Finally started smelting

J

jal5

New member
Got all my gear together last month and started melting the range scrap I had on hand. Not bad using the propane turkey fryer and an old dutch oven. I need to devise a lid for it though since one of the FMJ popped off making it a little exciting. I got 1# muffins 34 of them from the collected scrap. I have a source for WW but my son in law and daughter live in NY and I don't get up there too often. Thanksgiving will be the next visit and I plan on seeing what he has in the auto repair shop he is partner in.

Lots of scrap here though between my shooting club and the public range near my house. That FMJ stuff- I tried hitting them with a 3# hammer but that is too time consuming and tough on the right arm. Any other ideas how to split those?

Joe
 
I've never done anything to my jacketed range scrap except scrape the floating jackets off the molten lead. With your jacket that decided to make a leap for it, do you think it was a plated bullet where the lead core was totally encapsulated by the copper, or was it a conventional lead/jacketed bullet?
 
Not sure since that scrap had jacketed, all lead projectiles, and probably some plated too in it. The FMJ ones that I tried hitting with the hammer to crack the jackets were completely encapsulated by the jacket, and I only tried hitting a small number but that was too much work. I have another box full of those that I am not sure what I will do with now. Might try to cook them and make sure a lid is securely on top of the pot. Some have said that they clip a little of the jacket off on one end to allow the lead to come out, but any plyers I have were not up to the task.

Joe
 
Bolt cutters or a squeeze in an arbor press. Applied to the rear, they might pop the enclosing plug out. It sounds like a lot of bother, no matter what you do, though. I don't know if the air in them can always be counted on to pop the plug out or not?
 
Maybe grab the little buggers in a vise grip and touch the tip to a grinding wheel. Pliers may be quicker but will involve more recovery missions, if you know what I mean. ;)
 
TX- I like the grinding wheel idea and will try that. Thats what I like about these boards, someone always comes up with a new way to solve problems that I would never have though of myself. Thanks.

Joe
 
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