Flux pure lead for Black Powder?

What if there is no way to verify the purity of what is in your melt, how does one remove these unwanted metals such as tin and antimony leaving only pure lead in the melt ?
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There is no way to do this within the scope of your home bullet caster once these metals are in solution with one another.

If you are going to shoot bullets that require pure lead to insure deformation when firing to take up the rifling, like expanding (minie) ball, or compression bullets like Wilkinson-style bullts, your best bet is to purchase known pure lead from a reputable source. Rotometals.com sells it delivered to your door. I go down to Troy, Alabama to purchase chemically-assayed pure lead from Sanders Lead.

If I had a nickle for every time I heard someone at a competition say, "Well, I must have gotten a bad batch of lead" I'd be a rich man. If you're serious about accuracy in your deformable-bullet muzzle loader, then you should be buying known pure lead. It's one variable in your shooting that you can completely and easily eliminate.

Of course not all muzzle loaders or black powder arms use or require deformable bullets. I use random wheel weight lead in my Armisport M1842 smoothbore because the bullet does not need to deform. Likewise my 1859 Sharps, being a breechloader, forces the bullet into the rifling and performs better with a slightly harder alloy (I use 1:20 tin:lead).

Steve
 
But Hawg, I have no wheel weight to melt nor do I want them. I only have pure lead for the Minnie' ball moulds.
I should not worry about zinc no matter how high the temp goes.

You might get some tho. The stick on weights are close enough to pure to work well. That's all I use. To quote click the fourth icon from the right on the bottom row and paste your quote in it.
 
To quote click the fourth icon from the right on the bottom row and paste your quote in it.
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Like this?

Lead, naw, no wheel weights for me I will try to secure just pure soft lead. I got some from Roto Metals and am going to check plumber supply stores in the locale.
 
Turns out, you can reduce lead oxide back into lead by mixing it at "high heat" with carbon. I'm not sure what temperature is required to do this. Basically what happens is you have a "competing reaction" where two elements are competing for the oxygen. The carbon wins and steals the oxygen from the lead and turns it back to pure lead.

So it may be that by adding a carbonaceous substance to your pure lead melt that you can slow down, or even reverse, the oxidation. Like, for example, sawdust.

But, you're still going to end up with a sea of crap floating on top of your melt. I just find it easier to ignore it and deal with the dross. But, I may now try and recycle my dross in my furnace using powdered charcoal.

Steve
 
Went to a scrap yard only about 7 miles from where I lived and bought 35 pounds of scrap lead; 2 pieces of round pipe and a thin sheet of lead that appears to have paper backing here and there like it was stripped of drywall paneling. Do you all think that the lead pipe and sheet are pure lead? Price was right, $1.00/lb
 
It's lead and pure enough for your use.

Do you all think that the lead pipe and sheet are pure lead? Price was right, $1.00/lb
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I'm going to have to give you the benefit of whatever doubt there might be as I have smelted the similar material. I have also tested it and it's as pure as I usually encounter. I have a pretty good idea of where the sheets come from. You will definitely have to flux that pipe. …… :rolleyes:

I initially do a scratch test, then hardness and melting point. Keep in mind that I only cast RB's and BP conicals. A PRB is very forgiving. ….. :)

Be Safe !!!
 
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