AJC1
Member
Yep or nope...
Do you wash your scrap before processing
- Thread starter AJC1
- Start date
edwardware
Member
- Joined
- Feb 23, 2010
- Messages
- 4,396
No. Anything that might be removed by washing is removed with far less trouble by skimming, and I prefer dry feedstock for the pot.
I’ve rinsed stuff off before. Some buckets of wheel weights can be nasty and have all kinds of random trash in them. I melt WWs in a fenced in neighborhood backyard. I’m sure my neighbors can appreciate it not smelling like a burning trash pile. If I lived in the country I’d probably be less concerned.
Hooda Thunkit
Member
I have found that wheel weights melt cleaner and faster if I just throw the whole dang bucket in the pot, garbage and all. The grease, cigarette butts and garbage act as flux, and the odd razor blade, 10mm wrench and valve stem scoop out easily.
Range scrap, in the other hand, I rinse off in a bucket. I don't need the extra sand and dirt in the melt pot. I will usually spread out the wet scrap to dry for a few days, but throwing it in an empty (cold) pot even wet isn't a problem.
Since I do both, depending on circumstances, I didn't vote one way or the other.
Range scrap, in the other hand, I rinse off in a bucket. I don't need the extra sand and dirt in the melt pot. I will usually spread out the wet scrap to dry for a few days, but throwing it in an empty (cold) pot even wet isn't a problem.
Since I do both, depending on circumstances, I didn't vote one way or the other.
doubleh
Member
No, the crud will float to the top so I just skim it off when it does.
OP
OP
AJC1
Member
I have a bunch of pine needles in this latest batch, hope it's as good of Flux as saw dust....
Hooda Thunkit
Member
I have crumbled a bunch of dried oak leaves and used those; they worked fine.
Really, anything to get carbon into the melt. I've taken to pouring a few ounces of used motor oil in the dirty melt. It works very well, but one must be careful about how much is used.
I use sawdust with used motor oil mixed in also.
FROGO207
Member
Sawdust mixed with used motor oil is a favorite flux of mine as well.
tightgroup tiger
Member
Yeah, I wash mine in an old ultrasonic cleaner to get the most of the sand and other crap off of it before I melt it down.
I had my bottom pour pot empty itself on my bench one time. Mad scramble to get away from it. I keep a 10 lb cast iron lead pot under it now but I still wash my scrap lead picked up from the berms of the shooting range.
Wheel weights, I don't bother. They don't seem to cause any problems for me.
I had my bottom pour pot empty itself on my bench one time. Mad scramble to get away from it. I keep a 10 lb cast iron lead pot under it now but I still wash my scrap lead picked up from the berms of the shooting range.
Wheel weights, I don't bother. They don't seem to cause any problems for me.
lightman
Member
If it has a lot of mud sticking to it I'll give it an extra shake or two in the sieve, otherwise it goes right into my smelting pot. I've melted lead that was wet by putting it in a cold pot and bringing the heat up but I prefer to keep water away from the area.
Please excuse me, but this sounds like the old cowboy joke that asks what do they wear underneath "Huggies" or "Always". The answer is "Depends".
I may have mis understood your questions, so I will answer both ways. I do not wash scrap. It goes to the junk yard as is, less any live rounds or primers. Range brass or even picking up my own for reloading do get a lot of dirt, sand, and pine needles and .22 cases stuck inside and are mixed in and so I do hose them off once in a while. I let them dry off real good before tumbling them with walnut.
I may have mis understood your questions, so I will answer both ways. I do not wash scrap. It goes to the junk yard as is, less any live rounds or primers. Range brass or even picking up my own for reloading do get a lot of dirt, sand, and pine needles and .22 cases stuck inside and are mixed in and so I do hose them off once in a while. I let them dry off real good before tumbling them with walnut.
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OP
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AJC1
Member
Your collecting on the opposite side of the range
this is about lead.
Nope, I just melt the scrap lead and skim the debris for the pour.
I'll admit in recent years, I do not collect much used lead from the berms. I buy lead for casting. Not much dirt there.
I'm getting lazy in my old age and not worrying about being cheap..err thrifty.
I'll admit in recent years, I do not collect much used lead from the berms. I buy lead for casting. Not much dirt there.
I'm getting lazy in my old age and not worrying about being cheap..err thrifty.
