Fluxed my pot. Pics

[Paulinski]

Hey all

I fluxed my pot for the first time with some bullet lube. Here is what came out.

http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e193/Dragnaath/DSCN1835.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e193/Dragnaath/DSCN1836.jpg
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e193/Dragnaath/DSCN1837.jpg

Was I supposed to skim this or leave it in the pot.

Sorry about noob question but it was my first time fluxing.

Paui

[oneokie]

Lots of lead in the dross. Work on your skimming technique. You don't say what you are smelting in, try using a dry stick to rub the dross against the side of your smelting pot. I have found that by doing this, I end up with a powder floating on top of the melt that is easy to skim.

[lwknight]

Looks like you did not use enough flux. Candle wax is a lot cheaper than bullet lube.
I use a piece of wax about the size of a 158 grain 38 slug or bigger. It liquifies and covers the whole melt and smokes like a coal train then usually catches fire. Then I stir a bit with gloved hand holding a tool and most of the dross disappears back into the melt.

[kbstenberg]

What kind of a scoop do you use to skim the dross off the top of the melt? A large spoon or ladle with holes in it works good. It lets the lead escape. A little of the dross will be lost but that will be picked up with the next scoop.
Kevin

[docone31]

I use Kitty litter instead of flux.
It keeps the melt clean.

[mroliver77]

Another thing, put that stuff in a can with a lid! If I get too much alloy in my dross can I throw the whole mess in when smelting and melt it out. Really this is oxides and prolly the most danger in casting if not handled correctly.
Jay

[303Guy]

I use Kitty litter instead of flux.
There is more to Kitty Litter than just sand but I forget what it is made of but it is supposed have good fluxing properties.

I just use sea-sand. All it does is insulate the top of the melt and hides the ugly dross so it won't bother me. It also gives any lead trapped in the dross time to melt back into the pot. To fill the laddle I just push it down against the side of the pot. I works for me. I do stir the melt with a dry stick from time to time.

[runfiverun]

kitty litter has organic clays in it.
save the skimmings, and re-smelt them in your next go round.

[geargnasher]

Lots of lead in the dross. Work on your skimming technique. You don't say what you are smelting in, try using a dry stick to rub the dross against the side of your smelting pot. I have found that by doing this, I end up with a powder floating on top of the melt that is easy to skim.

+1. This is an excellent technique for forcing the oxides to reduce. You should just have a fine, light grey powder cornered in a little pile and shiny melt left after doing this.

Kitty litter insulates and seals the surface like Borate does, but does little to reduce the oxides because gypsum/clay doen't provide much sacrificial carbon.

I think you'll find that you can remelt almost all the stuff you skimmed and maybe only have a couple of spoonfuls of dust left. That dull aluminum-colored stuff is mostly lead/tin oxide.

Gear

[randyrat]

Heat your spoon up before you scoup out the dross and do as stated above"rub against the edge of the pot" I think you had a cold spoon and the flux blocked some of the heat. Any dang flux will work.
I have sawdust comming out of my ears, so i use sawdust and a wooden oak stick to scrape the bottom/sides of the pot.

If you dip a cold spoon in the melt to scrape, your going to come out with a lot of lead in your dross.

[Ole]

Sawdust works pretty dang well for a cheap fluxing agent as well.

I agree with the others. Save the dross you pulled out and remelt it next time you make a batch.

[jhrosier]

..I just use sea-sand. ...

I have visions of grains of sand on the surface of the bullets cutting new rifling grooves with every shot.

Jack

[ghh3rd]

I use a chunk of Gulf Parafin Wax. I just dip the corner of the wax into the melt for a second, and then hold it over the melt for a few seconds to let it drip, and then stir, stir, stir.

I learned that (for me at least), it's better not to stir with a spoon, because the smoke from the wax will almost always burst into flame unexpectedly and make me jump and dump lead from the spoon.

As others have mentioned, rub with a DRY stick. A moist stick will feel like it's rumbling and shaking when it's in your melt (like it's possesed or something), and may result in steam and flying lead.

Have fun.
Randy

[GP100man]

paui

You are smeltin in a different pot from your castin pot????

I use a good sized spoon with a single 1/4 " hole drilld in the bottom to let the molten lead out.

[303Guy]

I have visions of grains of sand on the surface of the bullets cutting new rifling grooves with every shot.Not really. Sea-sand is made of shells mostly but anyway, it floats. Not only that but I patch my castings.:-D

But hard inclusions in the casting are a reality but those tend to be oxides (or grit trapped in the oxides) clinging to the pot sides/ladle spout or if one bottom pours, inside the spout arrangement. One of the advantages of fluxing with a wood stick - one can rub the sides and get rid of clinging gunk.

Still, clays would be better. I shall make the change.

[geargnasher]

I use a chunk of Gulf Parafin Wax. I just dip the corner of the wax into the melt for a second, and then hold it over the melt for a few seconds to let it drip, and then stir, stir, stir.

I learned that (for me at least), it's better not to stir with a spoon, because the smoke from the wax will almost always burst into flame unexpectedly and make me jump and dump lead from the spoon.

As others have mentioned, rub with a DRY stick. A moist stick will feel like it's rumbling and shaking when it's in your melt (like it's possesed or something), and may result in steam and flying lead.

Have fun.
Randy

Yup, dry stick or Tinsel Faery. I use small ricks about 1/2"X3/4", preferably hard maple or cherrywood, which are edge trimmings from a local cabinet shop. they don't stink like oak or explode like cedar when immersed in molten lead. Perfect for scraping all the sides and even the bottom of the pot. Stir until the stick chars to release carbon into the melt, this carbon is what makes the oxides vanish.

I quit using waxes long ago because of the smoke, flames, and stench, it isn't doing any good if it's on fire and your carbon is turning into soot in the air instead of in your pot.

Gear