Smelting in a galvanized bucket

[Area Man]

I just curb scored about 100 pounds of lead. It's extra from a fabrication job. Originally it was 99.9% certified pure but it was poured into a galvanized bucket. I know heating the galvanized metal can give off toxic fumes but what, if any, effect will it have on the lead? I was just going to set the bucket onto a propane burner, melt it and pour into ingots. Any issues with that?

[dbosman]

I was once young and stupid. I got older and a bit wiser.
Having had a run in with galvanized metal poisoning (and cadmium fumes once too) I'd advise you to cut and peal the bucket away from the lead, then melt the lead in an iron or steel pot.

[Blanket]

cut the bucket off with a chisel

[MaryB]

The poisoning from galvanizing fumes is the worst case of the flu you ever had... been there once when we had to weld some galvanizing on a truck body that was used for salt delivery. After that episode that company went to stainless steel truck bodies. I was just in the welding shop to pick up a tower base project and all I did was hold a piece of steel in place and I got the edge of the fumes. I was sick for 3 days! The welder was down for 2 weeks.

[308Jeff]

Isn't galvanizing Zinc?

[5Shot]

You'll end up with all that zinc in your alloy...

[308Jeff]

Bingo.

[runfiverun]

you won't even know that small amount of zinc is even in the alloy.

drill some holes down in the bottom and bottom sides of the bucket then set it in your pot and melt it out.
flip the bucket over to get the lead out of the top.

[GrayTech]

If you drop the bucket upside down the lead block should come out. If the bucket has contoured sides you may have to cut it. Melting it in the bucket will just get more zink in the lead.

[shoot-n-lead]

If you drop the bucket upside down the lead block should come out. If the bucket has contoured sides you may have to cut it. Melting it in the bucket will just get more zink in the lead.

Not enough zinc to matter a whit.

r5r is dead on about how to do this

[triggerhappy243]

i think cutting the bucket with a wafer thin angle grinder blade will be the best way. set up a high velocity fan to blow away the smoke as you are cutting. zero zinc is better than 1 % zinc. cutting will also be faster in the long run.

[Sasquatch-1]

Get a nice heavy sledge hammer and get rid of some of your frustration while you beat the lead out of the bucket.

After reading some of the previous post I think I would do my initial melt of the block in a nice well ventilated outdoor space, just in case.

[Lakehouse2012]

Galvanizing happens on steel at approx 390°F so its possible when heating to 650 in that bucket to have some reaction.

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[farmerjim]

Melt it and pour it out. Zinc smoke is not created till about 1652 deg F. Welding on galvanized steel will produce these temperatures, melting lead in a bucket will not.

[rancher1913]

if you use fire and get fumes, drink a lot of milk.

[DanishM1Garand]

My son is a welder. He welded on some painted steel. He didn't realize it was galvanized under the paint.

Heavy metal poisoning is no joke. He was sick for weeks.

I vote chisling the bucket off.

Nice score.

[Lakehouse2012]

Melt it and pour it out. Zinc smoke is not created till about 1652 deg F. Welding on galvanized steel will produce these temperatures, melting lead in a bucket will not.
I'd agree with farmerjim though, once the initial reaction onto steel is complete, getting the next reaction requires melting the steel. I would melt it all in the bucket if it were my find.

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[308Jeff]

you won't even know that small amount of zinc is even in the alloy.

drill some holes down in the bottom and bottom sides of the bucket then set it in your pot and melt it out.
flip the bucket over to get the lead out of the top.

This guy is smart.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If you drop the bucket upside down the lead block should come out. If the bucket has contoured sides you may have to cut it. Melting it in the bucket will just get more zink in the lead.
This is the first thing I'd try, mostly because I am a cheap SOB and would want to save the bucket. If that failed, Sledge hammer baby !

[lightman]

I'm thinking 4# shop hammer and 5 minutes of attitude adjustment and you got lead!

[MaryB]

Could tilt it sideways over your pot and hit the center with a torch, melt it out until you have just a thin layer left on the bucket then peel that off...

[Sasquatch-1]

Or maybe you could use the double boiler method and boil it in a pot of water so you don't scorch it. :bigsmyl2:

[Kent Fowler]

if you use fire and get fumes, drink a lot of milk.

Amen to the milk, brother. On an aside, I bought some 3M 8212 N95 welding respirators. They are about 50.00 for a box of 10, but if you've ever been sick on zinc fumes, you would pay double that amount.