Yard sale score?

[hutch18414]

:cry:I found a milk crate at a yard sale Saturday with 40 ingots from a Lyman mold with WW stamped in them.
When I asked the lady what she wanted for them she said $10, so I shelled out in a heartbeat. .40 cents a pound for clean ingots seemed like a good deal. Today I put some in the casting pot and funny brown/orange flakes floated to the top. Lead had a good coat of oxidation like it had been sitting around for awhile. Does any one have any idea what kind of contamination this could be? I added about 5oz of pewter to the pot after I fluxed it and it cast well. I am thinking I may run it through my smelting pot. Just never saw those kind of flakes pop up before.

[Pipefitter]

probably rust from the iron ingot mold

[hutch18414]

That may be it but I would think rust from the mold would show on the outside of the ingot.

[runfiverun]

it's lead oxide.
it comes in a yellow-orange color in it's pure form, and has a brown tinge to it in the real world.
if there are little patches of white on the ingots it's been wet at some point.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I also would say that there was a small of rust in the ingots from someplace along the line. That is indeed a decent price. In a recent on-line auction near me there were 2 lots of 40 lbs. each of Lyman ingoted lead of an unknown type. The first lot went for $48 with the second $47.Robert

[hutch18414]

Thanks for the replies, I am glad it is not going to be a problem. And the next time I see that I will no what it is. It ain't easy being a rookie.

[jsizemore]

Nothing replaces hands on experience. Just try not to plug your bottom pour by smelting first.

[trapper9260]

We all here to learn hutch .Also to help each other.

[Budzilla 19]

Trapper, amen, brother,amen! To both statements. My casting and alloy knowledge,while not complete, is so far ahead of a year ago it is unbelievable!!! I can't thank the people on this forum enough. Just my two cents! (I know, off subject!) I would have guessed rust from ingot molds also !