Rusty lead?

[hawkeye1]

I was going through a bucket of wheel weights I got from local tire shop the other day. These have been sitting around for a year or so. Anyway, as I got to the bottom half of the bucket all,the weights were covered in rust, I assume must have gotten wet and the clips rusted. Question is do I need to clean the rust off before I melt these? I don't want a visit from the tinsel fairy. Seems to clean off with wire brush but it takes time. Anyone run into this?

[358429]

Put them in the smelter then turn on the heat. No reason to wire brush ww, when melting and fluxing and stirring will bring the trash to the top to be scooped out.

[ioon44]

Yes, Put them in the smelter then turn on the heat, don't wire brush lead is will create lead dust of which you don't want to breath in to your lungs.

[dale2242]

Always start with an empty pot when smelting WWs that have been wet.
That way the any water still in/on the WWs will evaporate as the melt heats up.
This way you will not get a visit from the tinsel fairy.

[gwpercle]

And Don't foget to Flux the pot Well ... some don't think it's important and then they start casting and boolits have small black spec's ... that's trash (inclushions) trapped in the metal .
Flux the Bejeezus out of the dirty rusty wheel weights ...get the metal clean !
Gary

[gwpercle]

Always start with an empty pot when smelting WWs that have been wet.
That way the any water still in/on the WWs will evaporate as the melt heats up.
This way you will not get a visit from the tinsel fairy.

Great Advice ... I'll Second this !
Gary

[mdi]

When you say rust, is it the clips that are rusting? If so treat it like any dirt, grunge. Yep, start with a cold pot and don't drop any WWs into the melted alloy. Lead corrosion is white and should not be brushed as the lead oxide is easily absorbed...

[bangerjim]

No problem. Just re-melt in your furnace, flux 3X and you will be fine. The FeO2 will float on the surface.

[kevin c]

Using sawdust will reduce any lead oxides back into usable lead, and will also extract other contaminants. Most recommendations I’ve read encourage mixing thoroughly to increase the melt’s exposure to the carbon.

AFAIK, I don’t think iron rust will reduce much this way, but that and any dirt will mostly float on top of the melt for easy skimming. Do remember to scrape down the sides and bottom of the pot thoroughly, to release soot, dirt and rust (from the clips or the pot itself) so it’ll float up, otherwise it might end up in the boolits or ingots poured out of the pot.

[super6]

Always start with an empty pot when smelting WWs that have been wet.
That way the any water still in/on the WWs will evaporate as the melt heats up.
This way you will not get a visit from the tinsel fairy.

I will third this statement.

[hawkeye1]

Thanks for the replies. I just didn't want to get something in my mix that might contaminate. I haven't come across the rust before, and it is red rust . I think just on the surface. So, into the pot it goes. Thanks guys!

[Soundguy]

Agreed. I just smelted 493# of mono and lino type. they were in a steel bin at a local scrap yard. the bin was quite rusty. at least 1 of my 5 4g buckets came off the bottom of the bin and were in direct contact with the rusty steel, and were orange colored. Smelted out fine and I have no rusty ingots :)

[blackthorn]

If I have really grungy wheel weights, I fill my cut-down 20lb propane bottle-pot and dump in about a cup full of diesel fuel. ASP I set it on fire and the burning fuel will assist in the fluxing process as it burns.

[wv109323]

I would set the weights out in the sun. There may be moisture between the metal clip and lead. The rust will not hurt anything but needs extra fluxing to clean the lead.

[RogerDat]

I found taking a metal slotted spoon and grinding the rounded point end to be straight across helped with being able to scrape the bottom and the edge around the bottom where wall meets bottom. I'm using a cast iron dutch oven so the bottom and sides are flat. Flat point slotted spoon works to get into the 90* bottom edge and across bottom.

I do add more WW's as the bottom of the pot melts but these are piling on top of the weights that are on top and not yet melted. Whole point is to never drop the scrap or ingot into molten lead. Be careful of the ladle and spoon too. Preheat those. I'm pretty sure if you stick a ladle with a mere wisp of condensation on it into a pot and it goes "woomp" and recoils in your hand you will not soon forget to preheat anything going into molten lead. If you do it twice I suggest nailing that pair of underwear on the wall as a reminder.

Ingots for casting rest on melter edge for a few minutes to preheat before going into the pot, just don't forget to watch them so they don't melt in half and drop into pot with a splash. Spoons and ladles are gently rested on top of melt or across the pot edge to get hot before immersing in the melt. Hot = Dry = No Fairy.

[Brassmonkey]

I washed the two 5 gal buckets of ww I have in a hf cement mixer. Cleaned up great and any rust chips collected on the magnet I put in the mixer.

[GregLaROCHE]

If the rust is wet or even damp, you definitely want to start heating them when everything is cold and bring up the temperature. If the rust is powder dry, I see no reason they can’t be added as is, to molten lead. Either way, the iron oxide will come to the surface and can easily be removed. Keep it simple as long as it’s safe.

[lightman]

As the others have said, the rust won't hurt anything. Just fill the pot before turning on the heat. I have smelted wet rusty weights that looked like mud with no problem. Just start with a cold pot. I highly recommend to never add anything to molten lead. Sooner or later you will get moisture under the surface and then exciting things happen!

[358429]

That's correct don't pour exciting beverages into a pot of molten lead[emoji39]