Don't laugh, newbies first smelt

[encoreman]

I had to tell ya'll what happened on my very FIRST smelt. After looking pretty good at the ww I put in the pot, there was a zinc ww floating in my pot. Do I have bad luck or was I in fact lucky that I saw it as I don't have a thermometer. Now I will be looking more closely at the ww's. Small pot, homemade ingot moulds, I ended up with 54 lbs in just a little while. I think I may be hooked!!

[georgewxxx]

encoreman,

Seeing that one zinker floating in the pot is part of learning how to do it. You make a mental note to yourself..."Don't do that next time"...Been there done that!

One other trick I've learned to do is run 'em through a second time. You'd be amazed how much more crap stays in the ingots unnoticed. It sure saves time and hassle when your ready to make boolits. They look clean and pretty, but in reality they ain't.

Good luck on your new adventure....Geo

[timkelley]

I'm not far ahead of you, I have domesticated the wild wheel weight (stole that phrase) two times and found a zinc weight each time. Think how many you would have found had you not sorted.

[mooman76]

Zink melts at a higher temp fortunately for us casters. As long as you are paying attention shouldn't be a problem but if it stays in long enough, it will melt too!

[buckshot&brass]

Are there ways to tell the difference before you start,hints please?

[leftiye]

I was going to say that surely you wouldn't deny us our levity, (maybe please just don't post here about it?). But I have to add, keep your eyes open as the wheel weights melt so that you see the zinc ones before they melt, before the melt gets hot enough to melt them that is. Probly be a good idea to make sure that when you add more ww's to an already melted partial pot - that you add enough to bring the temp down to where the whole mass is re-melting so that any possible zinc wws can't melt. Mabe get a thermometer and hold temps below 700?