ventures in casting

corey012778 · 02-04-2008, 02:00 AM

I got start melting down WW's and some other scrap lead yesterday and today. Run into some problems but working it out.

yesterday melted 40lbs of WW's only got 6/1.5lbs ingots out of it. with too much waste. Today melted 5lbs of lead 12ga slug, 000 buckshot, few more WW's (2lbs), and about 1/3 of the waste (more lead then anything) got 6/1.75lbs ingots. And I like fluxing with sawdust. smells good

Thanks for all the help. still have not got a mould yet but working on it.

wabi · 02-04-2008, 07:15 AM

Corey,
I'm confused as to why you're getting so little lead. What process are you using to seperate the impurities from the lead? I don't like wheelweights becaust the have so manyimpurities in them, but they can be used. You should get a lot more lead than you're saying, though.

Take a clear glass jar and pour in some motor oil, then pour in some water. Look at it closely. What happens? - The two don't mix! The oil is lighter and it is all on top. If you want pure water you'll have to get the oil off of it. Take a spoon and tyr toskim off the oil. You'll soon understand the difficulty in the method.
Now - think of the wheelweights in the same way. The lead has impurities (tin & antimony) in it (after you get the steel clips out). If you heat it well past the melting point you have liquid, just like the jar of oil & water! The lead is heavier and will be on the bottom, but it's not quite as easy to see the seperation. The tin & antimony will look more silver colored and have a frosty appearance. Skim that off with your spoon. If you start with 10# of wheelweights (less the steel clips) you should have over 9# of pure lead there! You'll probably never get it pure, but if you can scratch it easily with your thumbnail it's soft enough to use. If not - do it over. [:@]
Also you mention fluxing. Fluxing is to combine the metals. You do not want to flux while you're seperating the metals!!! Fluxing can be used to mix the final small amount you can't skim off, but it only requires a very small drop of flux. I use a piece of beeswax about the size of a garden pea. Actually I use a bottom pour lead pot for my lead melting, so I don't even have to flux for pouring muzzleloader bullets & balls. The metal at the bottom is lead, and the impurities float to the top where they can be skimmed off. No need to mix them!

I look for sources like lead out of old cast iron drainpipe joints andlead roof flashings. They are much closer to pure to start with. One advantage to my profession (plumber) is that I get paid to remove that old material and replace it with modern materials.

Just bid a job last week on a small doctor's office. If I get the job I'll probably gain about 15 - 20# of lead for my stash, and make a few $$$ doing it.

Underclocked · 02-04-2008, 09:14 AM

wabi, antimony won't separate that way. And that reminds me, I need to go get some more lead from my step-bro's roof flashing stash.

johnny2 · 02-04-2008, 09:55 AM

Wabi---I was wondering about his post as well..

It does seem like he should be getting a lot more
than he says he is.Something isn't right..I used to use
lots of wheel weights and never got that much waste...

You mention the pipe joints you get.They should also
contain a certain amount of tin as well..Or so I have been told..

When they tore down the old high school here we got all
the lead from the chimistry lab..Probably close to 200 hundred
lbs of it..Now this stuff had to be melted down outside..

wabi · 02-04-2008, 09:57 AM

How can antimony be removed?
As I said I've never used wheelweights to a great extent and when I have used them they were mixed in with a lot of plumber's lead. I always end up with lead I can scratch with my thumbnail and it seems to work fine.

johnny2 · 02-04-2008, 10:05 AM

I do not think there is anyway to remove the antimony..
I used to ad it to my lead to make a harder bullet for 30
cal...I got it in a powder form and had to use a special
flux as well to get it to mix in..I would just leave it in there
and add more lead to make it softer..I used a 50-50 mix of
wheel weights and lead to make bullets for my 45-70
sharps rifle and they seemed to work great..Of course
this was for target shooting..

corey012778 · 02-04-2008, 10:10 AM

I took too much lead out thinking it was impurities. I figured it out when I got done with first batch. I am going to do another batch of WW's here in a few days and see if I can do any better.

it was my fult and fix it. or tring to. hey it was very first batch [8D]

johnny2 · 02-04-2008, 10:22 AM

Corey--Take it easy man..We are just pointing out things to you..
Have you got any idea what temp. you are melting it down at?
That makes a big difference as well..You should be running at
least 600 degrees here..But DON'T go over 850 or 900..

You will get some very dangerous fumes coming off that stuff...

JUST A WORD OF CAUTION....

wabi · 02-04-2008, 10:31 AM

Sometimes it's a long learning process, but keep at it.
A few tips (from firsthand experience)
Never drop cold (well below 32º F) lead into a pot of melted lead! (moisture forms and you get a mild explosion of hot lead - it will stick to human flesh and continue to burn!)
Never spill water or coffee into a lead pot! (same results as above)
Wear long sleeves, gloves, and eye protection at all times. (especially if you do one of the above tricks)
Have good ventilation while casting.

corey012778 · 02-04-2008, 10:35 AM

600 - 625.
I don't think I am going to fight to get anymore out of the can. just too much work

I thought I was not being rude I am sorry if it came out that why johnny,

I the kept checking the temp, I checked in four places in the pot. I did it out side with the wind blowing away from me. when fluxing I stepped away from the have smoke for a few seconds then returned.

trying to be as safe as possible.
I'll take any help I can get. still trying to hunt up some soft lead. it is not a good time of year to talk to roofers.