lead flux

[TREERAT]

Just had a thought, when brass tumbler media ( corn cob or walnut ) is past its prime for that use. could it be used as as a flux? some use sawdust, kitty litter, that is why I wondered!

[geargnasher]

I would worry about the abrasive getting into the melt and wearing barrels and I'm not sure I would want to incinerate the stuff after it has absorbed all that primer residue containing lead byproducts. Just use sawdust, it is free and works better than anything else I know of for absorbing impurities like calcium and for reducing tin oxide to elemental tin as well as getting stubborn antimony to mix back into solution. Forget waxes and boric acid unless you like stench and losing your tin. Kitty litter is used, I believe (someone may correct me on this), as an insulator for the melt in cold/outdoor casting enviroments.
Just my 2 cents!!
Gear

edit: I forgot to mention that I have recently started using some western cedar shavings I got from a friend who runs a cabinet shop (very thin curly shavings harvested from his planer) and they smell wonderful even when burnt!

[docone31]

Why not?
As long as it burns, why not?

[docone31]

I am getting these roof boots from roofing contractors. I have lots of them, and I am now going to muzzle loaders.
They are caked with pitch!
Anyone know of a way to dissolve the pitch?
I had thought of denatured alcohol, but the main point is to keep costs down and still get lead.
Melting on the hot plate is slow.......

[oneokie]

I am getting these roof boots from roofing contractors. I have lots of them, and I am now going to muzzle loaders.
They are caked with pitch!
Anyone know of a way to dissolve the pitch?
I had thought of denatured alcohol, but the main point is to keep costs down and still get lead.
Melting on the hot plate is slow.......

Try freezing and it should break up into pieces.

[docone31]

Sorry for the hijack of this thread. I meant to start one by itself.
It is late.
I am not able to freeze them though, they are too large for the freezer. It doesn't freeze down here.
I wish it did though.
I only have 10 left. Perhaps more heating.

[dardascastbullets]

I would worry about the abrasive getting into the melt and wearing barrels and I'm not sure I would want to incinerate the stuff after it has absorbed all that primer residue containing lead byproducts. Just use sawdust, it is free and works better than anything else I know of for absorbing impurities like calcium and for reducing tin oxide to elemental tin as well as getting stubborn antimony to mix back into solution. Forget waxes and boric acid unless you like stench and losing your tin. Kitty litter is used, I believe (someone may correct me on this), as an insulator for the melt in cold/outdoor casting enviroments.
Just my 2 cents!!
Gear

edit: I forgot to mention that I have recently started using some western cedar shavings I got from a friend who runs a cabinet shop (very thin curly shavings harvested from his planer) and they smell wonderful even when burnt!

Hi Gear!

I wanted to add a footnote to your post about using western red cedar for fluxing. Western red cedar contains plicatic acid, which is an extremely potent, naturally occurring insecticide. You will experience a severe respiratory reaction if you are allergic to the acid. I know this for a fact as I experienced a severe reaction after carving a decoy body (western red cedar). Almost ended up in the hospital but my allergist avoided it. Be very aware of the implications of plicatic acid - it may save you some very serious respiratory problems.

[TREERAT]

(I'm not sure I would want to incinerate the stuff after it has absorbed all that primer residue containing lead byproducts)

How would this be any more harmful than what is already in WW lead mix anyway? or for that matter what the primers sent down the bore before the brass was tumbled.

[geargnasher]

(I'm not sure I would want to incinerate the stuff after it has absorbed all that primer residue containing lead byproducts)

How would this be any more harmful than what is already in WW lead mix anyway? or for that matter what the primers sent down the bore before the brass was tumbled.

I shoot outdoors to avoid lead from primers and boolit trap dust but I cast in my garage with a fan blowing out a window. If you have ever used sawdust you know how much smoke it makes, seems like a strong dose of airborn oxides of lead styphnate *could* be bad and maybe worse than normal lead pot fumes. I don't know, you were fishing for opinions and you got mine.

Thanksto Dardascastbullets for the tip on Western red cedar, I guess somebody watches over ignoramuses like me and neither I nor my wife seem to be allergic to the chemical, but, come to think of it, I haven't seen a moth or a mosquito in the garage in weeks

Gear

[Tom Herman]

(I'm not sure I would want to incinerate the stuff after it has absorbed all that primer residue containing lead byproducts)

How would this be any more harmful than what is already in WW lead mix anyway? or for that matter what the primers sent down the bore before the brass was tumbled.

Finely divided lead compounds, such as primer residue in the tumbling media, are MUCH easier to release and get into your system than fumes from molten lead or wheel weights.
I'd avoid the use of discarded media as a flux.

Happy Shootin'! -Tom

[TREERAT]

oh well, I thought I was on to something! I have never used anything but wax before. so I did not know how much smoke would be involved with saw dust, I always cast outdoors. but I will probably still try the walnut, because I have some that has not been in the tumbler. on another note how worried should I be about the dust from a tumbler when I seperate the brass? seems that would probably be more hazardous than I have thought. mabye I should take this process outside also!

[earplug]

After reading this thread, I tossed the contents of my pencil sharpener in my pot to flux some lead.
Worked much better then other stuff I have been using.
It had a combination of lead pencil and wax marker pencil in the waste holder. I think pencils are made from Cedar?
BTW I have been using used corn oil fish fry oil for my smelting. Works fine.

[Willbird]

I shoot outdoors to avoid lead from primers and boolit trap dust but I cast in my garage with a fan blowing out a window. If you have ever used sawdust you know how much smoke it makes, seems like a strong dose of airborn oxides of lead styphnate *could* be bad and maybe worse than normal lead pot fumes. I don't know, you were fishing for opinions and you got mine.

Thanksto Dardascastbullets for the tip on Western red cedar, I guess somebody watches over ignoramuses like me and neither I nor my wife seem to be allergic to the chemical, but, come to think of it, I haven't seen a moth or a mosquito in the garage in weeks

Gear

I'v often thought that fluxes like sawdust may create airborne lead, If you think about it you are placing something into or onto the melt that is burning at over 1000 degrees. I have tried used tumbler media as flux but myself I do not care for any fluxes that burn into charcoal or ash, just personal preference. They didn't seem to do anything for me that wax or oil did not.

Bill

[Ancesthntr]

Willbird, thanks for answering the question regarding unused tumbling media before I even asked it. The stuff is cheap at any farm supply store - I got 25# of corn and the same of walnut for a total of $35 a couple years ago, and they'll last me for years.

Another cedar product that could be used is the litter for gerbils/hamsters/other small rodents. Maybe it is also Western cedar, and maybe it produces the same insecticide fumes, I simply don't know.

Treerat, why don't you just get a shipment of CFF? It is supposed to be excellent as a product, smells good and a box will last damned near forever. There's a sticky about it somewhere on the site.

[TREERAT]

what about charcoal brickets? just another thought! they would be a convenient size, and MAY not smoke as bad since they are already charcoal.

[timkelley]

I use sawdust and shavings from my woodshop, pine and red fir. If you have a friend who works with wood, get a #10 coffee can full from him, it should last quite a while.

[oneokie]

what about charcoal brickets? just another thought! they would be a convenient size, and MAY not smoke as bad since they are already charcoal.

Crush the briquettes and it will work.

[geargnasher]

Everything you ever wanted to know about fluxing is explained right here by someone who really knows his stuff: http://www.lasc.us/FryxellFluxing.htm

You can do whatever you want, I tried plain old pine sawdust from under my table saw after reading this and it solved all of my problems including getting the antimony clumps to go back into solution. Clean walnut, pecan shells, clean plain corn cob media, hamster bedding, anything like that should work fine just be careful of polishing grit (I know it will float, but can it ALL be skimmed off?) and anything that makes poisonous fumes.

Good luck

Gear

[windrider919]

I have used 'used' media to cap the lead surface in a bottom pour pot to keep the air from oxidizing the melt so fast. It worked a little better than sawdust in that it just charred without a lot of smoke vs the pine sawdust I tried. I still flux my melt with old candle (petrolium based) wax. Part of the flux absorbs into the media and slowly burns out for a few min. I cast in a storage shed that has an exhaust fan to keep the fumes away from me. I do not believe that ant abrasive could be desolved into the molten lead alloy.