Zinc imputities, maybe?

[colonelhogan44]

A friend gave me about 50 pounds of lead ingots that his grandfather had made. I have never cast, or smelted any lead before, and am just getting into the whole process. I would like to know if someone knows what is screwed up with these ingots. I suspect zinc, but I'm an amateur.

here are a few of the worst ones.

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/colonelhogan44/th_101_2791.jpg (http://s586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/colonelhogan44/?action=view&current=101_2791.jpg)

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/colonelhogan44/th_101_2790.jpg (http://s586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/colonelhogan44/?action=view&current=101_2790.jpg)

http://i586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/colonelhogan44/th_101_2795.jpg (http://s586.photobucket.com/albums/ss301/colonelhogan44/?action=view&current=101_2795.jpg)


Diagnosis?

[jr81452]

Is that how they poured, or did you drop them out of the mold to soon? What temp were you smelting at?

[sagacious]

You've fallen prey to the zincophobes. The ingots appear to have been moved while cooling. Most likely that's the only thing "screwed up" with the ingots. Good luck.

You're wearing eye protection at all times when melting lead, right?

[lwknight]

That has got to be the ugliest ingots that I have ever seen.
Put a drop of muratic acid to see if it reacts. If it fizzes then there is zinc. otherwise there is no zinc.

[colonelhogan44]

I hope you're all right.

I'm just going to carefully melt them and go from there. I just wanted to know if others with more experience could tell if it was obviously contaminated. I have no knowledge of how they were made, that's exactly how they were given to me.
I have a buddy who's a farmer who's got loads of sulfur if I end up needing to go that route though, which is a small comfort.

I have done sand casting with other metals before, and all the necessary precations will be taken when I start messing with it (after finals this week - I'm a college student)

I also scored a 20 lb lead bar with a loop on the end of it (ballast, maybe?) and a 5 gallon bucket full of BIG wheel weights. Lead is hard to come by out here in the People's republic of Kommiefornia.

[sagacious]

The bar is probably linotype. Sounds like you're doing OK in your neck of the woods.

[44fanatic]

dropped/moved while they were to hot is my guess also. As for the muratic acid, my experience has been that there will be a slight bubbleing due to other materials in the lead...fizzing if there is enough zinc present.

[docone31]

A little zinc is ok. In my rifle castings, I mix zinc in.
Those ingots look like they were ejected hot.

[Bill*]

I've dumped some too soon and seen that reaction. may be fine...melt em and see

[Bkid]

Those look like some ingots I dropped from an aluminum muffin pan. Aluminum does not hold the weight so well. Aluminum does drop the ingots well however,(no sticking ingots).

[mac1911]

how about just old and beat up, depending on the age of the GrandFather? I am a newbie also. Came across some lead that looked aweful. I melted it it came out nice and clean, I put it my ???pile

[lwknight]

Just keep your questionable stuff separate from your known good stuff.
Those ingots really looked like linotype that got moved before being cooled enough.
Sorry about the UGLY comment. I just couldn't help myself hehe LOL!!

[Doby45]

They look like some kind of large animal poop in their current condition, but I bet they sure look purty when they are in a molten condition and even purtier once you pour them in bullet moulds.

[gray wolf]

They look like some kind of large animal poop in their current condition


That has got to be the ugliest ingots that I have ever seen.

That's very funny--You guy's make me laugh my a$$ off.

I hope the OP knows we joke a lot.
But hey ! they were kinda --well what should I say? I guess ugly covers it .

[colonelhogan44]

Oh, no harm done. I to am a joker, and I NEVER let anything on the internet offend me. Life's too short for that junk.

and yes, they do look like terrible.
:drinks:

[colonelhogan44]

I melted a bunch of them down this evening and cast 6 beautiful 2 pound ingots (cupcake tin). No zinc was anywhere to be found. Now to cast my first bullets!

[44fanatic]

Good luck and enjoy the addiction