Dental X-Ray Lead strips.

[Buckskinquin]

I was given 11 lbs. of lead strips previous.y attached to dental X ray tabs. Melted it down, fluxed it. An incredible amount of black crumbly dross appeared on the surface. Poured into 1 lb. Ingots, the last two have strange color and 1 cracked in half, large grain appeared. Thinking zinc may have been present in product. Anyone else ever used any of these?

 

[Dusty_Traveler]

Yes, this is what I have been casting all my ball with. My cousin is a dentist, and saves them for me.

I have been using a Lee production pot with the bottom pour.

I do not add flux, just drop the backings right in.

I, too, have encountered the crumbly dross. I just keep it skimmed and keep pouring.

I have not tested hardness for presence of alloys, but it shoots great in my rifles.

I have not poured any ingots, just straight into ball/minie moulds.

 

[nhmoose]

Skim and flux it. It is pure lead. get rid of what floats flux and skim again. it will be good.

You have to skim all melted lead that gets rid of whatever.

 

[dave951]

From what I can see, it's pure lead but precious little.

 

[pmccoywss]

I used these for many years. Be sure the black paper backing sheet is removed from the lead portion of the x-ray backer.

I also had a cousin who was a dentist, and saved them for me. Recently sold the last 30#.

 

[Idaho Ron]

It is absolutely NOT pure lead. It is in fact the same hardness as wheel weight, 12 to 14 bhn.

 

[pmccoywss]

Theoritcal weight of a .495 lead sphere in 184.2gr. My .495 cast ball weighed 183.5 gr (less than 4 thousandths of a percent difference), and showed good weave marks from the patch when I pulled a ball. Plenty soft to shoot, and win my fair share of matches.