Newbie to cleaning, and casting reclaimed lead. Borax, or Sawdust to flux?

[RonsPlc]

I am getting into reclaiming, and casting with the reclaimed lead.

I have been reading conflicting accounts of using Borax vs Sawdust for the flux when doing the process with dirty lead.

Some say to avoid Sawdust as it can clog up the bottom pour pot outlet.

Some say Borax leaves the cleaning pot almost unusable.

Could someone give me a hand so that I don't mess things up too bad?

I am planning on using an old cast iron pot on a burner to do the initial process. Pour into muffin tins for ingots, then use those in my bottom feed 4-20 pot.
I also plan on separating the lead by quality beforehand, and not mixing them together in the pot.

[Airnut]

I have always used just everyday  paraffin wax.
I don't know if that's the best thing or not but it seems to work.

[jkingrph]

I started casting back about 1964, for my centerfire rifle.  It seems as though I  used parrafin or beeswax, and somewhere along the time line tried a commercial flux, don't remember what.   For the price parrafin was best, but makes a lot of noxious smoke so use in a well ventilated area.

[sb327]

I’ve used marvelux for more years than I can count. It’s a borax/boric acid based flux, iirc. The trick is to use the tiniest amount. Like 1/4 tsp amount. It’s extremely hygroscopic so the residue left on your skimmer will absorb water so be careful when using it after it has set awhile, heat it slowly to boil the water out before plunging into the melt.

I’ve used sawdust and paraffin as well but don’t like smoking up my shop. It works fine though.

Dave

[Mr.P]

I had a large block of beeswax left over from some project. tiny bit of this works for me… smells kind of nice as a bonus.  I only cast outdoors so the smoke isn’t an issue

[Back_Roads]

 I think the OP is referring to initial melt down and skimming of impurities, this can be a smoky outside project.
 Final possess for in the casting pot are less intense.
 

[triggertreat]

In my Lee 4-20 pot I use a pinch of paraffin wax after the lead becomes liquid to render the metals (tin & lead) back together.  After that I use a pinch of Frankford Arsenal Cleancast Lead Flux to remove the dross.  After that I put another pinch or two of the lead flux on top of the lead as it spreads out on the top layer and prevents oxidation from occurring while using the gravity spout.  I don't add any sprue cuts back into the pot until the pot gets down to an undesirable level for even pouring so as to not break open the flux covering.

[RonsPlc]

James :

Thank you for understanding my question.
I actually watched that very video last night.

I have REALLY been thinking about how I was going to process my lead.

This is reclaimed lead, not processed clean lead.

Some of this lead is from a tire shop, and I am separating the clip on (hard) lead from the tape on (soft/(pure?)).
More on this later...

Some is from lead pipes. I am using JUST the pipe (pure?). No fittings/joints.
Some is from roofers (pure?).

The wheel weights I have about 800 pounds of. I am hoping to use the tape weights (Pure Lead?) for pellets. The rest I will use for fishing weights, or "Boolits"

AGAIN, I will process all of these leads separately. I don't want to mix ANY of them with another. My thinking here is that if I have an issue with one batch, it doesn't taint the whole lot.

With my reading/research I am thinking of proceeding as such...

1. 1/16" borax in the bottom of the cleaning pot (cast iron).
2. Fill pot with reclaimed lead.
3. Sprinkle some more borax on top.
4. Start the melt. Stirring as needed.
5. Skim the junk off the top when it rises and the melt is liquid.
6. Add Charcoal (crushed) and stir it in. (To flux again).
7. Skim the top again. (At this time it should be pretty clean).
8. Add Sawdust and stir in. (Yet another flux to help clean whats left of the &^^& out.)
9. Skim the top.
10. Add some paraffin wax as a reducer.
11. Skim (yet again).
12. Pour my ingots for my production pot.

Let me know if I have any of this wrong PLEASE before I begin!

[triggertreat]

Yeah, you don't want any zinc from any wheel weights getting into the lead.  Zinc will ruin the lead.  Make sure the weights are lead.

The thing with sawdust or charcoal when using a gravity fed pot with a small spout is they don't like each other.  You may experience some spout clogging issues.  I tried sawdust for fluxing once and gave up.  The flux I mentioned doesn't clog spouts.

[Insanity]

I would add in scraping the sides I found trash sticks to my pot when reclaiming lead.

[RonsPlc]

Keith:
As far as the Zinc, What I missed in the separation should rise the the top to be removed as the lead melts.

Matt:
I was planning to scrape the sides and bottom with an Oak, Hickory, or Maple stick as the melt processed.
Bad idea?

[Insanity]

I use a old butter knife with the tip cut off.

[EdinGa]

I clean and flux dirty lead in a cast iron Dutch oven on a propane burner and I've never used anything but sawdust. I only put processed lead ingots in my casting pot.

[Mr.P]

What difference would a person be likely to see in an ingot from lead that has been fluxed multiple times with multiple flux types versus just using sawdust or fluxing a single time?

 And then when casting, what is a sign that the lead being used was not adequately fluxed?

[Wayne52]

Paraffin and sawdust both work good, heck I've tried box laundry soap before just for testing purpose's and it worked just fine.  I only use pure lead for all my airguns only.

[triggertreat]

What difference would a person be likely to see in an ingot from lead that has been fluxed multiple times with multiple flux types versus just using sawdust or fluxing a single time?

 And then when casting, what is a sign that the lead being used was not adequately fluxed?

I wouldn't think there would any difference...Clean lead is clean lead as long as the lead is thoroughly cleaned of the dross.  If not, I would expect varying weights or clogged gravity fed spouts.  If using a carbon source like sawdust I would think more cleaning of the dross would be required compared to something like the Frankford Arsenal Cleancast or Borax.

[sb327]

This is more for industrial use but it is a good read.

https://www.borax.com/BoraxCorp/media/Borax-Main/Resources/Technical-Bulletin/borates-lead-recycling.pdf?ext=.pdf

Dave

[EdinGa]

I'm sorry but wax is not flux. This is a good read if you cast.



http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_4_Fluxing.htm

[K.O.]

Had a bud when younger just collected spf pitch sat it in sun and let it get crystallized and crumbly... swore by it... seen pine needles used... Have used used coffee grounds... fully dried of course...

Sad to have to keep saying it for a couple years now... like Ed said wax is not for cleaning lead... it is a reductant...so are grease and oil...

[Greg_E]

I have some of the Frankford Arsenal stuff, seems a lot like 20 Muleteam Borax but I have not compared them side by side. Don't use too much, it tends to foam a lot. Also corroded the stainless in the pot, but does yield nice clean lead.