Newbie questions about WWs

[sorenlaf]

Hi Everyone,

I'm about to start casting for the first time.

Ordered a Lee (pro 4?) 20# furnace and a few of their molds a week ago. Picked up about 20# of WW from a local tire store (someone else is already picking up their lead - bummer!). About half stick on and half clip on.

Okay, I've heard the the stick on may be a different alloy (pure lead?) than the clip on, so I've sorted them - as an aside, is there a concensus of opinion if that's necessary?

Here are my main questions:

1) theses suckers are dirty! I used to work in a garage, and I don't remember the WWs ever being this greasy. Does the grease just go away during the smelting and fluxing process, or do I need to clean them?

2) Is it necessary to remove some/all of the stickum on the back of the stick on WWs?

3) Not knowing about candle wax (yeah, I should have read a few more posts here, but work's crazy and we have a 4yr old and a 6m old - I now think of 6 hours a night as a lot of sleep), I bought some of the Franklin Arsenal fluxing compound. Any reason not to use it? I assume it will work at least as well as wax, but assumptions are dangerous.

4) Besides bullets, I plan on filling some brass tubes to make some ballast weights for an RC glider. I'll cut the tubing with a tubing cutter, which will provide a slight crimp at each end, which should retain the lead inner core w/o it "soldering" itself to the brass. Aside from being sure the tube is dry, and not looking down the tube in (case it spits), are there any cautions people have about filling a 1/4" id brass tube with molten lead? I have the little Lee dipper which I plan to use for this. I will probably place the end of the tube in a tight clearance hole in a piece of wood to plug and support it. Should I be concerned about moisture in the wood? Obviously, I'll use a dry piece from the barn, not one that's been sitting out in the rain.

5) almost forgot. If anyone has casting thermometer recommendations, I'd appreciate hearing them.



Thanks in advance,
--Soren

[cbrick]

Hi Soren, welcome to Castboolits.

First read this, it concerns your children.

Safe Handling of lead (http://www.lasc.us/FryxellSafeHandlingLead.htm)

You can still cast of course but ALL lead must be kept away from children and the article explains why.

Rick

[sorenlaf]

Hi Soren, welcome to Castboolits.

First read this, it concerns your children.

Safe Handling of lead (http://www.lasc.us/FryxellSafeHandlingLead.htm)

You can still cast of course but ALL lead must be kept away from children and the article explains why.

Rick

Thanks Rick, I appreciate the concern.

I've been aware of lead hazards for quite some time. Most of my life in fact. I'm old enough that lead paint was still in use when I was a kid, and my mom was absolutely neurotic about it, and not without reason. I'm also aware of the difference in lead toxicology between children and adults.

I did read the acticle, and somewhat to my surprise, even learned something; I will now lightly wet my tumbler media! Tumbler media had always bothered me, as it seemed a wonderful source of the water soluble lead salts that result from the lead styphnate (primer) combustion, and this is, by far (like by an order of magnitude) the greatest lead contamination danger that shooters (casters or not) typically face.

The level of ignorance I've encountered on this subject (primer by-products) by employees at indoor ranges is absolute astounding.

However, I have not yet determined where and how I will be casting. The choices are in the garage under a window with two 12" high flow fans (think two 120 watt muffin fans), or out doors.

I kind of like the outside option, as it would permit me to hose everything down when I'm done, and where I live, there's not that much rain. Of course, then I wonder where the particulate matter would wind up. Probably in the soil, which is it's own potential can of worms.

The advantage of casting indoors is I can control access a little better. There're enough other dangers in the garage that the kids aren't allowed in there anyway, but then there's going to be a plume outside the window.

Once again, thanks for your concern.


--Soren

[canyon-ghost]

As an aside to what info you now have, there's a neat trick to getting lead and casting fumes from clothing. I just drop my clothes, seperately, in the washer at the end of a day casting and use high-phosphate dishwasher detergent. It doesn't foam, and removes the smell but, you might have to run it through twice to get all the detergent out (its kinda slimy). Only takes a couple tablespoons to do it too.

[462]

sorenlaf,

Yes, sort the clips from the sticks, smelt seperately, treat the sticks as pure lead.

1. The grease will burn off. Smelt outdoors and stay upwind.

2. Nope, just toss them in the pot. More smoke, though, than the greasy weights. Stay well upwind.

3. I use paraffin. Others will mention what they use. I understand that the fluxing compounds can form rust on the inside of the pot.

I cast in the garage. No problems with lead fumes until 1200*F, from what those in the know have investigated. No plume, either, unless you toss in some lubed boolits to be remelted.

Have fun...

[fredj338]

sorenlaf,

Yes, sort the clips from the sticks, smelt seperately, treat the sticks as pure lead.

1. The grease will burn off. Smelt outdoors and stay upwind.

2. Nope, just toss them in the pot. More smoke, though, than the greasy weights. Stay well upwind.

3. I use paraffin. Others will mention what they use. I understand that the fluxing compounds can form rust on the inside of the pot.

I cast in the garage. No problems with lead fumes until 1200*F, from what those in the know have investigated. No plume, either, unless you toss in some lubed boolits to be remelted.

Have fun...
Agree 100%. I would NOT drop the cruddy ww into my casting pot. It's the best way to clog a Lee I know of. Myself & most other, smelt scrap lead in a diff pot. A propane or elec burner will work, an old cast iron skillet or dutch oven is perfect. Smelt them down, outside, upwind & flux & pour clean alloy into ingots (cheap Lee ingot mold works). Then add those to yor casting pot. I don't like the Marvlux or other commercial fluxes, they tend to hold moisture & can cause rust in the pot. Sawdust or bullet lube, candle wax, etc all work. Stir it in w/ some wooden chposticks or paint stick, skim & go.