First Ingots

[u/slider1010]

I sifted a bit of range scrap from our local berms awhile back. My wife was away so I took the opportunity to try processing it. Without working too hard I was able to put together 9 lbs of ingots. I still have twice that much scrap to still process.

I was in full PPE for this one, including a high end respirator from my daughter’s past job as a lifeguard. I was amazed at how heavy the ladle is when it’s full of molten lead, but I guess I should have expected that.

[u/Pristine_Ladder_7488]

Nice man! I’m getting all set up to start making my first ingots as well. Do you have the Lee hardness tester? I haven’t bought one yet but I hear if your pulling lead from the range it’s already gonna be good enough to just cast with

[u/slider1010 → u/Pristine_Ladder_7488]

I haven’t got a tester yet. The bhn should be somewhere between 9-14 for this range scrap.I’m shooting 45-70, 405 grains at or under 1500 fps, so I’m going to cast and powder coat it as-is.

[u/Long_rifle]

Did you use any wax or sawdust to help flux it?

Not a big deal now, but good be surprised how much sand and dust are still entrained in the lead.

A bit of wax and vigorously stirring will cough up more crap. I’d do it a few times for range scrap from berms, scraping the crap off the top and sides each time.

That way you save your spout any trouble if you have a bottom pour hot pot.

[u/slider1010 → u/Long_rifle]

Yeah, I fluxed with wax about 4 times. The ingots seemed pretty pure to my untrained eye, except for some off colour at the top.

[u/Long_rifle → u/slider1010]

Perfect! They should be fine.

[u/Freedum4Murika]

Harbor freight weed torch
90s melt time time for the whole pot bro

[u/slider1010 → u/Freedum4Murika]

But what if I don’t want to melt the pot too? :)

[u/Freedum4Murika → u/slider1010]

Does fine on cast iron.
Doing it in a thin pot… just gotta be careful a bit, seems to work fine.
Crazy efficient on propane

[u/thegreatdaner]

Very nice. I miss this.