Thinking of this to melt lead

[Bootfoot]

since lead is heavier then most things, when you melt lead everything that is not lead will float to the top which is why it must be skimmed off the top.

DO NOT empty your pot. Leave Lead in it. I haven’t seen the bottom off my bottom pour pot since taking it out of the box and that was 20 or 30 years ago.

like Melvin, I would never clean dirty lead in my bottom pour pot and that goes double for wheel weights. doing so is just asking to clog the spout. clean your lead in a cast iron pot over a propane burner, pour clean ingots however you like your ingots and only put clean ingots in your bottom pour. While I’m at it, I do not like muffin tin ingots. They are to big for my liking.

 

[Don M]

Thanks guys I'm learning!! However I do like the 1/2 filled small muffin tin.
I was surprised by the small area to add lead. These will good for that.
Now I do think I have crap at the bottom.
My plan is to heat the pot and with my welders gloves on, turn the pot upside down to empty it. RIGHT
Oh I will be using a cast iron skillet clean the wheels weights. I have 2 Pep/Boy's saving them for me. Hopefully most of them will not be the newer type non lead.

 

[Bootfoot]

Why do you want to empty it?

I would leave the wheel weights alone and find another source. Most wheel weights are not lead but rather steel and zinc. i think your pot is hot enough to melt zinc. you don’t want that So make sure you only keep your pot hot enough to melt lead and the zinc will float to the surface to be skimmed off.

 

[truecrimson]

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[Melvinp]

Just ran across this kinda forgot about it but it your melting dirty lead you might want to look into a cleaning flux like I said before I did my first clean with a rosebud on a industrial torch with a very large garage door open and fans it was nasty

 

[Don M]

Okay another stupid question. I have a small skillet (2 egg) size. I had cleaned it up some time ago and seasoned it. When I use this, do I want to burn off the oil? Or just throw the weights in, and the oil will burn it's self off.

 

[Melvinp]

Okay another stupid question. I have a small skillet (2 egg) size. I had cleaned it up some time ago and seasoned it. When I use this, do I want to burn off the oil? Or just throw the weights in, and the oil will burn it's self off.

Burn it off it will just leave oil residue on your lead tried it with my muffin tins not at all nessary

 

[Don]

Is a propane torch hot enough to melt lead?

 

[Don M]

Well I took the advice given, I unseasoned my cast iron skillet. Heated my bottom pour pot, and dumped the lead, into skillet. Cleaned the pot while it was hot (a lot of crap was in it), and put some lead I cleaned in and melted it. Looks so much better now!!
Got the Coleman stove out, and cleaned another 6 lbs.. That worked so much better!!! And it was 40 degrees out.
Thank you all for the learning curve!!
Anyone know how many tire weights it takes to melt 14 lbs. of lead,? I'll tell you A LOT!!! But I'm 1/2 way done

 

[Melvinp]

Well I took the advice given, I unseasoned my cast iron skillet. Heated my bottom pour pot, and dumped the lead, into skillet. Cleaned the pot while it was hot (a lot of crap was in it), and put some lead I cleaned in and melted it. Looks so much better now!!
Got the Coleman stove out, and cleaned another 6 lbs.. That worked so much better!!! And it was 40 degrees out.
Thank you all for the learning curve!!
Anyone know how many tire weights it takes to melt 14 lbs. of lead,? I'll tell you A LOT!!! But I'm 1/2 way done

How long did it take to get your lead melting on the Coleman I gave up and got the torch out but I melted about 3 pounds in 3 minutes

 

[Bootfoot]

I use one of these and a small plumbers pot to clean my lead. its Pretty fast once you get the first load of lead melted. I found The torch takes the longest amount of time.

 

[Don]

I think Melvin was talking Acetyline torch but not sure. Maybe he will clarify?

 

[Don M]

I'm guessing it took me about an hour & half. There were a lot of small weights, and I'm using a very small skillet. Plus I was making sure I cleaned the lead well.
Ordered the egg sinker mold to night.
Now am I right that I want to smoke the new mold before using it? I do know to heat the mold before pouring, and pour the first w/o the pin for the hole. And then throw them back in the pot.
SOUND RIGHT?

 

[Don M]

Finished melting down the tire weights. Ended up with 22.5 pounds, figure I saved about $72.00.

 

[Bootfoot]

I haven’t smoked a mold 20 years. Way back in the day smoking a mold was a necessity. Now I don’t bother because the molds are made with much better material and higher tolerances. I just don’t have a problem getting jigs out of the mold but smoking will make the jigs release better from the mold so it will never hurt and can only help.

nice haul of lead. That’s about 1400 1/4 ounce jigs worth. That should last you a while.

 

[Don]

Boot aren't you from Southampton?

 

[Don M]

I'll be making mostly egg sinkers, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 3, and some 1/8, and 1/4.
I'll hopefully order a jig for mullet, flounder fishing.
Are you from Southampton? I'm in Burholme/Fox Chase.

 

[Melvinp]

I haven’t smoked a mold 20 years. Way back in the day smoking a mold was a necessity. Now I don’t bother because the molds are made with much better material and higher tolerances. I just don’t have a problem getting jigs out of the mold but smoking will make the jigs release better from the mold so it will never hurt and can only help.

nice haul of lead. That’s about 1400 1/4 ounce jigs worth. That should last you a while.

I got busy will post a picture of my 2 oz egg sinker mold that is smoked and your right not at all nessary with clean lead and the new molds (That’s if I remember lol I’ll try)

 

[Melvinp]

I'll be making mostly egg sinkers, 3/8, 1/2, 3/4, 1/2, 3/4, 1, 1 1/2, 2, 3, and some 1/8, and 1/4.
I'll hopefully order a jig for mullet, flounder fishing.
Are you from Southampton? I'm in Burholme/Fox Chase.

If you’re fishing an area with tide and sand bottom you might want a no roll type sinker eggs work fine but they will roll and in the Susquehanna up here in the north a 2oz egg can roll 20 ft or more depending on the current

 

[Bootfoot]

Nope, not from Southampton. Not being cryptic, I just don’t like putting a lot of personal info out in public forums.