Stinky!

Hardcase · October 6, 2011, 09:32 AM

Yesterday evening, I decided to finish up the last of the nasty wheel weights in my bucket. I set up the old pot on the patio and started smelting.

Now, when I say "nasty", I mean it. These things would not clean up, so I've just been putting off melting them down for quite a while. And while there weren't billowing clouds of smoke coming out of the pot, it did look pretty noxious. But I had a mask on, so all was good. Or so I figured.

I was wrong.

Somebody...ok, not somebody, it was me...left one of the windows open in the back of the house and the breeze was blowing just the right way.

Oh, man, when my wife got home, there was trouble. Thankfully, an hour or so with the windows open and a fan blowing cleared things up. But I'm pretty sure that I've got a pretty deep hole to climb out of now...

On the bright side, I ended up with about 30 pounds of ingots that look a whole lot nicer than what they started out as!

dahermit · October 6, 2011, 11:45 AM

If the stink is mainly in the form of smoke, one can throw in a chunk of paraffin and ignite it. If you can get the smoke to catch fire, most of it is consumed in the fire and will give off less oder. That is the reason I like to flux with paraffin; it helps control oder.

TXGunNut · October 6, 2011, 09:54 PM

With stick-ons I've adopted a 5 mph wind minimum rule, no problem out here on the N TX prairie but something to thing about in other areas.

Hardcase · October 7, 2011, 11:38 AM

I've just added "close the windows" to my mental checklist. Everybody will be happy

As far as fluxing goes, I use some commercial stuff - the name escapes me. It doesn't burn, just bubbles and gets all crusty.

IllinoisCoyoteHunter · October 8, 2011, 07:58 AM

Yup. They stink. Vaporized road grime. But it's worth it...

MrWesson · October 8, 2011, 10:28 AM

I use a SS pot with a lid and live in a townhouse.. it works well enough.

**Unclenick** · October 8, 2011, 01:06 PM

As inferred above, if you put the stick-on type wheelwieghts in the melt, the latex rubber in their adhesive and the foam gap pad will smell things up pretty badly. I don't usually get that many of them that I can't sort them out and set them in a glass tray with a little Goof Off until the adhesive loosens up.

Hardcase · October 11, 2011, 12:39 PM

IllinoisCoyoteHunter, you're right - even with the mess, it's well worth it. It's been raining for the past few days, so I haven't been able to work on my new bucket of grime. Hopefully it'll dry out today.

Unclenick, you're also right about the stick-ons. I've been able to peel most of the gunk off of them.

It just always seems to be that the ones that drift to the bottom end up being the nastiest of the bunch. Probably because of all the gunk that filters on down from the top.

Pahoo · October 11, 2011, 01:06 PM

Reminds me of the time I was boiling out some cow horns that I got from a Veternarian buddy. Did not lose it but gagged and spit for quite a time. Not only was the wife complaining but the neaighbors as well. ......

Be Safe !!!

Chaz88 · October 11, 2011, 01:44 PM

Little off topic but it reminded me of a time I used molasses to make some home brew. The smell, and a PO'ed wife, woke me up in the middle of the night and it got moved, barefoot in the rain, to the detached garage.

Edit: On topic, I use bees wax to flux and it does not smell bad.

Hardcase · October 13, 2011, 02:07 PM

That's a good point, fellas. I should have mentioned to my wife that it didn't smell nearly as bad as the time that a mouse shorted himself across the 220V terminals of our electric range.

On the other hand, it's entirely possible that anything other than, "Sorry, I won't do it again" might have been pushing my luck.

October 6, 2011, 09:32 AM	#1
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	Stinky! Yesterday evening, I decided to finish up the last of the nasty wheel weights in my bucket. I set up the old pot on the patio and started smelting. Now, when I say "nasty", I mean it. These things would not clean up, so I've just been putting off melting them down for quite a while. And while there weren't billowing clouds of smoke coming out of the pot, it did look pretty noxious. But I had a mask on, so all was good. Or so I figured. I was wrong. Somebody...ok, not somebody, it was me...left one of the windows open in the back of the house and the breeze was blowing just the right way. Oh, man, when my wife got home, there was trouble. Thankfully, an hour or so with the windows open and a fan blowing cleared things up. But I'm pretty sure that I've got a pretty deep hole to climb out of now... On the bright side, I ended up with about 30 pounds of ingots that look a whole lot nicer than what they started out as! __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

October 6, 2011, 09:54 PM	#3
TXGunNut Senior Member Join Date: January 16, 2010 Location: If you have to ask... Posts: 2,860	With stick-ons I've adopted a 5 mph wind minimum rule, no problem out here on the N TX prairie but something to thing about in other areas. __________________ Life Member NRA, TSRA Smokeless powder is a passing fad! -Steve Garbe I hate rude behavior in a man. I won't tolerate it. -Woodrow F. Call Lonesome Dove My favorite recipes start out with a handful of used wheelweights.

October 7, 2011, 11:38 AM	#4
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	I've just added "close the windows" to my mental checklist. Everybody will be happy As far as fluxing goes, I use some commercial stuff - the name escapes me. It doesn't burn, just bubbles and gets all crusty. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

October 8, 2011, 07:58 AM	#5
IllinoisCoyoteHunter Senior Member Join Date: December 23, 2008 Location: Southern Illinois Posts: 1,527	Yup. They stink. Vaporized road grime. But it's worth it... __________________ ~~IllinoisCoyoteHunter~~ ~NRA LIFE MEMBER~ ~NRA CERTIFIED INSTRUCTOR~

October 8, 2011, 01:06 PM	#7
Unclenick Staff Join Date: March 4, 2005 Location: Ohio Posts: 21,061	As inferred above, if you put the stick-on type wheelwieghts in the melt, the latex rubber in their adhesive and the foam gap pad will smell things up pretty badly. I don't usually get that many of them that I can't sort them out and set them in a glass tray with a little Goof Off until the adhesive loosens up. __________________ Gunsite Orange Hat Family Member CMP Certified GSM Master Instructor NRA Certified Rifle Instructor NRA Benefactor Member and Golden Eagle

October 6, 2011, 11:45 AM	#2
dahermit Senior Member Join Date: October 28, 2006 Location: South Central Michigan...near Posts: 6,501	If the stink is mainly in the form of smoke, one can throw in a chunk of paraffin and ignite it. If you can get the smoke to catch fire, most of it is consumed in the fire and will give off less oder. That is the reason I like to flux with paraffin; it helps control oder.

October 8, 2011, 10:28 AM	#6
MrWesson Senior Member Join Date: October 10, 2010 Posts: 357	I use a SS pot with a lid and live in a townhouse.. it works well enough.

October 11, 2011, 12:39 PM	#8
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	IllinoisCoyoteHunter, you're right - even with the mess, it's well worth it. It's been raining for the past few days, so I haven't been able to work on my new bucket of grime. Hopefully it'll dry out today. Unclenick, you're also right about the stick-ons. I've been able to peel most of the gunk off of them. It just always seems to be that the ones that drift to the bottom end up being the nastiest of the bunch. Probably because of all the gunk that filters on down from the top. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae

October 11, 2011, 01:06 PM	#9
Pahoo Senior Member Join Date: February 16, 2006 Location: IOWA Posts: 8,783	It's all relative !! Reminds me of the time I was boiling out some cow horns that I got from a Veternarian buddy. Did not lose it but gagged and spit for quite a time. Not only was the wife complaining but the neaighbors as well. ...... Be Safe !!! __________________ 'Fundamental truths' are easy to recognize because they are verified daily through simple observation and thus, require no testing.

October 11, 2011, 01:44 PM	#10
Chaz88 Senior Member Join Date: January 4, 2010 Posts: 1,243	Little off topic but it reminded me of a time I used molasses to make some home brew. The smell, and a PO'ed wife, woke me up in the middle of the night and it got moved, barefoot in the rain, to the detached garage. Edit: On topic, I use bees wax to flux and it does not smell bad. __________________ Seams like once we the people give what, at the time, seams like a reasonable inch and "they" take the unreasonable mile we can only get that mile back one inch at a time. No spelun and grammar is not my specialty. So please don't hurt my sensitive little feelings by teasing me about it.

October 13, 2011, 02:07 PM	#11
Hardcase Senior Member Join Date: April 14, 2009 Location: Sunny Southern Idaho Posts: 1,909	That's a good point, fellas. I should have mentioned to my wife that it didn't smell nearly as bad as the time that a mouse shorted himself across the 220V terminals of our electric range. On the other hand, it's entirely possible that anything other than, "Sorry, I won't do it again" might have been pushing my luck. __________________ Well we don't rent pigs and I figure it's better to say it right out front because a man that does like to rent pigs is... he's hard to stop - Gus McCrae