cooking out my Sb ?

[guncheese]

my melts as of late really seem to get alot of carp on the top
https://goo.gl/c7JevS
i spoon it off
https://goo.gl/z4GThF
and it piles up like this
https://goo.gl/niwLoI
is this my Sb coming out ?
i wouldnt think there is that much in the mix
i cant believe it is zinc
i guess i better find some HCl and findout
i havent had any issues casting but maybe im getting the stuff out of there and its smooth sailing

[Cowboy_Dan]

Are you reducing oxides back into the melt? Drop a pea sized piece of parafin or bee wax into your pot, stir ir a bit, and then scoop out what is left on top. How hot is your pot? If I am right and it is on the hot side, then that pile is likely tin rich lead, maybe some antimony.

[fryboy]

see the colors on the first foto ? turn the heat down amigo ! until you can just cast good boolits , of note if you run as low a temp as practically feasible your castings usually come out shinier ( prettier by way lolz ) however if you tumble lube a wee bit of frosting can be a good thing ( it helps the lube stick ) another good suggestion is after you flux with wax run some sawdust on top , it kinda works as an air barrier and also as a flux

[GhostHawk]

Agree with fryboy.

I never see those purples unless I am doing near pure lead.

As for that tower, that is just a function of temp and how you are depositing it.

Don't try to scrape the good stuff off.

Use a spoon, collect all the black gray powdery stuff floating on top. Carefully let it reduce into as small a volume as possible with as little lead in it as possible and remove.

Even then I save it and add to the mix when I am smelting.

If it is liquid enough to run through slots in your spoon it belongs in the pot.
If it is dry and crumbly when the rest of the pot is all liquid, floating on top, then it is ok to remove.

[bangerjim]

Play with your temps!

Use beeswax to reduce.

banger

[guncheese]

yes i always save that stuff
and run it back in when im doing a smelt
and yes my pot most times has darn near deadsoft in it
and alot of my range scrap is my own bullets, it gets leadier and leadier
and yes i do run a hot pot like 750f
things get cranky if i let it go lower than that
and i dont get much frosting at those temps
since my bullets are nice and soft it all makes sense
i only add enough tin to get it fill out as im cheap
so at least it isnt zinc!!!

i got another batch of this lead in today
and it pencil tests at 9-10bhn (4H will shine it and a 3H will curl it)
so it must have something in it besides lead. the seller thinks its a solder of some type, but what that would be i have no clue. to hard for plumbers solder and to heavy for electrical solder.
i shaved some off and added a bit of lime away and didnt get any bubbles so its not zincy ! it cast pretty heavy to have much of anything in it

[Markbo]

Where would one find beeswax if one has no bees?

[Bullwolf]

Where would one find beeswax if one has no bees?

If you don't mind the chance of getting stung you can always go raid a wild honey bee hive and melt some comb down. I've done it once for fun, but I don't recommend it.

Many high end tool stores sell small beeswax blocks at the counter, and of course beeswax can always be found on good old Amazon if you don't mind paying the price.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00455IWK6?keywords=beeswax&qid=1444011220&ref_=sr_1_2&sr=8-2


http://beefruitful.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/beeswax.jpg

The best way may be to purchase beeswax is from our very own Cast Boolits vendor sponsor randyrat (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/member.php?2594-randyrat) who will sell you all the clean quality beeswax you want.
(at great prices too)

Beeswax-for-sale (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?86774-Beeswax-for-sale)
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?86774-Beeswax-for-sale



- Bullwolf

[Beagle333]

Randyrat is the bee's knees for beeswax!! Great prices and quality stuff!! Cheaper than my local guys.


I run mine hot too.... but I like em a bit small and frosty since I'm going to powdercoat them. But a little beeswax oughta get that stuff blended back in there. I was using sawdust on top of the melt..... but it kept gunking up the pot and I switched to the wax. I put just a bit of wax on there and stir it in to get the cheesy stuff back into it, and when it is mirror smooth again I put another little bit of wax on there and leave it to spread out and turn black and keep the air out. It seems to work as well as the sawdust layer did and it also is easier to stir in and clean the top of the melt when I need to refill the pot.

[scottfire1957]

Where would one find beeswax if one has no bees?

Look for someplace that sells candle making supplies. Candles have been made with beeswax for thousands of years. Thousands of years.

Or, you can buy some lip balm named " Burt's Bees." Made with beeswax.

Or, you could see if there is a local bee club.

Or, you could look on Amazon.

Or, you could google.

I might have missed an option or two.

Finding beeswax is not rocket surgery.

[scottfire1957]

Where would one find beeswax if one has no bees?

You are in Tomball. You should have hundreds of beekeepers in the area.

[retread]

Randyrat is the bee's knees for beeswax!! Great prices and quality stuff!! Cheaper than my local guys.

+1 on randyrat. Great stuff at an unbeatable price. He has lanolin and some great lube also. Look him up.

[SSGOldfart]

What do you want for that junk your taking off? I'm betting it is mostly tin,and I could use a few pounds myself??
I could trade you some bees wax for it:roll::coffee:

[Markbo]

You are in Tomball. You should have hundreds of beekeepers in the area.

Ill bet not. A dozen bee removal services but no beekeepers. But you're right...there has to be some around here somewhere

[blpenn66502]

Try Tomball's farmer's market if it is still running. PEAS Farm is listed as selling honey.

[mjwcaster]

While bees wax may be the best (?), for now just try whatever wax you can lay your hands on.
Find an old candle.
I use soy wax candles leftovers, just because I used to make soy wax candles, and keep my bees wax for other uses.

[RogerDat]

Salvation Army store, old candles. There you go, cheap wax for your casting pot. Bees wax is a little higher quality, smells nicer, might even allow you to use less, but pretty much any wax will work to reduce the tin back in. Even those little flat tea candles in tin foil cups work.

[kentuckyshooter]

Go to the hardware store and pick up a wax ring or 2 for tolets. Their cheap and will go a long way. May not be the best quality but it works.

[Nose Dive]

Guncheese...Yep...'save it all buddy'.... Keep it.... I do....

I have a dross bucket next to my smelt pot. All dross...corruption goes there...I do pull ww clips from the pot....

When I get some road kill,,,range scrap...'buddy's special hi quality alloy'... is resmelt it with some 'known' plumbers lead.

I wait until i have a good supply of the dross savings. add alot of sawdust and sulfur.... it does smelt out OK...but just be ready
to scrap and clean and flux and flux a lot. I 'mark it' and pour out the ingots. These are 'reused' when I smelt range scrap.
There is value what is left and 'redo...redo...redo'...you waste not...want not. (did I say I am CHEAP)

What I see...is you have lot of good stuff in your 'stack'. And, I do not flux with BEES WAX.... no...to sweet of stuff for me to flux with....
HOWEVER...I do use it as a component in my lube mix... NOTHING BETTER....

I flux with wax in my smelt pot AND in my casting pot...cheapest stuff I can find. recently scored 20 or so toilet seals...wax...from a demo sight...

Don't worry too much about color in your smelt pot if your are fluxing well...sawdust/Sulfur....I do so at least 3 or 4 times in each smelt.

Good Luck with your smelt!

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly Pick two.

PS: I do not SMELT and CAST from the same pot. ND

[jsizemore]

Paraffin works fine too. Most of the non-beeswax candles are made of it. Those toilet rings are USUALLY paraffin + polyurethane + ? depending on the manufacturer. Pick your poison.

[scottfire1957]

Ill bet not. A dozen bee removal services but no beekeepers. But you're right...there has to be some around here somewhere


A start.

http://houstonbeekeepers.org/

[Markbo]

Got several pounds, thanks everyone for your recommendations!