recovered lead balls are gritty...

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Hallo all,
I recovered a quantity of spent lead balls from a sand back stop. There is a fair amount of fine gravell in it, very fine more like gritty dust... How do I proceed from here if I want to melt them down into new cast balls? Must I clean them? If so how? I know that water and hot lead are a dangerous mix... Or do I just melt them and skim of the dirt? Won't it mix with the lead? Thanks for your help!

 

[jethro224]

The dirt will float. Melt 'em down.

 

[TimJ]

Yep, just melt it and skim off the slag on top. Rocks and dirt float on lead.
If you did wash them you can leave them in the sun for an afternoon and they will be dry enough. Just start out the pot full and as it heats up any moisture in there will dry before it melts.
You might want to clean them some just because very dirty lead might smoke and stink more then cleaner lead.

Tim

 

[ohio ramrod]

Brush off any loose dirt/sand and then melt them. the dross will float to the top and leave the lead on the bottom. :surrender: AVOID WATER with molten lead. The water will cause steam bubbles and splatter hot lead all over! :surrender:

 

[Stumpkiller]

I use a two stage process. I use a Coleman stove and cast-iron plumber's pot to melt my scrap lead into ingots (after much fluxing and stirring & skimming). The ingots go into my Lee electric furnace for casting into balls.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Wat Stump and Jethro said.
I must be gettin' soft, agreeing with moderators. :shocked2: :haha:

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Thank you all! :thumbsup:
I already dusted these lumps of lead as good as I could ... I will now just proceed melting them as you suggested...

 

[Stumpkiller]

One of the best smelting tools I ever picked up was a garage sale stainless steel tablespoon. I drilled a dozen 1/8" holes in the "bowl" of the spoon and left 3/8" all around the rim as was. Held with a thick welder's glove I can stir and mix the lead - and it does not stick to the stainless steel. Just the cat's arse for rising all the grit and crud out of the lead and then skimming the dross. I drop in a pea sized bit of wax (bees or parafin candle) and after a few seconds stir away.

 

[BrownBear]

Good points all around. I'll add one insight if your sand/balls were wet such as we get up here.

Fill the pot with the balls, THEN turn on the heat and melt them down. Don't add those damp/wet balls to already molten lead.

Water is a bad thing in a lead pot, causing steam explosions and molten lead everywhere. Starting with a cold pot and cold lead, heating it to temp drives off the moisture long before the lead gets anywhere close to melting teim.

 

[mazo kid]

One of the best smelting tools I ever picked up was a garage sale stainless steel tablespoon. I drilled a dozen 1/8" holes in the "bowl" of the spoon and left 3/8" all around the rim as was. Held with a thick welder's glove I can stir and mix the lead - and it does not stick to the stainless steel. Just the cat's arse for rising all the grit and crud out of the lead and then skimming the dross. I drop in a pea sized bit of wax (bees or parafin candle) and after a few seconds stir away.

Stumpy, I do much the same as you, but omitted the holes. I just scoop the dross over to the side of the pot and pick it up. Here is what I use:

The wooden handle works good, so no gloves needed. In fact, I made 2 of the handled spoons; one for the basement where I do most of my casting, and one for the garage where I reduce the bulk lead to form ingots.

 

[gearheart]

Real good advice re: the water. Steam in lead is scary violent. Don't be askin how I know. :redface: Hella mess to clean up afterwards too. :cursing:

 

[Nappers]

What they said....

I just picked up 17+ lbs of recovered bullets and Sh-melted (I know) down and scooped out the copper jackets, dross and now have 17lbs or so of lead ingots.

Or, the equivalent of 600+ cast balls for my .50! and all it cost me was about 45 minutes of time at my local range after a rain. Those bullets popped to the top.

I recently bought the Lyman Big Dipper kit after much research into the Lee and Lyman furnaces. The stainless spoon is a great idea, I bought one at dollar tree along with a cake pan for the dross so I don't use one of my GF pans and get in trouble. I also bought a slotted spoon, and a pasta spoon to scoop jackets out.

Forgot to add, I washed the bullets in the sink with water and tad of soap a few times until water ran clear mostly. Then they sat during my work week and then I melted them and the rest of the grime just floats to the top. I even had some old weights with the hook, the hook just floats to the top. I found a local metals shop that sells scrap lead for .75 a lb.

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Thanks again :bow:
I also will try the spoon, and will try that out...

 

[Sunkmanitu Tanka]

Hallo again,
I tried out all your advice and poured some 150 + round balls in no time. They are just perfect!
So thanks again for all the advice... :thumbsup: