Smelting Range Scrap
- Thread starter doctor j
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Enjoy and Be Safe !!!
Once a year as the weather allow, we smelt a whole bunch of range bullets. With the equipment you have listed, there should be no problems however, we prefer to do smaller batches. You will need to flux each batch and be sure to wear p[protective equipment. I always wear a face-shield, long sleeve heavy shirt and leather gloves. Where we set up is usually up-wind of the pot. What molds are you going to ladle into? ....
You are going to have a bunch of crap, float to the top, including the bullet jackets....
Good luck and;
Be Safe !!!
Doc,
Once a year as the weather allow, we smelt a whole bunch of range bullets. With the equipment you have listed, there should be no problems however, we prefer to do smaller batches. You will need to flux each batch and be sure to wear p[protective equipment. I always wear a face-shield, long sleeve heavy shirt and leather gloves. Where we set up is usually up-wind of the pot. What molds are you going to ladle into? ....
You are going to have a bunch of crap, float to the top, including the bullet jackets....
Good luck and;
Be Safe !!!
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First you should run your ore thru a crusher and then heat the ore to remove the metal....or Iyou could melt your range scrap, flux and skim the jackets and dross before casting ingots. I doubt any bullet casters smelt their alloy/lead....Oh yeah, with a 12" Dutch oven you may do two melts to get all your metal done.
A time to pick
Doc,
Don't where you live nut here in Iowa the bullets hit the back stop or bounce off the steel targets, they wind up on top of the snow and ice. Then in the spring when the ice and snow melts, the bullets are lying on up on top of the ground for easy picking. Just like picking Shrooms, timing is everything. ..
Be Safe !!!
Doc,
Don't where you live nut here in Iowa the bullets hit the back stop or bounce off the steel targets, they wind up on top of the snow and ice. Then in the spring when the ice and snow melts, the bullets are lying on up on top of the ground for easy picking. Just like picking Shrooms, timing is everything. ..
Be Safe !!!
Me personally, I would separate the jacketed and FMJ's from the really flattened out or solid lead bullets.
Then I would use a either a sledge hammer dropped on top of the FMJ's or a long handles pair of wire cutters to split the bottoms of the jacketed ones. This will do two things, first it will give any moisture trapped inside an escape route once it starts to heat up and turns into steam. Second, it will allow the melted lead an escape route, so that it doesn't build up pressure inside of the jacket and either burst or squirt out in a superheated stream.
Either of the above things can be VERY bad in a half or full pot of heating lead. The bad thing is you cannot dictate just when each one of them might start doing something like that and if your opening the lid of the pot just at the wrong time, your going to get either sprayed with molten lead, or worse some water manages to make it into the molten portion of the lead which causes it to explode. (AKA- The Tinsel Fairy)
When you heat up your scrap bullets, start with a cold pot and do them in small 10-20# batches. This will give any moisture in the jackets a chance to steam off before everything is submerged in molten lead. I would not mix the jacketed with the lead or cast bullets when doing this part, due to the above reasons. Also DO NOT ADD any jacketed bullets to already melted alloy, as it can possibly create one of the situations mentioned above, resulting in a nasty burn.
As already mentioned, wear some protective clothing while doing this. It might be a pain to do so, but it is a WHOLE LOT less of a pain than you might receive by not doing so.
Hope this helps.
Then I would use a either a sledge hammer dropped on top of the FMJ's or a long handles pair of wire cutters to split the bottoms of the jacketed ones. This will do two things, first it will give any moisture trapped inside an escape route once it starts to heat up and turns into steam. Second, it will allow the melted lead an escape route, so that it doesn't build up pressure inside of the jacket and either burst or squirt out in a superheated stream.
Either of the above things can be VERY bad in a half or full pot of heating lead. The bad thing is you cannot dictate just when each one of them might start doing something like that and if your opening the lid of the pot just at the wrong time, your going to get either sprayed with molten lead, or worse some water manages to make it into the molten portion of the lead which causes it to explode. (AKA- The Tinsel Fairy)
When you heat up your scrap bullets, start with a cold pot and do them in small 10-20# batches. This will give any moisture in the jackets a chance to steam off before everything is submerged in molten lead. I would not mix the jacketed with the lead or cast bullets when doing this part, due to the above reasons. Also DO NOT ADD any jacketed bullets to already melted alloy, as it can possibly create one of the situations mentioned above, resulting in a nasty burn.
As already mentioned, wear some protective clothing while doing this. It might be a pain to do so, but it is a WHOLE LOT less of a pain than you might receive by not doing so.
Hope this helps.
smelting range lead
I use a old Coleman camp stove, a 6 inch stainless pet dish, a 4 cavity lyman ingot mold, and a stainless ladle with slits cut unto it for scooping out floating jackets.Any bullets that jackets are in tact I cut into with a pair of lineman's dykes so they don't explode.I can pick a ice cream pail of range lead in about 45 minutes on range closed days.I have about 300 pounds of ingots ready for casting.I'm slow but it works for me. hdbiker
I use a old Coleman camp stove, a 6 inch stainless pet dish, a 4 cavity lyman ingot mold, and a stainless ladle with slits cut unto it for scooping out floating jackets.Any bullets that jackets are in tact I cut into with a pair of lineman's dykes so they don't explode.I can pick a ice cream pail of range lead in about 45 minutes on range closed days.I have about 300 pounds of ingots ready for casting.I'm slow but it works for me. hdbiker
I never heard of using a crusher but what ever works I guess. First, make sure all your range scrap is DRY. Melt in a cast iron pot and all the copper and dirt will come floating to the top. Flux with some sawdust (pine works best) skim, flux again and then one more time with some wax. Then you can pour it into ingot molds or muffin tins.