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So I have about 15 Or so pounds of of lubed cast bullets I would like to melt down. Can I Just put them all in my pot at the same time and let the lube burn off? I am nervous about adding them to a pot of molten lead incase the tinsel fairy visits. I would rather let them all heat up slowly.
Toss 'em in a cold pot and melt them down. I'd do it outdoors, you're gonna have a lot of smoke.
yes, cold pot, out doors. then flux a couple of times?
I usually use a heatgun, to melt unwanted lube off of boolits.
Thanks guys
With all of that lube burning off you don't need to flux. When it starts to smoke heavily just light it with a match.
You might want some kitty litter to throw on top of the melt, soaks up the lube and kills the smoke
Same here. I'll be doing that soon with some commercial .44 swc that I recieved.Quote:
Originally Posted by stubshaft
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If you really don't want all the smoke, you can easily boil off the lube (if it's conventional grease or wax based.) Just put them in an empty tin can with some water and boil them. As it cools, the lube will float to the top. After it hardens up a bit, just peel it off, then dump out the clean boolits.
Wayne
I have dropped a half handful of lubed bullets (mostly 44 250 gr.) into a pot with melted alloy. Nuttin' happened except smoke...
No bad answers above, but I would do this: cold pot, outdoors and a thick layer of pine bedding shavings to help soak up the liquid lube. Same process I use for roofing joints with a lot of tar on them. works like a charm.
Tony
Also ... just be aware , when beeswax reaches about 400 - 425 degrees it will flash and catch on fire ... be aware this will happen and not a bad idea to have a lid for the pot and a fire extinguisher in case things get out of hand . Don't spray the melt with fire extinguisher ...put lid on pot ... the flames will go out after the beeswax burns off ...
If you don't know of beeswax's Flash and Fire point ... it can scare the Beejeezus out of you .
Be careful and do it outdoors on concrete slab .
Stirring the mix helps makes the fire go out ... but be careful when it's burning !
Gary
I just dump a small handfull into my Lee bottom pour, works as flux for me. Large amount I'd do in a cold smelting pot outside. Since I switched to pc, I use my old wax type lube for flux
I prefer it to catch on fire. It greatly reduces the smoke. I add a match to the mix to help get the fire going.Quote:
Originally Posted by gwpercle
Yeah ... Me Too , but if you aren't aware of what melted beeswax does when it reaches it's "Flash Point" and the pot all of a sudden bursts into flames ... it tends to un-nerve you !Quote:
Originally Posted by dondiego
I was just warning the OP about that little thing that can happen !
Gary
I agree, it was kind of a surprise when it first happened to me!Quote:
Originally Posted by gwpercle
When the 'flux' burns it is removing O2 from the immediate surface of the melt and 'reduces' the tin back into the alloy. What it is supposed to do. Just melting on the top does nothing but accumulate any trash that floated to the top.