Processing Lead Blocks

[Orion]

Hey everyone,

I got these two blocks of lead for free and I need to clean them up, probably get the impurities out and resize them to be manageable for when I start pouring jigs.

Here's a picture of them. They're pretty darn heavy. The one on the left is ~3.5 x 3.5 x 3.5 the one on the right is ~3.5 x 3.5 x 2.5. They have a gray paint on their outer sides. I have no idea what they were used for but they fit together and have a hollow area, any ideas?

I don't have jig pouring stuff yet but plan on getting it soon. I want to have this lead cleaned up and resized for when that happens. What should I do?

Thanks.

Edited March 7, 2010 by Orion

[BBK]

Do you have a propane cooker by chance? Like a fish fryer or turkey fryer. If so just buy a 5quart cast iron pot, turn the burner to high and pop the lead in there until completely melted. When melted use a long handle spoon to skim the top, then flux a couple times. Make sure you do this outside as that paint is going to give off a ton of smoke and a horrible smell.

[Orion]

Do you have a propane cooker by chance? Like a fish fryer or turkey fryer. If so just buy a 5quart cast iron pot, turn the burner to high and pop the lead in there until completely melted. When melted use a long handle spoon to skim the top, then flux a couple times. Make sure you do this outside as that paint is going to give off a ton of smoke and a horrible smell.

I have a Coleman propane stove. Does that work? What should I use to make smaller ingots once I flux and clean? Thanks!

[BBK]

I have a Coleman propane stove. Does that work? What should I use to make smaller ingots once I flux and clean? Thanks!

Not sure, depends how many BTU it can put out. I'd say anything over 30,000 BTU would be enough. If you live in the country, you could always use a fire burning hardwood.

Ladle or spoon it into an ingot mold, muffin pan, ect. anything that's iron, aluminum, or steel will work.

[bendo2527]

What is Flux ? What is Fluxing?

[DDSBYDAY]

I have a Coleman propane stove. Does that work? What should I use to make smaller ingots once I flux and clean? Thanks!

Your biggest concern will be heavy enough gloves to pour the lead out. Use some welding gloves and put some kitchen coasters in the palm. Better yet use a long handled scoop. Again protect your hands and eyes. The coleman may work if you are patient. It will take a long time to get to temperature. As far as the ingots, I like the cast iron ingot molds vs the aluminum. I use a vice grips to dump the cast iron ingot mold. As soon as you fill the molds return the pot to the heat. If you do it quick enough you can pour them pretty fast. (don't allow the pot to cool) The cleaner you get your lead the less problems you will have with your castings later. This procedure is dangerous. Everything gets hotter than you can imagine. When you flux you will have flash ignition. I still jump when it happens but I protect myself for the inevitable. If you tap your scoop in a block of parafin wax before stirring you can avoid the majority of flame ups. Do it a couple of times and your lead will be pretty clean. I just don't think the coleman is hot enough for what you are trying to do.

[BBK]

What is Flux ? What is Fluxing?

Adding a material (usually wax) to the molten lead, this pulls the debris out of the lead and allows you to skim them off the top.

[Orion]

Hmmm. I don't know what the BTU is, time isn't a big deal if I turn it on the highest heat will it work or should I find a different option?

[BBK]

Hmmm. I don't know what the BTU is, time isn't a big deal if I turn it on the highest heat will it work or should I find a different option?

Only one way to find out.

[cz75b]

An interesting item, looks like some kind of container/containment device for something that needs a lead shield.....YIKES! Wonder what a glow powder paint would do with this, might glow for a hundred years.....

[Orion]

An interesting item, looks like some kind of container/containment device for something that needs a lead shield.....YIKES! Wonder what a glow powder paint would do with this, might glow for a hundred years.....

Haha, yeah. There used to be a sticker on it but I can't read any of it except for maybe sodium.

[BBK]

An interesting item, looks like some kind of container/containment device for something that needs a lead shield.....YIKES! Wonder what a glow powder paint would do with this, might glow for a hundred years.....

Thats exactly what it is. Looks like a case for something radioactive, maybe even nuclear. Your jigs might glow without paint.

[Orion]

Thats exactly what it is. Looks like a case for something radioactive, maybe even nuclear. Your jigs might glow without paint.

Hopefully I don't grow an extra arm or something! Haha.

[Ogajiga]

Hey Orion, my grandson in Greeley has your name too. Here's a pic of my scrap lead processing equipment:

1. Heavy gauge stainless steel pot scrounged from a dump holds about 50# of melt.

2. Cast iron ingot mold usually available on eBay makes 1# blocks

3. Cast iron ladle rated at 1-1/2# brimming full.

If you're on a budget check garage sales and thrift shops like the Salvation Armys. I would also check the row of second hand and antique warehouses on the south side of FoCo.

A Coleman camp stove gets hot enuf to melt lead, liquid fuel version burns hotter but propane is OK. Obviously, a flat bottom cast iron or stainless steel pot works better than rounded on this type of burner. I've also in a pinch melted lead on a coil type electric range, so a hot plate might work as well.

edit: you can use a heavy aluminum pot, but left unattended to overheat they can melt - I speak from experience!

.

Edited March 8, 2010 by hawnjigs

[Ogajiga]

Wanted to add that an exposed coil hot plate may be a dangerous choice if the weight of a pot full of lead exceeds the load bearing capacity of the coil. I personally melt lead on a cast iron propane burner in an open on 3 sides carport with a large box fan to suck and blow melt fumes away from the work area. Also, "DDSBYDAY" may be correct in assuming that a propane Coleman may not be efficiently hot enuf for your job.

[BBK]

Wanted to add that an exposed coil hot plate may be a dangerous choice if the weight of a pot full of lead exceeds the load bearing capacity of the coil. I personally melt lead on a cast iron propane burner in an open on 3 sides carport with a large box fan to suck and blow melt fumes away from the work area. Also, "DDSBYDAY" may be correct in assuming that a propane Coleman may not be efficiently hot enuf for your job.

I havent seen a hot plate that would work to melt lead, 99% of them only get to 450 deg. Even the exposed wire ones only get to 400-450.

[Ogajiga]

I havent seen a hot plate that would work to melt lead, 99% of them only get to 450 deg. Even the exposed wire ones only get to 400-450.

You might be right, I remember having one that got hot enuf to scorch the finish if cranked up to max, but that was a long time ago, & I haven't used one since.

[JSC]

As an added note:::

Check out the tutorial on Fluxing ... one of the best pices of information on this subject that you will find

Should be mandantory reading for all pouring lead ... I have poured lead off and on for over 40 years and reading this I really learned a lot and it pulled a lot of things together ,, it is worth a reread at times.

My 2 cents worth

JSC

(Note ... read all the information that you can on other threads on this subject and you will be way ahead of the game before you ever light the match on a burner)

[Piscivorous Pike]

I have a Coleman propane stove. Does that work? What should I use to make smaller ingots once I flux and clean? Thanks!

Coleman two burner propane camp stove with a cast iron pot on top is plenty to melt that. I have done 30# loads on them. To speed it up I will fan the block or lead chunk in the pot with a propane torch and even faster a Mapp gass torch. Mapp gass torches with propane only fuels are hotter than standard propane torches.

These are down rigger weights, 12# and 20#. A small frying pan is the mold. In a pot on a coleman I melted a portion of lead and fluxed it clean. I poured it short of total weight in the frying pan. I poured, splattered, some lead on a metal sheet and collected the cold chunks and used them to bring the lead in the pan up to 1/2 the desireded total. I put the cold lead of the correct weight in the pan and torched it while cooking on the coleman, fluxed it and let it cool. Dumped it and did the same for the second half. I drilled a hole in the center and mounted them onto a plate for a fin (some math and geometry was done to create the fin to balance on the tie off), filled the center gap with bondo and painted them with rubberized under coat.

Click thumbnail to enlarge.