weird colored mix

[karlrudin]

I had sorted my coww by using a magnet so as not to get metal ones in the pot. I heated it up and it came to temp. I started removing the clip and the batch started to get colored. First a gold haze then it turned into a dark blue haze. no matter how much I fluxed it, it wouldn't go away. so I emptied the pot into mold and looked into the pot. it still had a gold/blue haze around the bottom of the pot. ?????? Did i get ahold of something that is going to mess me up.

[mold maker]

Sounds as if you over heated the lead. No harm done.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?63550-Gold-and-purple-and-blue-Oh-My!&highlight=Gold

[Down South]

Too much heat.

[karlrudin]

I didnt know that heat would affect the color of lead. new to this. but I was using the same setting on my pot as I have been before and never had this problem. I did notice that after I culled out the ww clips, the mix was a mess. figured it was zinc and was going to discard. But when the colors came in, i didnt know what to think. so even if it is zinc in the mix, will it mold and can i still shoot it for paper?

[catman81056]

If I'm not mistaken, zinc is not magnetic. It is usually marked though.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I didnt know that heat would affect the color of lead. new to this. but I was using the same setting on my pot as I have been before and never had this problem. I did notice that after I culled out the ww clips, the mix was a mess. figured it was zinc and was going to discard. But when the colors came in, i didnt know what to think. so even if it is zinc in the mix, will it mold and can i still shoot it for paper?
YES !
Zinc will not hurt your rifle. There have been members that have experimented with shooting pure zinc boolits. BUT, you will find that a Lead alloy with more than 1 or 2% Zinc will not cast well. I had a batch of COWW get zinc contaminated, I just would add one of those ingots in a near full pot of other alloy, that dilutes the Zinc down so you have no ill effects to casting.

NOW, you mention, "the mix was a mess"
What about it was a mess ?
If you don't remove all the dross, there can be rust oxides or sand/grit...those type of things in a alloy is real bad. But that can just be reheated and fluxed to separate.

[Walter Laich]

I believe that the dangers of zinc in the mix has been blown out of proposition.
Agree that some Zn in mix is not as bad as many say it is....
.
the sky is falling...the sky is falling!