Melting pure with mag. shot problem

[the_ursus]

Ok, I stumbled across a small amount of #9 mag. shot and tried to mix it with a bunch of pure lead I had so that I might end up with an alloy I could water quench. The first little bit of shot I added melted ok but as I added more it just floated on top and looked really pebbly as though the antimony was not melting.
I did some reading regarding the melting points of the two and antimony, (3% for mag shot) needs to be nearly twice as hot as pure lead before it will melt. So why did it melt the first little bit I put in there but not the rest? I even increased the temp and still the stuff wouldn't melt in. Do I need to flux it with something special? I used saw dust.

What do I need to do different?

[Buckshot]

..........It could very well be lead oxide, or the graphite coating is providing enough insulation to keep the shot from melting. One time me and a friend helped a mutual friend cut up a bunch of rather large lead anti-vibration machinery footings. They were 14" wide, 18" long and about 3" thick around the perimeter. We used a circular saw to cut across them. The rather copious quantities of leads shavings were 'Mostly' contained within a cardboard box. After we were done the escapee's were swept up and added to the box.

Possibly a year after that the guy we helped asked if I'd like to have all those shavings. Since there had to have been maybe 70+ pounds I said sure. Due to the box's demise he'd shoveled them into a plastic bucket, which had also sat behind his storage shed. I figured these things would melt in an instant. Apparently due to their oxidation it really seemed like they never would. Applying a propane torch to them had some glowing red (the oxide coating I assume) like they were steel vs lead, but melt they eventually did.

................Buckshot

[lwknight]

Drop a candle in the pot and let it burn and smoke and stir like crazy. You might get to keep most of the lead oxides as lead. Some of the shot could be steel or copper. I doubt it but, it could be. In which case you will not melt it.

[Johnch]

Shot has a coating that is mainly graphite
It makes melting it down a PITA

I would sujest to first wash the shot in gas or Colman fuel or something simalar

Then let air dry before adding to the melt

You can directly add the shot
But plan on stiring it in for a good while

John

[the_ursus]

Thanks for the comments guys, it sounds like oxide was giving me the trouble. I hit the stuff with a torch for a couple of minutes and, like stated above, it glowed red. I may just have to throw in some wheel weights to get my alloy harder.

[Rocky Raab]

I mix shot into most of my melts, having been given a good amount of it. It does sit on top if you add it in later. Stirring it in with a spoon gets it to melt pretty easily. But it is MUCH better if you add the shot to a mostly empty pot and then add other lead (range scrap, WWs, etc) on top of the shot. It all melts quite happily that way.

I suspect that it IS the graphite coating, as mentioned.