A New Way to Summon the Tinsel Fairy

[2wheelDuke]

I meant to post about this before, but hadn't gotten around to it.

I found a new way to summon the tinsel fairy. At least a way that I hadn't heard of.

I always wind up skimming out some TMJ bullets from range scrap when I smelt. I've heard of some people using a hammer to crack the jacket so that it can spill the lead core out the next time it's melted. I had some TMJ that I skimmed out and set aside. I went to smack one with a 2# hammer to crack the jacket. I guess I didn't wait long enough, because the core was still molten. I got showered in molten lead.

Fortunately, I was completely covered, including leather boots, a leather apron over jeans and long sleeves, leather welding gloves, a hat, and a full face shield. Later on, I was able to pick most of the pieces of lead off and stick them in the pot.

Proper protective gear makes a huge difference when things go wrong or you do something slightly dumb.

[Vinne]

Glad it all worked out for you. Never hurts to be too prepared...but it does if you aren't!!

[762 shooter]

I try to smack pre-heat.

762

[zidave]

Wow. Bet that was scary. I try to hit the sealed ones before going in the pot.

Sometimes I'll miss one that isn't sealed but has like a "cap" on the base and the molten lead will kinda shoot out. Scary stuff

[fatelk]

I learned the hard way on one of those too, except I used a big pair of needle-nose pliers to crush and poke a hole in them. Didn't wait long enough for one to cool - what a mess!

[Bigslug]

Any jacketed pistol bullets I find are typically picked up while walking the span between one berm and another looking for shotguns slugs. They get subjected to the observe-the-base process. If they're unruptured TMJ's, I toss them for someone more desperate for lead than me.

[leadman]

If I have undamaged fully covered bullets I hit them with the rock hammer before heating. One could also easily drill a hole in them.

[NSP64]

LOL
Glad your ok
I learned in HS to never hit hot metal things with a hammer(quarter sandwiches will shoot a long way)

[DRNurse1]

LOL
Glad your ok
I learned in HS to never hit hot metal things with a hammer(quarter sandwiches will shoot a long way)

Hmm no smiths weighing in here yet. +1000 on the be prepared clue in the OP and glad things worked right.

Me thinks this is like the magician tapping the rim of the top hat with the wand, in a Cast Boolits sort of way.

[zuke]

smack with an axe on a hard surface before cooking

[rmark]

'smack with an axe on a hard surface before cooking '

are we talking about cooking carp?

[Tom Herman]

Glad you didn't get hurt! I examine all of the jacketed bullets that I pick up for obvious breaches. If I don't see any, I cut a potion of the bullet with a metal shear to expose the core. Then and only then does the bullet go into the melting pot to slowly heat up! Lead spraying in unfortunate directions is to be avoided at all costs....

[sirsloop]

heh heh... I get funny looks from people when im casting. I'm head to toe covered in denim, big leather welding gloves, face mask... respirator too while smelting. People just dont realize how effin dangerous it is to be working around bulk quantities of 600°F molten metal.

[2wheelDuke]

I have to say, I was surprised at just how long it stayed molten inside. It sat on the ground for a bit before I rolled it away from the others and grabbed the hammer.

[Old School Big Bore]

CARP! NO, silly, that's for CATFISH!

[Cmm_3940]

Sounds like a Gallagher skit gone horribly wrong (worse). Good tip on the TMJs, I've not had that problem yet.

[tomme boy]

I have the same shirt! Been there, done that!

[wistlepig1]

Thanks for the tip. I wouldn't have thought of it. Glade you weren't hurt!

[triggerhappy243]

you could crush/cut with side cutters or bolt cutters.

[6bg6ga]

A friend of mine was melting wheel weights in my garage and all of a sudden whoom and the ceiling was spackled with lead. My first sighting of the fairy and I hope the last.