Linotype + hay

[koehlerrk]

Everyone, I was recently given an old garbage bag with about 40 lbs of linotype in it. The bad news is, there's a lot of old hay mixed in with it. What's the best way to get it out so I can make ingots? Anyone got any good advice for me?

Thanks! Rick

[D Crockett]

well if I had it I would take a leaf blower and spread the lino and hay on the drive way and blow the hay off the lino with the leaf blower D Crockett

[Red River Rick]

The hay will help flux your lino-mix, just throw everything into the pot, the hay will burn off.

RRR

[darthdave22]

Um I would just melt it all. The hay will burn right out when the lead melts anyways. Obviously this is an outdoor project : ) I use a propane burner with a cast iron dutch oven to melt my lead out in the middle of my yard away from everything else. She can burn all day mistah!

[NewGuy]

If you are not ready to smelt yet, throw everything in a 5 gallon bucket of water and skim off the hay. Obviously, you will want to wait until the lead is dry before you melt it.

[hoosierlogger]

The leaf blower method sounds like the fastest way, provided you have a paved drive.

[myg30]

Just wait till your ready to mix a batch with your lead, weigh your lino and the hay will help flux the mix ! The blower sounds good to but why waste more gas.

Mike

[mustanggt]

Why waste more gas??? Because it'll P.O. the tree huggin commies!!! :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:

[lwknight]

Maybe the burning hay will help melt the lino and save gas.

[9.3X62AL]

Why waste more gas??? Because it'll P.O. the tree huggin commies!!! :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:

My thoughts exactly. I'd throw zinc wheelweights at condors, too.

[fecmech]

My thoughts exactly. I'd throw zinc wheelweights at condors, too.
Thanks Al, you brightened my morning!

[Dan Cash]

Nuts, buy a pig or cow. Feed the animal the hay then slaughter the critter in the front yard. Waste not, want not.

[koehlerrk]

Thanks guys. I'm going to try taking a fan, not a leafblower, and drop them a few at a time into a pan. If I do it right, the hay should be blown off, and the type will get caught in the pan. And now I also know to not worry about any that's left, it's just flux.

Thanks again!

Rick

[koehlerrk]

Well, the fan worked, really well too! Took me about 30 minutes including setup, cleanup, and everything in between.

BTW, how much linotype fits in a one gallon ice cream bucket? Because I now have two of 'em, full! :grin:I'd call it 20-25 lbs each bucket, so 45 lbs of lino cleaned in 30 minutes... not bad. Especially since it was a freebie![smilie=w:

[lwknight]

You will get a lot of dross from the linotype. That is because there is so much surface area.
Use a generous pecan sized chunk of wax and stir the snot out of it while its flaming.
Almost 100% of your dross will go back to being tin and lead.