Melting lead

[[GF]Burke]

I make all of my lead out of range scrap. I'm not sure the relevance to "patched" or "contact with the barrel" though.
It's good lead, for whatever reason.

 

[Zonie]

To maintain my "mother hen" reputation, I'll mention, NEVER USE AN ALUMINUM POT to melt your lead in.

Although aluminum doesn't melt until it reaches over 1200°F, at the melting point of lead, the aluminum will have lost over 80% of it's strength.
That can cause the bottom of the pot to look good but just touching it will cause it to break and fall apart dumping molten lead all over the place.

 

[firestick]

To maintain my "mother hen" reputation, I'll mention, NEVER USE AN ALUMINUM POT to melt your lead in.

Although aluminum doesn't melt until it reaches over 1200°F, at the melting point of lead, the aluminum will have lost over 80% of it's strength.
That can cause the bottom of the pot to look good but just touching it will cause it to break and fall apart dumping molten lead all over the place.

Cast iron or stainless steel baby, cast iron or stainless steel!

 

[mooman76]

Use what you can get. I've even used WWs and they shoot with no noticeable difference for me. You may have to adjust patch thickness some though.

 

[oldwood]

Have used muzzle loader range lead w/out any problem. Since it was dug out of the dirt , it is dirty. If you are going to use it right away , don't wash it in water. I just shook mine in a metal can to knock most of the dirt off. When the lead melts the dirt just floats to the top and is skimmed off w/the rest of the dross in the pot. ALWAYS>>>>>>>>>Hot lead and water explodes beyond violently............oldwood

 

[toot]

I make all of my lead out of range scrap. I'm not sure the relevance to "patched" or "contact with the barrel" though.
It's good lead, for whatever reason.

RANGE SCRAP LEAD is good it is free. but the down side of it is, you have no way of knowing what the density of it is. most of it is from MODERN pistols and rifles, so all being great for modern pistols and rifles to make lead bullet heads for them, but way to hard for BP, muzzleloaders. that is why reloading manuals on MUZZLELOADING, say to use soft plumbers lead. or SLWW'S, and not HARD ZINK ONES. witch by the way a lot of modern shooters do use, in modern firearms. JMHO.

 

[[GF]Burke]

True. But zink floats as with all the other junk. Higher melting point. All that is left is pure and soft after fluxing a couple times.

 

[TomV]

I saw where someone made the remark that they use range lead for there patched round balls
as they are patched and not in contact with the inside if the barrel.
any thoughts on this? if this is a good idea ? I have access to a lot of range lead.

Depends on what type projectiles are in that range lead. Round ball is supposed to be pure lead, others including centerfire have alloys that may make the lead inconsistent a d therefore your loading and shooting maybe inconsistent.

 

[Rudy Thompson]

Depends on what type projectiles are in that range lead. Round ball is supposed to be pure lead, others including centerfire have alloys that may make the lead inconsistent a d therefore your loading and shooting maybe inconsistent.

Inconsistent is the way I shoot, if it was not for the "ah s@#ts" I might not enjoy it as much. I will give the range lead some more thought

 

[mooman76]

If I were bench shooting I wouldn't use range lead but otherwise it is fine. I've been using it allot of years and so has allot of others. Seems like allot of people that have never tried it, want to say how it is and how it works.

 

[toot]

there is a site that tells you what the CODE IS ON WHEEL WEIGHTS, some where on the internet. it tells what they are made of? any one familiar with what I am talking about?

 

[Enfield58]

there is a site that tells you what the CODE IS ON WHEEL WEIGHTS, some where on the internet. it tells what they are made of? any one familiar with what I am talking about?

I don’t worry about that. I just put them in the pot and whatever doesn’t melt floats to the top and is skimmed out.

 

[eggwelder]

I separate the PB , AW, & T marked one’s and melt those together. MC and any AW with paint gets melted by itself, seems a little harder. The first batch makes very acceptable plinkers in all sizes, the MC marked pretty good Unmentionable plinkers.
the soft stick on ones get put together with any other soft lead like pipe and roof flashing. This is saved for bench shooting, minies and hunting when i get the chance. I have a marking system using numbers stamped into the ingots. I also use a bullet trap which stops much of the lead and i recycle it back into the pot.

anything that floats gets skimmed and tossed

 

[Scott]

What is the most inexpensive fluxing compound?

 

[11th corps]

I also use a fish fryer, LP fired. I purchased a cast iron pot with handle and it works great. Most of the time I am heating range scrap, but occasionally an ingot of lead I bought from a local metal recycler. And wheel weights (not all are lead anymore unfortunately) when I can find them.

 

[Troyfairweather]

What is the most inexpensive fluxing compound?

Saw dust and old candles.

 

[Carbon 6]

Im sure someone will tell me how hot the white gas stove burns...i just know it's damn hot. The new propane stoves are a joke by comparison.

Propane has about 90,000 BTUs per gallon. Gasoline has about 115,000 BTUs per gallon. And white gas (naphtha) has about 125,000 BTUs per gallon.

 

[toot]

What is the most inexpensive fluxing compound?

cu up a piece of a candle the size of a pea, and put it into the lead and the scum impurities will float up to the top to be skimmed off. after the flame goes out.

 

[clarksvillejoe]

Toot, can beeswax be used for fluxing?

 

[Enfield58]

Toot, can beeswax be used for fluxing?

I use that all the time. In fact, I have a big batch of bullet/patch lube that's made up of beeswax and vegetable oil. I take about 1/2 tablespoon of the lube and put it in the pot for fluxing.