Smelting Advice?

[soldernut]

In the Gallery on page 6 about middle of the page "SMELTING LEAD INGOTS" is my post of how I do it. I agree with what has been mentioned above. Steve

GREAT Tutorial & pix! Thanks.

I've added my 2 cents to that thread.

 

[Ale-8(1)]

Here's a link to Callshot's thread.

http://www.rugerforum.com/phpBB/viewtopic.php?t=100744&highlight=

 

[soldernut]

soldernut

Suggest you seperate the clip on ww from the stick on ww when melting into ingots.Bill

Bill, I forgot to ask: Why seperate the clip-on from the stick on? If I understand correctly, the clip-ons are lead with some tin, and the stick ons are closer to pure lead (excepting any that are iron or plastic).

Whether I melt them apart or together, I'm going to wind up with something a little softer than #2.

I figured to smelt them together, then cast a couple bullets. I'd use those bullets in my hardness tester to work our how much tin, total, I have.

Then I'd use most of the ingots to make the #2 alloy; some to make Linotype.

 

[soldernut]

Stick-on wheel weights are an awful mess to smelt. They have an adhesive & fabric backing that's the devil to remove - yet makes one hella lot of smoke and stink if you don't.

Does anybody bother cleaning the stick-on weights before smelting?

I'm thinking of letting them soak, say overnight, in a jar of MEK, Acetone, Laquer Thinner; whatever anybody here might suggest - in the hope of getting that crud off.

Of course, I'd make sure they're bone dry before trying to smelt them.

 

[wheezengeezer]

soldernut

Suggest you seperate the clip on ww from the stick on ww when melting into ingots. Alloying pure antimony into lead is dificult and can be dangerous, I would let the pros do that.
Bill

Care to explain?