Reddog
Absent Comrade
Who has experience with these? I apparently got some of these in my pot by mistake and it's a mushy mess! Help!
Dick
Dick
bad wheelweights?
- Thread starter Reddog
- Start date
Forrest r
Member
You need to sort your ww's, the ones made out of zinc have "ZN" embossed or stamped on them.
Sulfur is your friend, you can buy it at any local pharmacy. Flux you mess with the sulfur, it will pull the zinc out.
Lead can absorb a little zinc (2%), the rest turns into oatmeal or worse, what you have.
Sulfur is your friend, you can buy it at any local pharmacy. Flux you mess with the sulfur, it will pull the zinc out.
Lead can absorb a little zinc (2%), the rest turns into oatmeal or worse, what you have.
OP
Reddog
Absent Comrade
That sounds like what I have, all right!
Vulcan Bob
Member
I cannot say how to fix what you have (good advice already posted) but in the future keep your smelting temp below 700 degrees, any zink (zink melts at 725 or so) weights will float to top and skim em off. Good luck!
venomballistics
Member
your melt is essentially ruined.
you could try using a good amount of lye in a remelt and figure out some way of churning it for a few hours while the lye corrodes the zinc and everything else out of the lead.
another method Ive used requires a lot more engineering to contain the metal oxide dust. In either case, your producing some toxic crud.
In the future ... use only as much heat as you need for the operation at hand.
this slows the rate of lead oxide production, and avoids zinc poisoning of the alloy.
the only way to make your heavy metal oatmeal is to use ridiculously high and unnecessary temperatures in your process
you could try using a good amount of lye in a remelt and figure out some way of churning it for a few hours while the lye corrodes the zinc and everything else out of the lead.
another method Ive used requires a lot more engineering to contain the metal oxide dust. In either case, your producing some toxic crud.
In the future ... use only as much heat as you need for the operation at hand.
this slows the rate of lead oxide production, and avoids zinc poisoning of the alloy.
the only way to make your heavy metal oatmeal is to use ridiculously high and unnecessary temperatures in your process
mkk41
US Veteran
Warnings about sorting out these newfangled weights have been posted in darn near every bullet casting thread in the last few years. Some have said it don't matter. You found out otherwise. 
Forrest r
Member
It ain't the end of the world. You need to go over to the castboolits.com website & go to their (lead and lead alloys) section. There is a sticky there (zinc removal with sulfur report)
Zinc Removal with Sulfur Report
Your not the 1st person to do this & I'll bet you won't be the last either. The sulfur will easily take the zinc out of any alloy.
I use nothing but range scrap to cast with. I smelt down 50# to 60# @ 1 time. After skimming off all the rocks/dirt/sand/jackets & fluxing with saw dust I put a couple oz's of sulfur into the melt it will pull any zinc out of it.
Zinc Removal with Sulfur Report
Your not the 1st person to do this & I'll bet you won't be the last either. The sulfur will easily take the zinc out of any alloy.
I use nothing but range scrap to cast with. I smelt down 50# to 60# @ 1 time. After skimming off all the rocks/dirt/sand/jackets & fluxing with saw dust I put a couple oz's of sulfur into the melt it will pull any zinc out of it.
OP
Reddog
Absent Comrade
Thank you, Forrest!
I got it pretty well cleaned up, I think. I fluxed it, heavily, twice and then scraped all the mush off three different times! By then the lead looked pretty good so I cast 100 semi-wad 153 grain 38s. They look fine! Appreciate your help!
Dick
I got it pretty well cleaned up, I think. I fluxed it, heavily, twice and then scraped all the mush off three different times! By then the lead looked pretty good so I cast 100 semi-wad 153 grain 38s. They look fine! Appreciate your help!
Dick
fredj338
Member
Yep, zinc contaminated. You may be able top lower the temp to 700 & flux like crazy several times, I like sawdust. Much of the zinc will collect at the top. This only works for mild contamination. You need to sort your wts or keep casting temps below 700deg so the zinc won't melt. Not all zinc is marked but all zinc is easily caught w/ side cutters. Lead will dent or cut, zinc will not.
