A Spring Smelt

[Boolseye]

Dove into some of my raw stock today, fired up my new (to me) propane stove and got out the sawzall to deal with some lead pipe that had been used for power lines and such. Yielded maybe 130 lbs. of good soft alloy, ready to cast with. Felt good.
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[lightman]

That looks like telephone cable sheathing. If so, you are correct about it being soft. My phone company buddies still bring me some occasionally. The last time was about 700#, or all the boss wanted to haul in his 1/2ton truck. Thats a good days work!

[Boolseye]

Hmmm...not that​ soft...ingots tested out around 7-9 bhn.

[runfiverun]

some of the pipe stuff is extruded to get it to extrude easier antimony is added to the lead.
about 2% is used.
the staying shiny in the pot and no rainbow color on top is a dead giveaway you got something besides pure lead in the pot.
I melt roof flashing, pipe, and radiation shielding together and never get pure lead quality's from it.
it still swages easily on my little rock chucker and flows easily through the squirt die and makes round balls for the black powder pistols that don't break the seating stem so I'm good with it.

[Grampo]

I've got about 150lbs of flashing lead to smelt if it will ever stop raining. Didn't rain in Texas for 4 years now it won't stop!