bassin57
03-27-2015, 11:24 AM
Hi,
I dont know it the SOWW lead ingots I made had zinc in them. Or that this was the burning off of the protective oil in the first use, but during my first melt I had a yellow dross that later turned brown floating on top of my melt. The first melt started as near pure lead from stick on wheel weights that I fluxed with pine sawdust and wax prior to making my ingots. In this I added tin from a bar from National Metal to produce about a 1-25 mix for the bullets I need for my 45-70 TD that was keyholing with a commercial cast bullet that had a BH of 18. With about an inch left of this melt I added COWW with a little tin and I fluxed again with candle wax and I casted 150 bullets in 45acp. I finished the melt with straight wheel weight ingots I made making some 9mm boolits. During this whole process I skimmed off enough floating dross to fill a coffee cup. I am wondering if I cleaned the lead wheel weights enough before making my ingots? The bullets appear to be OK . The 405 grn HB bullet had a average weight of 389-392 grns and a .4585 diam.I took some cutting pliers and I was able to cut them in half , so I think their softness is near that of pure lead. My two 45 acp molds produced bullets of good the 200 grn mold prod 202-205 grn bullets and the 230 grn mold produced 232-235 bullets .451.5-453 diameter. I plan on shooting these as cast after tumble lubing them. Should I remelt the ingots I had and clean them again? Or did the tin bar from National Lead contain something besides tin? I would appreciate knowing if anyone has had this happen to them.
Thanks again Bassin 57.
I dont know it the SOWW lead ingots I made had zinc in them. Or that this was the burning off of the protective oil in the first use, but during my first melt I had a yellow dross that later turned brown floating on top of my melt. The first melt started as near pure lead from stick on wheel weights that I fluxed with pine sawdust and wax prior to making my ingots. In this I added tin from a bar from National Metal to produce about a 1-25 mix for the bullets I need for my 45-70 TD that was keyholing with a commercial cast bullet that had a BH of 18. With about an inch left of this melt I added COWW with a little tin and I fluxed again with candle wax and I casted 150 bullets in 45acp. I finished the melt with straight wheel weight ingots I made making some 9mm boolits. During this whole process I skimmed off enough floating dross to fill a coffee cup. I am wondering if I cleaned the lead wheel weights enough before making my ingots? The bullets appear to be OK . The 405 grn HB bullet had a average weight of 389-392 grns and a .4585 diam.I took some cutting pliers and I was able to cut them in half , so I think their softness is near that of pure lead. My two 45 acp molds produced bullets of good the 200 grn mold prod 202-205 grn bullets and the 230 grn mold produced 232-235 bullets .451.5-453 diameter. I plan on shooting these as cast after tumble lubing them. Should I remelt the ingots I had and clean them again? Or did the tin bar from National Lead contain something besides tin? I would appreciate knowing if anyone has had this happen to them.
Thanks again Bassin 57.