil cannot flux, they will reduce the tin in your alloy but flux? NO.

This comes up at least once a week, read chapter 4 in the following link and you will understand what flux is, what you want it to do, how it does it and what wax & oil will not do.

From Ingot To Target

Rick

cbrick knows what he is talking about here.... waxes and oils DO NOT flux.

Shad

[cbrick]

Here is the link to the book, chapter four is on flux and explains this in plain easy to understand English.

From Ingot To Target (http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_textonly2.pdf)

Rick

[krallstar]

Looks like sawdust is the way to go.

[gimling]

I think the answer your looking for is BOTH, the waxes are NOT a flux but the are good to use, being that the waxes are reducers, that is a GOOD thing, they take the oxidized tin and "recycle it" back into the lead and create a barrier from the oxygen,(which sawdust does to) if your like me and new to the game it will be more time consuming getting your lead clean which allows for more chance of oxidizing to occur. I use sawdust and paraffin wax, usually a couple chunks when im doing a lot of melting. I have read that some just use sawdust before making ingots then use beeswax or paraffin wax when they are melting the ingots for casting.

Paraffin wax is very cheap, and for slow people like me helps me keep my tin in the lead, and somewhat sticks the dirt and gravels making for easier removal. a side note u will have to do a bit of scraping, the sawdust does sink and does cling to the sides.

[krallstar]

What i did was melt the range lead, almost no jackets in there. first remove all **** that's on the top. I then used a small piece of candle wax on top. After flame went out i stirred it in. Not much more **** came to the top. So moved this small bit to the other side and ladled into ingots. When i finally get to start my bullet casting i will bring pot up to temp. Then use sawdust and see where this leads.

[1Shirt]

All I use is a wood dowel to stur. It chars and I believe may add carbon to the melt. Gave up on adding anything in the so called flux line many years ago. Know this may not be kosher for a lot, but it works for me, and I don't fix what doesnt need fixing.
1Shirt!

[shadowcaster]

It will be interesting see how clean your alloy really is, as the purpose of flux is to clean. I personally flux several times with sawdust/wood shavings (about 3 dollars at walmart) during the smelting of scrap lead in a separate pot so that it is as clean as I can possibly get it. This way I am making every effort to get it as clan as i can. Are you using a separate pot for smelting and one for casting? If you want to use the wax as a reducer I would do it when casting your boolits.

Shad

[Lizard333]

The article mentioned says candle wax is OK, just not the best. I personally use the wax during my smelting because I have found I get my clips cleaner and don't get as much lead sticking on the clips. I get candles for cheap at garage sales. They smell pretty good if you get the girly ones.

A pinch of sawdust in my casting pot does the job and I leave the chard remains on top of my pot as an oxygen barrier.

In my opinion, there is so much garbage mixed in with our wheel weights and range scrap, that fluxing may be a mood point. Doing something, wether it be wax, grease, lard, motor oil, or sawdust, you are in good shape.

[BLACKTALON]

I have no doubt saw dust would do a good job fluxing. I have always used just paraffin though. lead cast clean and bullets are as good as any I have purchased. As a matter of fact, I will be lubing some bullets tonight. If I think about it, I ll post em.

[BLACKTALON]

"Are you using a separate pot for smelting and one for casting? If you want to use the wax as a reducer I would do it when casting your boolits."




I have a 5qt cast iron pot for smelting that sits on top of a propane turkey fryer stand and I use a Lee 4-20 for casting bullets.

[Inkman]

I still use only sawdust/Pat Marlins flake. Tried wax and didn't seem to get the melt clean enough to my liking. Flux twice with sawdust while smelting and nothing but clean lead goes in the bottom pour pot. Works for me.

Al

[Oreo]

All I use is a wood dowel to stur. It chars and I believe may add carbon to the melt. Gave up on adding anything in the so called flux line many years ago. Know this may not be kosher for a lot, but it works for me, and I don't fix what doesnt need fixing.
1Shirt!

Same here. Paint stirrers aquired for free from lowes / home depot work great.

I also use some powdered activated carbon just to cover the melt which works nice because its so fine and soft it can't cause drips in the bottom pour spout, and it dusts right off of cooled ingots. But that's strictly as an oxygen barrier, not a flux or cleaning agent.