Anyone know what this lead is?

[phidelt208]

So I smelted this down. It is lead but some of it has an sticky oil like substance in it.

I haven’t tested it for hardness I thought someone here might know that it is.

Thanks
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[Nueces]

It looks like swarf from a turning operation, maybe with a cutting lube on it.

[phidelt208]

That was my first thought some kind of oil but it’s dry to the touch not a spec of dust or anything oily.

[farmbif]

it looks like your melting your raw materials right into your casting pot. it might be a good idea to get a separate pot, I use a cast iron one, to melt and flux glen your raw materials then cast them into ingots with an ingot mold. that way your putting much cleaner materials into expensive bottom pour casting pot.
as far as what you have there it sure does look like turning from a lathe just like neuces said.

[turtlezx]

second farmbif make ingots

[gwpercle]

It looks like swarf from a turning operation, maybe with a cutting lube on it.

Swarf ... I like that word ... From a turning operation ,was my first thought when I saw it ...but didn't have a word for it ... Lead Swarf , Yeah , that's the ticket !

[Nueces]

I've machined lead, but in a lab setting, not a commercial one. I wonder if safe practice in an extensive lead machining operation would call for application of some goo that would limit dispersal of lead particles. Thus, the gunk on the OP's swarf. Bet someone knows.

[carelesslove]

carelesslove, here !

I think I have seen this stuff before. It is strikingly similar to the curlings from machining shaft bearings for steam turbines - the material might be babbit.

When these types of bearings are machined, they are made on high grade equipment, to exacting tolerances. When I have seen them being turned, the boring / turning equipment utilizes continuously pressurized lubricant spray.

The manufacturing facilities that I have witnessed doing this work, obtain the alloy in certified / stamped form and did not smelt or reuse the curlings. I always thought the stuff should turn up in boolits...........

I will look up the specifications for babbeted bearing material and report !

Thanks, Tom "carelesslove" Love

[OS OK]

carelesslove, here !

I think I have seen this stuff before. It is strikingly similar to the curlings from machining shaft bearings for steam turbines - the material might be babbit.

When these types of bearings are machined, they are made on high grade equipment, to exacting tolerances. When I have seen them being turned, the boring / turning equipment utilizes continuously pressurized lubricant spray.

The manufacturing facilities that I have witnessed doing this work, obtain the alloy in certified / stamped form and did not smelt or reuse the curlings. I always thought the stuff should turn up in boolits...........

I will look up the specifications for babbeted bearing material and report !

Thanks, Tom "carelesslove" Love

'Hmmmm...never thought of that', I thought they poured babbitt bearings in place. You prolly nailed it.
More on Babbitt here...
https://www.rotometals.com/search.php?search_query=BABBIT&section=product

https://i.imgur.com/jI9Xjr5.jpg

[barrabruce]

Sounds good .
If it ain’t Babbitt it could be from an old X-ray table.

They have lead in strips layered and separated into the table. The old ones didn’t vibrate but they are made that way to shield off the extraneous photons bouncing on to the film held underneath the X-ray table in a cone angle that corresponded to the heads angle of departure.

It would be pure lead then.

Just a thought.

The only Babbitt bearings I’ve seen done were remelted and recast in their bearing housings then hand scraped.

[John Boy]

Melt some to an ingot … bounce on concrete floor …. If it rings, Babbitt … if it thuds, lead

[FLINTNFIRE]

Looks pretty clean , not sure I would waste time making ingots to recast later , maybe as suggested above for checking if it rings or thuds , what is its melting point ?

[Mitch]

To me it looks more like triimings off a lead sheet.If i were machineing the stuff as most would do.I would add a chip breakeing cycle to it so you would not have the realy long chips that wind up on bits or beat and cut you up.