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I was given a bunch of bullets someone cast and lubed. They are a size and weight I will never use so I want to melt them and cast into bullets I will use. I know I can put the bullets on a rack on a cookie sheet and put in the oven to melt the lube off, do I then have to wipe the bullets down to remove all the lube? Do I even need to bake them or can they just go in the pot and skim the lube off? Wanted to ask before I mess up a pot.
The lube - if wax based - will make a fine flux. If a LOT of lube going in, be careful as it can catch fire on the surface of molten lead. I have a high ceiling in my garage, and in summer may even roll the cart outdoors when I use a large amount of wax for fluxing.
Agreed. Absolutely the best thing to do. For one, when you drop a few at a time into molten alloy they sink and take some flux to the bottom of the pot. Otherwise you could put them into an empty, cold melting pot and the lube will burn off slowly as the pot heats.
Agreed; just melt them It may smoke a lot, so be sure you have adequate ventilation. Don't do it in the kitchen. If you really need to get the lube off, I would probably boil them in an empty tin can in preference to using the oven.
Wayne
^^^^ THIS ^^^^Quote:
.... just melt them ...,.
:bigsmyl2:
I would just melt them.... however if you need to remove the lube soak them in some acetone and the lube will fall to the bottom of the container overnight.
as above or trade here - you might try in boiling water - maybe lube melts off and floats - cool down to solid and do whatever with. might work, some wont do this
the lube will essentially be flux..
I will reiterate the flash issue. I keep a lighter handy and apply to the 'flux' as soon as it melts. If I don't the vapors can accumulate and make for quite a large flame.
If you don't want the bullets, just put them back in the pot. No harm, no foul.
If you want to use the bullets, put them in boiling water. The lube comes off and floats to the surface. Skim it off and dry out the bullets. If I am going to PC the bullets I rinse them in a little acetone to get any residual grease off, just to be on the safe side.
Just melt the lubed boolits ... I've done it plenty of times .
The wax based boolit lube is one of the best fluxes you can use .
You should have no problems ... but watch the heat , the Flash Point of bees wax is about 425 - 450 degrees ... if the melt is too hot when you drop in a lubed boolit the beeswax will flash and burn ... kinda scary if you ask me ... so keep melt temp. low .
Even when I know the flux is going to flash fire and burn ... it still un-nerves me!
Keep a pot cover and/or fire extinguisher handy when doing this !
Gary
you can put them in a can or pot cover with water a couple inches and boil them the lube will melt and float to the top. Let sit till cool and the lube will solidify on top of the water and can be lifted off dried and reused as lube or flux. If you want to speed cooling set up when done boiling and still hot drop a few ice cubes in the water.
The bullets can be used a few at a time for fluxing your pot also.
I would be careful melting of in the oven, a open flame underneath flammable fumes may be a problem when the door is opened to check them. Also when doing this you will have lube still on the bullets as they are sitting in it.
The boiling method cuts way down on fumes and works good.
Just put them into the pot a few at a time for fluxing.
Don't make extra work for yourself.
There's plenty of other people more than glad to do that for you.
I was gifted a large amount of lubed bullets several years ago, my suggestion is to move your smelting operation outside and start with a cold pot. Depending on the size of your pot and volume of bullets you may have to repeat by cooling back down. Depending on the lube used the aforementioned smoking and flaming cannot be overstated!
(Ask my garage ceiling)
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Send'em! Or, smelt'em! The lube will just make good flux, or at the very least be skimmed off in the dross.
You don't say how fast you want to reclaim the lead, but if no hurry use them slowly as a flux. That's what I did with a box of 500 .45 boolits that were a type I didn't care to shoot. I put the box right next to the pot, used them to flux for about 3-4 years before I used them all up.