Disposing of dross

[GOPHER SLAYER]

Can someone tell me how they get rid of the dross from their casting pot? I have three one quart containers of the stuff and I have no idea how to safely dispose of it. I went to the dump today to dispose of a large bag of batteries and even they would not take it.

[skeettx]

I take my batteries to Battery Plus for disposal
I would take my dross to the scrap yard.
OR, take it to the nearest pistol range and see if they will put it with their lead recovery stuff
Mike

[MUSTANG]

Many will simply put in the trash (Don't ask - Don't Tell philosophy).

Me; I mix it with concrete. Dross and clips from Wheel Weights over the year have gone into the concrete mix for home projects such as walkways, cement block retaining walls, post hole mix, post footers for sheds/barns, etc... From dust to dust so to speak.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Have you re-smelted that much slag for trapped lead yet? I have been told to tell the scrap yard man that what you have is slag from metal smelting. They usually will buy it from you for the trace other metals in the glob.Robert

[Half Dog]

Here you can sell old batteries but you pay a disposal fee when you buy a new battery.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

All the dross I scrape off the casting pot, gets reprocessed when I smelt/melt COWW and other scrap metals...when fluxed well, there isn't much weight to the dross I end up with after that. So, I put it in with the steel WW clips and sell it to the metals recycler.


Edit: Our county has a Household hazardous waste program. They take any and all batteries, besides a good many other things that shouldn't be put in the trash...Like paint and household chemicals. AND...the paint and chemicals they take, that are still usable, they give away...they have a small showroom, where you can 'shop' for the free stuff. I have got a lot of house paint from them.

[rwadley]

I ageree with JonB_in_Glencoe. A HHW facility or event is the best place to take dross.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

When I wrote that I had gone to the dump, what I meant was that I had gone to the hazardous disposal area. They said nein, neit, no way Jose and so long it's been good to know you. I was told later today by someone else that he goes to Home Depot to get rid of small batteries. As for re melting, it isn't worth the trouble for me. I have more lead than I will ever use. Anyway guys I thank you for your response and be sure you put a cross and some garlic on your front door for Monday night.

[castalott]

Here if you haven't got a trade in, they charge you $5.
If you have a trade in, they charge you $5 to dispose of it...

[Dan Cash]

I use my private dump, you might dig a hole in the back yard and bury it.

[NoAngel]

I save mine till winter. Put it all in an heavy iron crucible and set it on a rolling bed of coals in the wood stove. Everything but lead is turned to ash. The ash is added to the ash pan. The lead gets put in the dead soft pile for reassignment.

[Dale53]

Every County has a hazardous waste disposal program. Just google your county and state for full information.

I prefer to dispose of waste in this manner. We, as shooters, bullet casters, and reloaders DO NOT NEED to create environmental problems (or imagined problems) by improper disposal of lead dross.

FWIW
Dale53

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I ageree with JonB_in_Glencoe. A HHW facility or event is the best place to take dross.
I stated I put Dross with the steel clips from COWW and sell it to a Metals recycler. I haven't asked at the HHW facility in my county, but I'm thinking they won't take dross, I'm guessin' they'll tell you dross is considered a industrial hazardous waste.

[rwadley]

Sorry, I misread your post.

Lead dross from households is accepted for free at HHW facilities and events in TN. Businesses can get rid of it for a fee. It is considered a solid pesticide and goes to a hazardous waste incinerator.

[rwadley]

Every County has a hazardous waste disposal program. Just google your county and state for full information.

I prefer to dispose of waste in this manner. We, as shooters, bullet casters, and reloaders DO NOT NEED to create environmental problems (or imagined problems) by improper disposal of lead dross.

FWIW
Dale53

Unfortunately, not all counties across the US have HHW facilities. For instance, TN has 95 counties and only 4 county facilities. The other 91 counties rely on mobile HHW collection events.

[GOPHER SLAYER]

California is very concerned about what goes into our underground aquafers and so am I. That is about all the water we have and the last thing I want to do is put lead dust in it. I can't imagine what the hazmat people do with the stuff.

[scottfire1957]

Dumpster.

[Big Boomer]

While it may be a bit of a hassle or aggravation to keep it around and "recycle" dross as suggested above, since I save the dross and dump it in before I dump in the clip-on wheel weights, it is never a problem. I take the clips and any other metals (zinc and steel) back to one of the tire dealers with which I deal and they sell it as scrap metal. Not a problem. However, there is good lead, antimony and tin in dross. It just needs to be dumped in with the clip-ons. Big Boomer

[MaryB]

local scrapyard takes it for free and they add it to their steel recycling(lot of it is steel wheel weight clips).

[scottfire1957]

local scrapyard takes it for free and they add it to their steel recycling(lot of it is steel wheel weight clips).

Whywould I spend gas money to take it to them when they're gonna make a penny, but I don't make my gas money back?

[Big Boomer]

In my case one tire dealer gives me the privilege of sorting through all their take-offs (clip-on and stick-on) and culling the lead for my own use and taking back to them all the unusable (to me) clips, zinc and steel weights I get elsewhere. They get more scrap to sell and I get more lead for boolits. Big Boomer

[RogerDat]

Whywould I spend gas money to take it to them when they're gonna make a penny, but I don't make my gas money back?

I'm going there anyway to buy lead so.... Clips are worth not much, scrap steel. Zinc WW's are a bit more. I also take back bad brass and spent primers or any aluminum cases.

Dross is ash, impurities and the best part of the alloy which oxidizes. To repeat myself the dross is premium alloy. Not that hard to recover either. I put an inch or so in the Dutch oven and once it starts to melt the lead I use a two by two like a mortar to grind the lead down to where it will melt. Keep adding more, pull the ash off and sift off with a slotted spoon.

I have about 3 bread loaf pans worth of dross, I expect I'll get a around a 10# ingot of good alloy out of it. The remaining ash is trash since it is mostly just dust might be enough to fill a coffee can. Landfills around here are sealed pit to protect the ground water.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Whywould I spend gas money to take it to them when they're gonna make a penny, but I don't make my gas money back?
Same as Rogerdat...I'm going there anyway (about 10 miles round trip)...bringing them copper/brass/steel scrap (they take spent primers as well), and I'm usually hauling Lead scrap home. Also, our sportsmans club shooting range is in that neighborhood...I usually swing by there as well :)

[RogerDat]

Same as Rogerdat...I'm going there anyway (about 10 miles round trip)...bringing them copper/brass/steel scrap (they take spent primers as well), and I'm usually hauling Lead scrap home. Also, our sportsmans club shooting range is in that neighborhood...I usually swing by there as well :)

Well some people have it all with a fence around it! Lead purchases from scrap yard and range time in same trip. Does it ever rain once fired starline brass just in your backyard? :kidding:
Down green monster, down I say.

[Vinne]

I would take my dross to the scrap yard.

+1 to skeettx. I bring all my saved up dross and clips, etc. to my scrap yard and they pay me!!

Vinne

[MaryB]

Friend of mine scraps metal, I give it to him and he takes it in. Adds it to appliance shells.


Whywould I spend gas money to take it to them when they're gonna make a penny, but I don't make my gas money back?