Woodwrkr
01-21-2008, 02:00 PM
Even though I live less than 150 miles from the Gulf of Mexico it still gets cold down here. Now you northern types probably won't appreciate this, but when I looked out the window Saturday mornin' there was an inch of snow on the ground. Haven't seen that around these parts in maybe 15 years or more!
Anyway, I wanted to cast some boolits and don't have anywhere outside to cast without freezin', so I decided to try something and I want to see if y'all think this idea is a good one or not.
I took my Lee Pro 4-20 pot outside, heated it up, added ingots to 'er until she was about full, fluxed 'er well, then unplugged 'er and let 'er cool off. I'm not quite crazy enough to try and carry a 20lb pot full of molten lead (well, almost, but not quite) so I wanted to carry the pot inside while the lead had cooled just enough to be solid, and when I got 'er inside on the bench, I plugged 'er back in, and when the pot and my mold were up to temp. I began castin'.
Questions:
1, Is it considered OK to flux the pot let it form a layer of oxidation on top of the lead, cool off until solid, and then reheat the pot and begin casting without fluxing again after reheating? I am trying to do the smoky, noxious, fluxing outdoors, then cast indoors where it's warm and comfortable.
2. Am I risking some sort of problems with my boolits if I don't flux again when I reheat the pot?
3. Am I risking undue exposure to lead casting indoors without ventilation even though I've done the smoky, noxious, fluxin' part outdoors?
Anyway, I wanted to cast some boolits and don't have anywhere outside to cast without freezin', so I decided to try something and I want to see if y'all think this idea is a good one or not.
I took my Lee Pro 4-20 pot outside, heated it up, added ingots to 'er until she was about full, fluxed 'er well, then unplugged 'er and let 'er cool off. I'm not quite crazy enough to try and carry a 20lb pot full of molten lead (well, almost, but not quite) so I wanted to carry the pot inside while the lead had cooled just enough to be solid, and when I got 'er inside on the bench, I plugged 'er back in, and when the pot and my mold were up to temp. I began castin'.
Questions:
1, Is it considered OK to flux the pot let it form a layer of oxidation on top of the lead, cool off until solid, and then reheat the pot and begin casting without fluxing again after reheating? I am trying to do the smoky, noxious, fluxing outdoors, then cast indoors where it's warm and comfortable.
2. Am I risking some sort of problems with my boolits if I don't flux again when I reheat the pot?
3. Am I risking undue exposure to lead casting indoors without ventilation even though I've done the smoky, noxious, fluxin' part outdoors?