Thread: cleaning lead for casting

Just melt it in an old cast iron pot or similar, all the dross will float off. Scoop it with an old table spoon and discard it. We use it for boolits and use a mould but for sinkers what about a teaspoon or something as a mould and drill your hole in it. Be very carefull not to let water near the molten lead as it will cause an eruption if it drips in it causing molten lead to fly everywhere. Very painful. Even a little water clinging to the weights you drop in the pot will have the same effect.
I dont know how damp sand or oiled sand would react but be careful.
Didiman

Any water would be a big "no-no".

Steel clips and zinc weights will float to the surface, but if you get the lead too hot, the zinc will melt into the batch and ruin it.... (well, for bullet casting anyway. Don't think it will matter too much for sinkers.)

Cheap s/s slotted spoon is handy, or drill a hole or two into an old unwanted s/s spoon for the same effect.

The old iron round muffin trays you find at the op-shops are used for moulds by quite a few people.

As said Andy, all the crap will float to the surface when you melt it. Simply scoop it off and the rest is clean lead.

As a lad I melted lead wheel weights to make scuba diving weights. I welded up a steel square pot for the gas burner, welded a 1/2 inch washer into one corner to collect the dross before it ran into the mould. Easy but best done outdoors a long way from the house!

You need to borrow my moulds??


I am not a moderator, I am a human being!!!

Originally Posted by LOVEMYRANGIE

You need to borrow my moulds??


I am not a moderator, I am a human being!!!

What have you got???
I just ordered Snapper sinker moulds,they are very expensive sinkers to buy.
Wasnt much more on offer,will be getting jig head moulds too ex UK.
Andrew

Long deep sea snapper, spoons and stars.
All the moulds have various sizes.
I have a few Warrs lead ingots here I want to use and make up spoons.


I am not a moderator, I am a human being!!!

Andrew,
There is no need to process clean lead like wheel weights. If you end up using dirty lead like stinkin batteries etc it can help to do a process pour first. I usually just pour the molten lead onto concrete after cleaning the worst of the dross off.

For your pouring pot a good trick is to take an old stainless saucepan (ally is too soft and after a while casting will get soft), just above the base drill a hole that fits say some 10mm - stainlees tube, need about 75mm or so length. Weld tube in so that the spout angles upwards at 45degrees.

Chuck the wheel weights in, scoop the worst of the dross (clips etc off) and then pour through the spout. The lead at the bottom of the pot will be clean/ hot and pour well.

Keep the moulds hot

I believe drinking beer whilst pouring counters the risk posed by lead fumes!

When the sharks are thick we burn through a couple of kilos of plonkers in a night... reminds me I need to pour some more!

S