Turning SOWW into ingots?

[crazyponie]

All,

Got everything needed except for the burner(cant decide which one) to start making ingots for the first time. I keep looking at the SOWW I have ready and with all of the adhesive tape/foam attached to it, I cant help but think this is going to be a heck of a mess/burning/stink when I get to it.
Do you guys do anything differently prior/during cooking it? Do you use a different pot or am I just over thinking it? I also have about 20lbs of 1/4 thick sheet lead that I figured I would throw in with it when I get to it. Good idea or not? Thanks in advance.

[Dusty Bannister]

You might want to melt the sheet lead first and pay attention to the burner setting when hot enough to just keep the melt fluid. Then use the same setting when you melt the SOWW just in case you get some zinc in with the soft lead ones. They will tend to not melt, but if left in long enough will dissolve into the melt. Have plenty of sawdust and some candle wax handy so that once the smoke starts you can add some wood and wax and light that off and "feed the fire" to keep the smoke down. Not sure if that will help with the smell though. A long nosed butane lighter will help since you do not have to get so close to the pot to ignite the smoke to burn it off. The residue will be a sticky slimy mess until it burns down to crisp ash. Just be ready to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot well when you flux and reduce. Be careful and dress for the occasion.

[Yodogsandman]

I'd check out BNEs' sticky on the SOWW composition, I segregate SOWWs using his chart....

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?229666-Stick-On-WW-XrF-Data

The foam sticky stuff and junk will burn off. Don't be standing there when it does. Go get a coffee or something. That's been my plan....don't be there while that crud and stinky stuff burns off. At least stay upwind.

Be sure to clean the lead three times with sawdust and once with a wax to reduce oxides back in. Scrape the sides and bottom while you do it. I touch it off with a match to reduce noxious fumes. Wear all your safety duds...glasses, long sleeves, long pants, durable shoes, hat.

Do you know the composition of that 1/4" sheet lead? If pure lead, put it in with the pure SOWWs after segregating them out.

[turtlezx]

with stickons i use a razor blade to cut the foam from the lead
Like skinning a fish

[SciFiJim]

It's been my practice when melting down SOWW to put a hand full of sawdust on top of the pile of weights before they start to melt. After they have melted, the sawdust will combine with the glue and form a lump that you can scoop out. Easier than waiting for all of the glue to burn. Then flux and pour as you normally would.

[crazyponie]

Thanks for the quick replies. I have all PPE, sawdust, wax and such on hand. I sorted (I think) all the lead from the zinc/iron but, because of what I have read will be going slow on the heat as suggested. I knew the adhesive/glue would burn off but, wasn't sure if the foam/tape would create some obnoxious sludge sticking to the side of the pot. I will be there of course skimming and fluxing everything off that I can before pouring ingots. I'll just apologize to the neighbors with an ice cold beverage or two (seems to fix just about everything) about the smell.

[Bazoo]

Sounds like a pretty good technique SciFiJim, i'll have to give that a try when time comes for me to do the soww collection.

[lightman]

I usually just dump the stick-ons in the pot and let the stuff melt, smoke and burn. I have neighbors but not really close enough to be a concern. If you did a good job sorting the stick-ons I see no problem putting the sheet lead in the pot with them. You can also light the smoke and that helps. Some guys soak the weights in some type of degreaser to melt the glue but I don't think its worth the effort.

When you start looking at a burner, spend enough to get a sturdy one. A pot of lead can get heavy, and there is enough heat produced to get the frame red hot. Think it through before you start and get your ingot molds and landing zone laid out for easy movement. A sheet of plywood under the set-up will protect your driveway, patio of floor from lead splatter. There is a thread about smelting set-ups that has lots of good ideas in it.

[leadbutt]

+1 on Yodog. Youll have more different alloys that way. If your using a dutch oven for your melting put the lid on the pot to help with the smoke. I think it was Muddy Creek Sam that recommended that (RIP).

L. Bottoms

[CastingFool]

I use a respirator when I smelt soww, or coww. You won't smell the nasty crud burning. I figure if you can't smell it, it's not getting into your lungs.

[runfiverun]

I'd keep the sheet lead separate too.

the stick on weights will leave some gunk behind in your pot and a mess on top to remove at some point the sawdust gives it all something to clump together with.
whatever you get make sure it has 35,000 btu at the minimum.
I know a few guys will soak the stick-ons in gas to help scrape much of the sticky off before hand and to clean everything else off before melting them down.
Fire is your friend here burn it hot and keep it burning as long as you can. [chunks of candle]
then throw in the sawdust and burn it too stir everything well and get the gunk out.
a little metal pail is handy to have on hand, one with a lid is better.

[fredj338]

You can remove the tape with mineral spirits or even gasoline. Just soak for a bit & the stuff wipes right off. Make sure they are all dry though before going into the pot. I have about 150# of stickons to do & dread the process. Then again I live in town with neighbors just 10ft away.

[Strtspdlx]

With soww I usually remove the majority of the tape by rolling it down with my thumb. It wears out your thumb after a large pile but I've had problems with smoke before and even after adding wax I couldn't get it to light and smoked out my property and half the neighbors before it finally lit off.

[psweigle]

I usually just melt all the stick-ons separate. And as stated before, the zinc will not melt right away. Those get skimmed off before I do the final gliding. I wax flux then sawdust flux. Hope this helps.