Smelting Lead Ingots From Range Scrap

[celowski]

just happed to stubble across this vid. Thank you.. You answered all my questions.

[TheStoned_Dwarf]

So, the wax doesn’t remove any impurities. Wax is actually the worst thing you can use for your “flux” (not really a flux). Wax is a hydrocarbon, incredibly dangerous to inhale. The purpose of the “flux” is to prevent your lead from oxidizing. Carbon reduces oxides to metal. That “skin” on top is your lead oxide. It will turn rainbow colored, then red or yellow. Use wood or any other carbon source. Safer, and works far better.

On a side note, you can’t really “purify” the lead by simply smelting. Scraping the bottom and the sides is all you need to do to get the dirt/rock out. To actually purify it, you need to remove the antimony, which takes a fairly difficult process to do.

If you ever see a “thick” skin on the surface of your lead, that is zinc contamination. It can simply be scooped off the top. Zinc and lead will not alloy together (which is useful for other PM extraction processes, but not so for range scrap)

[tfouts]

How much did the propane to power the fish fryer cost for the entire process. I plan to get into casting, but I wonder how much propane will be burnt throughout this process.

[dido]

what it's the red, you put in the hot lead?

[stupidsmartmonkey]

Completely underrated video. This is simple and informative.

[manyhobeez]

Do you cast with a ladle or that spoon?