TexasGrunt
03-09-2017, 07:35 PM
I wish I had taken some pics, I will do so next time.
Here's how I've got my smelting going. In this example I'm doing wheel weights. This takes a bit more time but the chances of melting zinc are zero since you never let the melt get hot enough to melt zinc.
1. Start with some lead in the pot. I always leave about 1/2-3/4" of lead in my dutch oven when I'm done.
2. Turn your heat source on a low setting. Throw some sawdust/wood shavings on the lead in the pot. I've been using cedar pet bedding from Walmart.
3. Put cover on pot till you see a good amount of smoke coming from pot.
4. The lead in the pot should be melted around now.
5. Place a handful, or two, of lead into the molten lead. You want just enough to turn the molten lead into a semi-solid state.
6. Throw some more wood flux in the mix and keep it moving. It should start out about as thick as a good brownie batter.
7. Once it's molten again you can pick out the zinc and steel.
8. Place enough new lead into the pot to cause the molten lead to return to a semi-solid state, and add some more wooden flux.
9. Keep doing this till your pot is full or you run out of lead. You can let the melt heat up and remove the clips when you get too many.
10. You'll probably have to slowly turn up the heat source to keep things going. I aim for about 1-2 minutes of semi-solid time each time.
I've got a nice casting skimmer from RotoMetals I use to stir the mix. It's easy to pick out the zinc and steel with a pair of pliers. When smelting COWWs my melt temp rarely hits 600° till I'm ready to pour. By starting with a molten puddle in the pot you eliminate the chance that zinc on the bottom will melt before the top of the pile gets hot.
By using this method, which takes a bit more time than just piling weights in the pot and turning it on high, you really don't have to sort your weights. I had some SOWWs in the bucket that I had to hold under the surface with my skimmer to get them to melt. They were just floating on top and not melting.
I use a lot of wooden flux in this method. The semi-solid state of the metal isn't hot enough to burn the cedar shavings, I have to wait till it turns to a liquid before it burns.
When I say semi-solid think good brownie batter or thick oatmeal. It's thick enough I can pick up a mound with my skimmer and nothing leaks from the holes.
Like I said this isn't the quickest way to smelt but it's way quicker than sorting through a big pile of weights.
Here's how I've got my smelting going. In this example I'm doing wheel weights. This takes a bit more time but the chances of melting zinc are zero since you never let the melt get hot enough to melt zinc.
1. Start with some lead in the pot. I always leave about 1/2-3/4" of lead in my dutch oven when I'm done.
2. Turn your heat source on a low setting. Throw some sawdust/wood shavings on the lead in the pot. I've been using cedar pet bedding from Walmart.
3. Put cover on pot till you see a good amount of smoke coming from pot.
4. The lead in the pot should be melted around now.
5. Place a handful, or two, of lead into the molten lead. You want just enough to turn the molten lead into a semi-solid state.
6. Throw some more wood flux in the mix and keep it moving. It should start out about as thick as a good brownie batter.
7. Once it's molten again you can pick out the zinc and steel.
8. Place enough new lead into the pot to cause the molten lead to return to a semi-solid state, and add some more wooden flux.
9. Keep doing this till your pot is full or you run out of lead. You can let the melt heat up and remove the clips when you get too many.
10. You'll probably have to slowly turn up the heat source to keep things going. I aim for about 1-2 minutes of semi-solid time each time.
I've got a nice casting skimmer from RotoMetals I use to stir the mix. It's easy to pick out the zinc and steel with a pair of pliers. When smelting COWWs my melt temp rarely hits 600° till I'm ready to pour. By starting with a molten puddle in the pot you eliminate the chance that zinc on the bottom will melt before the top of the pile gets hot.
By using this method, which takes a bit more time than just piling weights in the pot and turning it on high, you really don't have to sort your weights. I had some SOWWs in the bucket that I had to hold under the surface with my skimmer to get them to melt. They were just floating on top and not melting.
I use a lot of wooden flux in this method. The semi-solid state of the metal isn't hot enough to burn the cedar shavings, I have to wait till it turns to a liquid before it burns.
When I say semi-solid think good brownie batter or thick oatmeal. It's thick enough I can pick up a mound with my skimmer and nothing leaks from the holes.
Like I said this isn't the quickest way to smelt but it's way quicker than sorting through a big pile of weights.