Rainbow ingots?

[Gitsum]

I just cast 65 1 1/2lb ingots of what I believe to be pure lead. I could not get a bluish tint off of the top of the melt, And after pouring the ingots, they are very colorful with metallic blues,purples, and golds. Has anyone seen this before? I tried different temps from too hot to ultra cool and fluxing a little and a lot. any ideas?

 

[TXGunNut]

You been playing in Timothy Leary's chemistry set? Quite honestly the only time the colors get interesting in my smelting pot is when it gets too hot.

 

[FrankenMauser]

I've never seen it, but I've only ever heard it being attributed to too much heat. Thermostat or thermometer taking a crap?

 

[Shootest]

I have had lead reclaimed from ranges that has a gold tint, some brass from the jackets remained in the lead.

 

[GP100man]

The closer to pure lead ya get the more colors you`ll see !

Alloys such as tin ,linotype ,monotype,& trace amounts of copper will actually coat the lead molecules & protect em from O2 & nitrogen in the atmosphere.

As ya heat & flux/skim your removing any protective propertys that the flux may offer thus exposing the melt directly to air.

There`s chemical names for all this & someone knows more than I do about it , but this is how I understand it & it happens rite after fluxing for me .

 

[Gitsum]

Thanks GP. Can I assume that my pure ingots can move onto mixing and molding?

 

[dahermit]

"Pure" lead requires a higher temperature to melt than bullet alloys containing Tin. The colors you are getting on lead ingots is of no concern. Alloy your lead and cast your bullets, you have no problem related to the colors you are seeing.