Trash in melting pot

[Joe Bob]

When I get done melting lead and casting, my Lee pot has crap stuck to the sides and bottom of it. I'm melting soft lead ('sposed to be pure) and fluxing with bee's wax, and skimming off all the stuff that's on top. Oh, by the way, I used to cast all kinds of lead in it including lead shot but never have used wheel weights. Can't even scrape the crap out of muh melter. What am I doing wrong?
JB

[44man]

Nothing! What you can't scrape loose with a spoon when fluxing, forget about. Lead is just dirty when it oxidizes.

[StarMetal]

If you go to casting with an alloy mix you don't want to skim everything off the top of the melt because you can reduce the alloys like tin and antimony and actually change your bullet alloy to a softer mix. The only thing I use pure lead for is a muzzleloader. All centerfire guns I use an alloy and most of the time that is wheelweights. I'll flux it and only skim off that dark dry looking crub, never any silvery metal.

Joe

[44man]

Hey Joe, he was talking about the crud on the sides and bottom of an empty pot!

[Joe Bob]

Yeah, I was casting for Black Powder guns. Just now getting my feet wet with the whole casting thing. Been reloading for about 30 years but always bought my bullets. Ain't never melted anything with alloy....If I did, I didn't know it.
JB

[grumble]

You're doing fine, JB.

First, make sure you're using clean ingots to go into your pot, not wheelweights or junk lead. Next, stop using expensive beeswax to flux with -- if you really want to use wax for flux, just use an old candle, it's much cheaper. Lastly, if you want a clean melting pot, put about a quarter inch of kitty litter on top of the melt. Stir it into the melt every time you add lead, and your pot will stay nice and clean. Don't try to use the kitty litter and wax at the same time, though. It might make a bigger candle than you want!

[Joe Bob]

What happens to the kitty litter??? Does it just burn up and disappear or does it stay in the same form it was in when you put it in the melted lead? I guess what I'm asking is...will my bullets have kitty litter deposits in them? I know I sound dumb and I am about certain things. But I ain't ignorant..There's a difference, ya' know. JB

[Joe Bob]

See, I just proved it!! What I really meant to say was I may be ignorant, but I ain't dumb. Or was it Stoopid? Oh Hell, fergit it, I'm just digging my hole deeper by the minute.
JB

[grumble]

That's ok, JB, I heard what you meant. <GGG>

The kitty litter slowly turns to ash and stays on the top of the melt. Just dump it out of the pot before heating the lead for the next session, and add some more. A 5 lb bag of the stuff will last you for years.

If you ladle pour, it might be a bit of a nuisance, but if you bottom pour, it doesn't interfere with your casting at all.

[Joe Bob]

Yep that be me...A true, bona fide, cornbread fed, low rent, broke down ol' Bottom Pore Man.

[grumble]

Well then, JB, you're among your own kind here! With a few notable exceptions, of course. <G>

[The Nyack Kid]

Well then, JB, you're among your own kind here! With a few notable exceptions, of course. <G>

ooh goody is it time again ,for use BP guys to go over and pick on the LC guys ?
[smilie=p:

[Joe Bob]

????? Whas dat mean???

[versifier]

Joe Bob,
I just scrub out the lead pot with a wire brush. Do it outside and don't breath in any of the yellow powder, it's lead oxide, and it's far more toxic than lead and more easily assimilable, even through skin. :shock: And don't forget to wash your hands right after, too, if you don't use disposable gloves. If there's an anti gunner downwind, consider it a service to humanity. :-)

[shooter575]

I cast a lot of straight lead for M/L also. I use a long spoon to scrape the sides and bottom of the pot after pot is full and hot.This crud being lighter comes up to be skimed off. As soon as it is nice and shiney the lead starts to react to the air and the surface turns to lead oxide all over again.Im a dipper so I also add more air to the mix by ..dipping I skim about every 1.5" drop in level.
With a bottom tap the crud on top should not as much a problem.The kitty litter is clay and it keeps the air away from the lead. ie less oxide. Do not run the lead level all the way down though.The crud will get into the valve and cause ya more work. Keep at inch and a half to be safe.