Stirring the pot

[lablover]

Curious what you all use to stir your bottom melt pot. I use a old butter knife that I flattened the end on so I could scrape the bottom..I believe it's stainless steel, chrome plated whatever. Could this be causing me any issues in my melt. I can't seem to get my PB as clean as I'd like it..Always some black fine stuff coming to the top. When I smelted I thought I did a good job cleaning it. I also use paraffin or beeswax to flux my bottom pout and let a layer of melted wax stay on the top.

Thanks

[William Yanda]

I can't see the knife itself causing an issue because there is such a wide disparity between the melting points of your melt and the knife. Was your pot clean before you started melting? Starting with a clean pot would mean your are only removing impurities from the alloy.

[OS OK]

Clean the heck out of that pot when it's empty...if you get the fines on top after that, then you know it's the Pb.

Don't think it's much of a worry though...I get the same, a few black fines, as if you put a pinch of black salt in...they never show up on the outside of any casts so I don't think they get out the bottom spout.

[Smoke4320]

I use a cheap Lee ladle

[lablover]

Clean the heck out of that pot when it's empty...if you get the fines on top after that, then you know it's the Pb.

Don't think it's much of a worry though...I get the same, a few black fines, as if you put a pinch of black salt in...they never show up on the outside of any casts so I don't think they get out the bottom spout.

I just did a batch and kept cleaning the dross off the top..Then sawdust! I think thats much better. I need to do a better job smelting I think

[lightman]

I use an old kitchen spoon, held with a pair of pliers. I stir and scrape the sides and bottom really good. When I'm smelting, I use a bigger kitchen spoon and again stir and scrape, stir and scrape. You may need to be more aggressive with the stirring and fluxing while smelting. A while back I grabbed a dust mask, turned my shop fan on where I was up wind, sprayed my smelting pot interior with oil and got after it with a cup brush and grinder. It seemed to help.

[lablover]

I drained the pot and it was pretty clean..I did however start using sawdust and stir more vigorously lot cleaner boolits now. :)

I always thought the sawdust would end up on the bottom for some reason..Heck, being a cabinet maker I have tons of the stuff

[OS OK]

I drained the pot and it was pretty clean..I did however start using sawdust and stir more vigorously lot cleaner boolits now. :)

I always thought the sawdust would end up on the bottom for some reason..Heck, being a cabinet maker I have tons of the stuff

I remember a cabinet maker somewhere that was going to make a stand for his two pots...I wonder if he did? I wonder where the pictures of his skilled handiwork are?

:bigsmyl2:

[lablover]

I remember a cabinet maker somewhere that was going to make a stand for his two pots...I wonder if he did? I wonder where the pictures of his skilled handiwork are?

:bigsmyl2:


Bahahahaha

Yea, was gonna do it at lunch Friday but we were pretty busy. Hey, I have a full blown shop in the garage...So it will still happen. Bad thing is my Honey will see me cutting wood and all of a sudden have a new project for me.,...LOL

[DerekP Houston]

I use an old stainless steel spoon that didn't match anything else in the kitchen.

[dbosman]

I use flat bottomed, wood paint stir sticks to scrape sides and bottom.
As they burn and char into round edges, I cut them square again.

[jarhead0321usmc]

I have a wife that constantly reorganized or changes things out. Therefore, my storage area in the basement had plenty of old cookware that she wanted brought to the dump. Instead I repurposed a few pieces. I use a large heavy serving spoon. It looks like a bigger version of your everyday spoon. It's stainless and I use it to scrape and stir. Works great and have yet to have any issues with it.

[lablover]

I have a wife that constantly reorganized or changes things out. Therefore, my storage area in the basement had plenty of old cookware that she wanted brought to the dump. Instead I repurposed a few pieces. I use a large heavy serving spoon. It looks like a bigger version of your everyday spoon. It's stainless and I use it to scrape and stir. Works great and have yet to have any issues with it.

Semper Fi Jarhead0321....0311 here long time ago. Yea, My Wife is always reorganizing me..I can never find anything.

[LabGuy]

I scrape the bottom of the pot with a hacksaw blade. Heated it up with a torch before bending it into an L shape.

[BNE]

I use a stainless, vented spoon from Wal-Mart. On the advice of a member here, I took a Dremel tool and made some slots on one side. That lets the molten lead pass right through.

I generally scrape the sides before a casting session with it. I don't think some of the crud on the walls matters as much as it bugs me!

[Moonie]

I use the bigger wooden commercial paint stir sticks to stir, fluxes at the same time.

[Casull]

I use an old flat edge screwdriver. The plastic handle means it never gets too hot to hold, and it provides a very secure grip.

[D Crockett]

the best thing I have found to scrape the pot is a hack sew blade with a 90 deg. about 1 1/2 inch long bent in the end or it does a great job of keeping the crud out of the pot D Crockett

[MyFlatline]

I use the bigger wooden commercial paint stir sticks to stir, fluxes at the same time.

Yep, free for the asking at the big box stores, small ones for the pot and big ones for smelting

[popper]

Old putty knife & slotted SS spoon from WW.

[Walter Laich]

Old putty knife & slotted SS spoon from WW.

same here. do have to wait for the lead level to go down a bit with the putty knife as handle is some kind of plastic

[trapper9260]

I use a table spoon for when you have soup and drill 2 holes in it and cut 2 parts of wood to screw together on the handle of the spoon and it works for me. As for flux i use ground up corn cobs. it take care of all I looking to do with it.Years ago I had a farmer that have a feed mill ground some corn cobs up for me that my brother had from the pop corn he grows.I also use the corn cobs grounded to tumble for my brass also.

[randyrat]

Wooden stick, paint stick or whatever wooden sticks you can find.

Using wood you will clean the bottom and sides much better, you'll have cleaner alloy and will also help stop any dripping or clogging of a bottom pour pot.

Dip it in slowly at first so the moisture can leave the wood, you will hear the snap and crackle.

[gwpercle]

I've been stirring and skimming with a couple of old stainless steel spoons my mom gave me 50 years ago. I don't see how stainless steel would/could cause any issues.
I was told not to use sterling silver because they conduct heat so well they would get hot....back in the day if you wore gloves you was a pansy , casting with no shirt and wearing nothing but shorts was the manly way!

[abunaitoo]

I've been using an old long fountain spoon that I rounded the nose on.
The round nose fits the profile of the side of the pot.
Works great so far.

[Moonie]

Yep, free for the asking at the big box stores, small ones for the pot and big ones for smelting

I used to use the small ones for my pot but found they didn't last nearly as long as the big ones.

[John Boy]

Curious what you all use to stir your bottom melt pot.
A SS salad spoon with holes drilled on the edges of the spoon

[robg]

In my little Lee 10 lb pot I use a desert spoon its like a teaspoon but has a long handle works well .

[mozeppa]

i have a big pot ....so i stir mine with the chysler building.

yeah....we bored.

[Grmps]

I think I improved my process,
1) burn off pine sawdust
2) mix in well with potato masher
3) Finnish mixing with wire whisk

Yes I leave the dry crumbly stuff on top to act as a barrier to stop oxidation and splashing when reintroducing sprues

http://i.imgur.com/6BLgubJ.jpg (https://imgur.com/6BLgubJ)

http://i.imgur.com/YwMiUS7.jpg (https://imgur.com/YwMiUS7)