Irascible
02-07-2009, 11:42 AM
I sorted through a 5gal bucket of WW. I looked for a ZN or FE and then I touched them to a magnet and those that didn't stick I dropped on the floor (none rang)and then tried to cut with a pair of side cutters(they seemed slightly harder or softer, but not by a large amount. I only found 2 steel clip ons and 3 strips of steel stick ons. No zinc clip ons that I Know of and a few strips of zinc stick ons. I smelted over a plumbers pot at low temp (below 600 deg) fluxed and stirred, fluxed and stirred, fluxed and stirred. I melted about 25 lbs at a time and I'm now convinced that smelting that much at a time is a problem, because the weight of the top layers keeps the dirt from floating easily.
QUESTION 1 - would it be easier to clean a smaller amount of weights?
After getting most of the dirt out of the mix and pouring ingots, I later melted 10 lbs in my pot at 550 degrees and fluxed a few times. Then I added another 10 lbs and fluxed again, and again. Thinking That I had clean metal I started casting at 700 degrees. I was getting frosted, sunken in spots which I decided was zinc. Over the next two days, I warmed the pot to 550 degrees and fluxed and skimmed. I the unplugged the pot and repeated this many times. I started casting with acceptable, but not perfect results (50% rejection).
QUESTION 2 - Each time I return metal back to the pot, I flux and skim after melt. Within a few minutes, I get a top coating that looks like zinc coating. IS IT?, Or is it tin oxide of something else? I flux again and skim off the coating and any dirt that has risen. The coating always returns.
QUESTION 1 - would it be easier to clean a smaller amount of weights?
After getting most of the dirt out of the mix and pouring ingots, I later melted 10 lbs in my pot at 550 degrees and fluxed a few times. Then I added another 10 lbs and fluxed again, and again. Thinking That I had clean metal I started casting at 700 degrees. I was getting frosted, sunken in spots which I decided was zinc. Over the next two days, I warmed the pot to 550 degrees and fluxed and skimmed. I the unplugged the pot and repeated this many times. I started casting with acceptable, but not perfect results (50% rejection).
QUESTION 2 - Each time I return metal back to the pot, I flux and skim after melt. Within a few minutes, I get a top coating that looks like zinc coating. IS IT?, Or is it tin oxide of something else? I flux again and skim off the coating and any dirt that has risen. The coating always returns.