Zinc

[RustyFN]

Is it worth sorting the zinc weights out before smelting or just scoop them out of the melt. I will be doing my first smelt as soon as the weather permits.
Rusty

[RustyFN]

While I'm on the subject does it look like I have everything I need?
186,000 BTU burner and 6 quart Dutch Oven.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db29b3127ccea803f794c40b00000016100DZOGblm4Yo

Wheel weights.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db29b3127ccea803f790c40f00000016100DZOGblm4Yo

Ingot molds.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db29b3127ccea803f792c40d00000016100DZOGblm4Yo

Wax for flux, 18" spoon for removing the clips and a 24" solid spoon for cleaning the top after fluxing.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db29b3127ccea803f79f453000000016100DZOGblm4Yo

A Rowell #3 ladle, holds four pounds of lead. I also have a thermometer but forgot to take a picture of it.
http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b8db29b3127ccea803f79cc40300000016100DZOGblm4Yo

Thanks for all your help.
Rusty

[jawjaboy]

Looks fine ta me Rusty. Did I evah tell ya I got shoes jes like that? :mrgreen:

[Leadforbrains]

Everything looks good to me. You have got way better stuff than I did when I first got started. Nice ladle! I need one of those.
I always try to sort out the bad wheel weights by hand before I smelt. I have let an occasional steel or zinc get through, but I keep my melting temp on the moderate side and scoop out the questionable ones. Thanks for the pictures and good luck!

[xr650]

I'm far from an eggspurt, but it looks good to me.
What size chanel did you use for your ingot moulds? I've been thinking of making some out of 2".

[runfiverun]

you will want to get those ingot molds rusty then they will drop better.

[Down South]

I keep my melt temp low and scoop the Zinc out with the clips. I dump my clips and stuff out on a piece of scrap plywood. Then I dig through the scrap and see how many zinc and metal WW that I can find. I've never even found A zinc WW partically melted and I find quite a few.

+1 on getting the moulds rusty to drop better. I'm going to build a couple ingot moulds out of channel in the near future.

[RustyFN]

I'm far from an eggspurt, but it looks good to me.
What size chanel did you use for your ingot moulds? I've been thinking of making some out of 2".

I used 3" channel and cut the pieces 6" long . I was thinking of using 2" but it seemed too narrow. The 3" channel will give you an ingot closer to 2 1/2" wide.
Rusty

[randyrat]

With that 4 Qt? dutch oven the bottom 1/3 will get hot before the top 2/3 starts to melt so watch out if you have a zink turd in the bottom, just stir a little. I'm not sure if the bottom few WWs start to melt if it's hot enough to melt a zink WW. I have one just like that, it's perfect size for me to keep up with the amount of molds i have. I doubt it will get hot enough to melt zink WWs, if you stir a little to even the heat out.
*******Don't forget your safety equipment******= safety Glasses, heavy gloves, loin cloth(minimum) LOL preferably loose fitting paints, no sandles. NEVER go near your pot without safety glasses or a face sheild. Tip: lay a big peice of card board down under your work area to catch any spillage, much easier to clean up after your self. Be aware of range lead FMJ they POP, been there done that. One more: You need a cheap slotted spoon. I couldn't tell if one of yours was slotted.

[trooperdan]

Rusty, I like your ingot moulds; want to sell me a couple?

[dakotashooter2]

You need a cheap slotted spoon.

Yep.. just drill some holes in your "solid" spoon so the lead can run out when you scoop of the dross.

[RustyFN]

Sorry bad pictures. The shorter of the two spoons is slotted.

Rusty, I like your ingot moulds; want to sell me a couple?
If I had more I would be happy to sell you a couple. That was all the material I had. If I decide to do something different or am not happy with the size I will let you know.
Rusty

[mold maker]

Wally World has a fried food dipper made of 1/4"hardware cloth that is chromed. It makes short work of WW clips and range scrap jackets. It is about $4.00, and except for the short handle, it really works great. I wear welding gloves and thats no problem.
It took me thirty years to get to where you are starting.
Starting with scrap and pouring your own is as much fun as shooting, and you don't have to leave home to do it.
My wife says it's an obsesion, but since last June, when I retired, I've poured over 1360 1# ingots of FREE lead. Plus I've picked up 19 gal of brass. Both trade for powder and primers, so I shoot for FREE.
Can it get any better than that???

[mold maker]

One other tip I forgot. (I do that a lot) Cut a section of a metal 5 gal bucket to fit around the dutch oven to hold the heat close to it, and you can turn the gas flame way down, once the melt has started. Bottled gas has gone out of sight, and any way to save is welcome news.

[686]

i got some ww from a car dealer that had about 35 % zink. after i was done sciming off the clips and zink , with them all mixes together , i wished i had separted them out first. the reason is now i can only sale the mess as steel to a scrap yard for 10 cents a lb. if i had seprated them i could have sold them a lead for 40 cents a lb. in my area they are paying 40 cents for lead that is why it is getting hard to get ww to make bullets. people that could care less about casting are getting them from tire places to resale at scrap yards.

[RustyFN]

One other tip I forgot. (I do that a lot) Cut a section of a metal 5 gal bucket to fit around the dutch oven to hold the heat close to it, and you can turn the gas flame way down, once the melt has started. Bottled gas has gone out of sight, and any way to save is welcome news.
Thanks for the tip.


if i had seprated them i could have sold them a lead for 40 cents a lb. in my area they are paying 40 cents for lead that is why it is getting hard to get ww to make bullets. people that could care less about casting are getting them from tire places to resale at scrap yards.
One of the guys I get free wieghts from will ask everybody what they want the weights for. If they are going to scrap them then he won't give them any. He will only give them to people making bullets or sinkers.
Rusty

[Alchemist]

Ingot moulds look good...you might want to check them for bumps in the welds that your lead could solidify around a make ingots hard to drop out. If you have any trouble areas, hit 'em with a small grinder in a Dremel tool.

You have a great set-up for starting out.

My first attempt to melt down range scrap was a fiasco! Tried using an old coffee can, the solder melted out of the seam in the can and it made a Lee "drip-o-matic" look great by comparison. A steady stream of lead was running into the bottom of the Coleman stove. That was thirty odd years ago...I hope I've learned a few things since then! lol [smilie=1:

Alchemist

[docone31]

Range scrap. Did I have fun with that stuff.
I got a cast iron pot, drilled and tapped for pipe thread, and put a short piece of brass pipe sticking out the side.
It took a while to get the pipe to flow lead, or whatever was in the pot. The jackets floated on top, the paper burned, I think the lubes acted as a kinda flux. Who knows?
I used the kitchen stove, and had a bucket with water for the lead to drip in from an height.
It actually worked. The lead did not flow that fast as the pipe did not get that hot. Just enough to leak lead.
I scraped the jackets, curd out with a small kitchen ladle. When I finished melting, I turned the stove off, lead dripped out of the spout for a while, then solidified. The remainder of the lead in the pot solidified.
I never got to use it a second time as I got divorced soon after. I do not know how hard it would have been to free up the pipe with lead in it.