What is this sludge? And why is my lead breaking like cookies?

[oley55]

So would you guys add the sludge back into the pot, up to temp, and then flux? I finally have the BHN where I want it so if I add this what we think is tin, my hardness will go up (which I do not want).

Should I toss it or keep it for future use as tin? (assuming that's what it is)

it takes MANY percents of tin to change hardness. However, if your lead is making good well filled out bullets save the tin for another time.

edit: by the way, what method are you using to measure tenths of a BHN? just curious about the 10.4 bhn. My drafting pencils don't. LOL

[Hannibal]

[QUOTE=Stopsign32v;5299915]So would you guys add the sludge back into the pot, up to temp, and then flux? I finally have the BHN where I want it so if I add this what we think is tin, my hardness will go up (which I do not want).

Should I toss it or keep it for future use as tin? (assuming that's what it is




I'm not sure if you're aware of this, but if you are checking BHN within a week after casting it'll be harder in 4-6 months. Sometimes a lot harder.

[Stopsign32v]

it takes MANY percents of tin to change hardness. However, if your lead is making good well filled out bullets save the tin for another time.

edit: by the way, what method are you using to measure tenths of a BHN? just curious about the 10.4 bhn. My drafting pencils don't. LOL

The LEE hardness tester.

[JimB..]

Get a thermometer, check temp, report back.

I will generally save anything metal and toss it into my next big melt for ingots. Usually isn’t much, but whatever.

I don’t get tin floating out when the alloy is too cold, I just get mushy alloy.

[Stopsign32v]

Here are some boolits that come from this.

[charlie b]

I'd keep that stuff. If is is just unmelted alloy, then see if you can test the hardness of it. Then use it as you see fit.

[414gates]

.. so if I add this what we think is tin, my hardness will go up (which I do not want ...

My understanding is that tin helps the lead fill the mould better, so it increases the fluidity of the molten lead.

Antimony is what increases hardness.

If your melt casts well after you removed that excess, you don't really need it, so put it aside for later.

[GregLaROCHE]

How close are your individual boolit weights ?

[JimB..]

Deformation at the nose means something, are they all like that?

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

So would you guys add the sludge back into the pot, up to temp, and then flux? I finally have the BHN where I want it so if I add this what we think is tin, my hardness will go up (which I do not want).

Should I toss it or keep it for future use as tin? (assuming that's what it is)

Yes, needs better job of fluxing.

[Stopsign32v]

Deformation at the nose means something, are they all like that?

Yea Jim, something to do with the mold. Every single one is the same exactly on the nose.

[rockshooter]

small nose defects, esp on pistol bullets, have no effect on anything.
Loren

[BadDaditood]

That’s where you drill the hollow points

[dearslayer]

I had the same as you last week when I tried to melt a few items of what is supposed to be pewter. I had two different items, both with " English Pewter" engraved in the bottom One was very thin and melted no problem and this other one that was very thick and heavy that would not seem the melt. I was trying to melt it all to cast into bullets so it would be easier to add to my melted lead when I wanted 2% tin. I did keep it because I had planned to pose the same questions on here regarding the same.

Sent from my LYA-L0C using Tapatalk

[JimB..]

English Pewter should be tin, copper and antimony. When you tap it does it thud or ring?

[gwpercle]

Don't flux with sawdust only ... add some wax to the wood , there is something the wood doesn't get but wax will flux it .
I use a three step , wood shavings (I have pencil sharpener access) , bees wax (or paraffin ) and then to be certain a little Marvelux commerical flux . All three do the best job .
Start the melt at 8.5 or 9.0 and be careful of the wax ... if at or over 400 degrees the wax will flash into fire and burn ...be careful , the flashing and burning can be scary ...do not use but a little wax with the wood shavings and stir with a wooden paddle . I follow up with Marvelux and stir and then skim off all dross . Two small fluxes is better and safer than one large flux .
Gary

[Dom]

Flux with UN-salted lard, or lard rendered from fat from your last game animal. Works as good as the best flux you can buy. This was advice came to me from LBT bullets years ago. It works.

[SteveM54]

I've noticed that sometimes the color of the top coat is a dark blue. Anyone one know what that is?

[Chaparral66]

Keep it and add it to the next mix batch. Make sure the temp is high enough and keep pushing the junk down into the molten metal and you will be surprised how much of the goo will reduce to just ash, dirt or schmutz. I recently dumped (on purpose) my dross bucket into the melting pot and when finished I only had about 1/4 of the crap to skim off. Temperature and patience are the key.

[Chaparral66]

The dark blue or purple usually means you are running too hot. Check the actual temperature of the molten metal. A thermocouple is an indispensable tool. The IR guns are great, except they do not show an accurate temperature when bounced off the shiny silver surface. A black surface is the best indicator. Maybe float a 3" square of steel on the surface for the best results with IR.

When I have a pot melting odd shapes, WW, rage scrap I run fairly hot, but once it is all molten I turn down the heat to just keep it hot enough to ladle and pour.