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Old May 11, 2009, 10:24 PM   #1
D.Delozier
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Refine lead???

Is there a way to take less desireable lead such as wheel wieghts or battery lead and remove the other alloys in it during the melting process to get a pure soft lead ? Or once the alloy is added is it there to stay ?
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Old May 12, 2009, 12:17 AM   #2
Stick_man
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removing impurities

Each of the different metals has a different melting point. Depending on what you have in your alloy, you can usually remove most "impurities" simply by removing the "dross" or junk as you melt it down. If you flux the molten alloy, you mix the different metals once again. It may take several melts to get as much as you can, but the stuff you are skimming off often contains the more expensive metals like tin and antimony. Unless you are casting for black powder, I'd recommend keeping the tin and antimony mixed in to provide some hardness and mold filling abilities. Flux your melt down once or twice to remove any dirt or steel or zinc (if melting down wheel weights) and you should have some pretty good alloy for pistols. Harden it up a little and use gas checks for some great rifle loads.

By the way, most wheel weights make excellent bullets for the pistols.
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Old May 12, 2009, 12:49 AM   #3
snuffy
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Once the metals are alloyed, or mixed, they stay alloyed. There's no way to separate them. The dross you see floating on the surface of molten lead, is oxides of the metals present in the lead. The hot lead oxidizes when in contact with the atmosphere, fluxing returns some of the oxides to the melt. Some of the oxides don't convert back to the metallic state, they become dross.

If you want pure lead, you'll have to buy some that's straight from the smelter. Or look for lead sheeting, it can be found on old roofs around the chimneys and other vents. Roofers usually have some around. If you know a plumber well, ask him for some pig lead. It's used to seal sewer pipes, being poured in melted.
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Old May 12, 2009, 06:30 AM   #4
hornady
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My number one recommendation is , do not use battery’s , the fume’s are extremely toxic, as said above once lead has been mixed. It is impossible to separate the lead from the other alloys. And there are to many sources of pure lead to take a chance. I cast smokeless and black powder bullets. I have found the stick on wheel weights at tire repair shops to be close to pure lead. And I shoot them in my T/C black powder rifle. A good rule for black powder bullets, If you can mark the lead with your thumb nail, it is soft enough for muzzle loaders. Clip on weights work well for mid range hand gun but are to hard for muzzle loaders
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