making ingots

[buttonbuck]

made some ingots of lead flashing, cable sheathing and lead roof boots. THis is the first attempt so I have questions of course. First used a coleman duel fuel stove, used unleaded gas to heat, not white gas, does this burn hot enough? I got a blueish tint on the top of the ingots and the top of lead pot I scraped the sides etc it seemed to get most of the dirt out. What is this blue stuff? Out of the 32 lb I started out with I got 8 (3lb Lee ingot moulds out of it) the moulds were filled so all the blocks were connected so maybe 3 and 1/2 lb each. THis is about 80% return. Is this about right from scrap lead that looks fairly clean. I then melted the dross and dirt got about a pound and a half that was mixed with dental lead and some remenants of cold shot This will go to some roundballs for the smooth bore.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

seems about right. you can flux the melt with beeswax or parrafin to bring impurities to the top, stir while doing this. best done outside. I use a propane fired burner to melt my lead. the 'blue' tint may be some alloying element in the lead. most lead contains a tiny amount of silver. but I won't say for sure. I make 'ingots' out of cut-down beverage cans poured full of the melt myself.
I need to fire up my melter and make some more REAL slugs to practice with my .50.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have never used a gas stove but I do know that some guys do. I know just what you are talking about with the blue dross. I got some pure virgin lead and when I melted it I got pink, blue, green, and other colors. After I got that off it turned yellow and was powder. The way I heard it, the blue was copper, and the other colors were other metals. The yellow powder was lead oxide from what I was told.
An old timer told me to add about 300 grains of lead shot to every 4 pounds of melt. I did and fluxed that colors went away. The lead shot didn't harden the melt at all. I tested it with my hardness tester.
What it did do was homogenize the melt. My moulds fill better and they shoot great as conicals.
Your lead must be very soft I have never seen the blue dross in any other lead other than pure. Ron

 

[buttonbuck]

This was old flashing, roofing, cable sheathing (probably the source of copper) some of it was about 1/4 inch thick figure from an x ray install I checked it with a thumb nail at the junkyard very soft as soft or softer than recovered factory slugs and roundballs. Good to hear I am on the right sort of path. NOw I need to cast, wondering if you can use break cleaner to clean a new mould?

 

[mazo kid]

wondering if you can use break cleaner to clean a new mould?

Yes, brake parts cleaner will work to clean a new mould. Actually, most any solvent that will dissolve oils will work; spray on liberally and use an old toothbrush to scrub out the cavities. Emery

 

[jtmattison]

wondering if you can use break cleaner to clean a new mould?

Yes, brake parts cleaner will work to clean a new mould. Actually, most any solvent that will dissolve oils will work; spray on liberally and use an old toothbrush to scrub out the cavities. Emery

I like brake leaner for steel moulds but I clean aluminum moulds with hot water and dish soap.
I found out the hard way that steel moulds can flash rust when you clean them with soapy water then dry quickly over a burner.

HD

 

[MikeChapin]

The blue stuff is a form of lead oxide that is formed when almost pure lead is poured a little on the hot side. When I see that, I know the lead is very pure.

Normally lead oxide is white but the blue will form when the lead is very hot when it hits the mold and is exposed to air. Think of it as the difference between browning and rust blueing. They are both iron oxide but conditions will turn them a different color.

 

[buttonbuck]

good to know the lead is of good quality. I figure when I cast I need a thermometer or an electric lead pot. I figure I will play with the lead temp with casting observations a thermometer cost almost as much as a an electric lead pot. I have purchased a lyman dipper with a spout on the bottom.

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu will be better off with the electric pot, and the thermometer, than with " guessing ". After you have cast lead balls for years, you can do much of the temperature readings by observation, but until then, you don't have the knowledge to know what you are looking at. Also, using a dipper immediately begins cooling the lead as you remove the dipper from the pot and move it to your mold. The lead has to be heated to a higher temperature when using a dipper, rather than a bottom pour electric pot. You also have to get the spout of the dipper right down on the mold top when pouring, as any space between the dipper and mold allows the lead to cool before it enters the mold, resulting in wrinkled castings. Frankly, you will have enough things to be thinking about in order to keep both the dipper and mold HOT enough, as well as the lead in the pot that you don't need to be distracted by other concerns.

Good casters make the process look easier than it is. Its not rocket science, but it requires complete concentration, and rhythm to get a production run of balls or bullets from a pot of lead before having to stop and add more ingots, and wait for the pot to heat to casting temperature again. The thermocouples on the casting pot eventually wear out, and lose their accuracy of temperature readings. You can send the pot back to the manufacturer for repair, or replacement of the thermocouple, but in the meanwhile, you want a good, separate Thermometer to give you readings as to the temperature of the molten lead. Use the Dial on the pot as a ballpark figure to set the pot at to get it near the needed casting temperature. Otherwise, Ignor the dial, unless it happens to agree with your thermometer!