What is Fluxing when Melting Lead???

I've melted a lot of lead for bank sinkers over the years but what is "fluxing" I keep hearing about.

Thanks,
Dave

After taking the slag off the molten lead there is a oxide that will form. To take this off most will use a flux like in soldering to make the lead flow in the mold more smoothly. There are a few commercial products out on the market. Some of us old timers use paraffin wax as a flux agent. When you flux the pot you will see that the lead will have a better shine on the top of it and the jigs will be shiny when they come out of the mold and will release better.

Redman

I talked to the people at Do It Mold Co. and they told me to put a small piece of candle wax in your pot after your lead was melted. He told me it would flame up but not to be alarmed it would quickly go out on its on. This seems to concentrate the slag more making it easier to scoop off.

My melting pot has a bottom pour spout and I will take a paper clip and clean the spout out and then rub the paper clip on a candle while it is still hot. This leaves a thin layer of wax on the paper clip. I then put run it up inside a time or two and I get a much cleaner pour from the bottom which really helps when doing small jigheads.

Cleaning slag should be done but not as often with something like bank sinkers because of the larger flow you use to fill bigger cavities.

Thanks, That's very interesting to know. I've got about 60 lbs of soft lead to melt into ingots then use them in my 10 lb pot. My lead is pretty dirty. So, just to be sure I read right..just put a little piece of candle in the 10 lb pot and I like the idea of waxing the pour spout. I plan on melting almost all of it in a big pot on the fish cooker out in the yard until all the moisture has popped out. I figure there is some water trapped in some of the hollow stuff. Then I was going to pour my ingots. What kind of flux or wax should I use for this and how much? Pot is about 12 inches across and 4 inches deep.

Thanks for the tips,
Dave

When they say it's gonna flare up IT DOES the first time will surprise you!!!!!!!! LOL With that size pot I'd do it several times before making them into ingots. In a cleaning pot I'd say some about the size of the tip of your pinkie finger. Like I said you can do it a few times to really clean it up - and if you've cleaned other lead in the pot your going to want to do it anyway as your pot could be dirty.

Be sure to clean the slag out immediately after fluxing. I try to scrape the sides as well. One big concern I have is you said you thought some of it might have moisture inside. If a drop of moisture (could even be a drop of perspiration) hits it, it will splatter little droplets of lead everywhere. Most of the time they are so tiny they will cool before they get too you. That's why it's important to wear eyewear.

More importantly, if moisture is trapped inside a piece of lead and you put it in a pot of melted lead it could explode. I've been told it could empty the entire contents of the pot and which could cause extremely serious burns. Seems like I read a post on this site where someone said it had happened to them. I would recommend you speak to the people at Do It Mold Co. or do a little more research before trying that.

Saw your post and had to give my two cents worth as I didn't want to see you get hurt.

Yea, I saw that post about the guy melting an old bass casting sinker that had trapped moisture. I'm well aware of the dangers of molten lead and water. That's why I was going to do it out in the yard and stay away from it until I was sure it was melted. Would rather have good clean fluxed lead to start with but I've already bought this lead at a salvage yard for 40 cents a pound. Probably not worth the trouble after having to clean it and watch out for moisture.

Thanks,
Dave

SB You got that lead at a good price. I had to pay double that last time I bought any. But 10 lbs. goes a long ways when you are pouring 1/32 and 1/64 oz. heads. Have to ask if it was wheel weights or pure plumbers lead ???

Redman

You can bake your lead in the over @ 350-deg for 20-min. This will insure the moisture is out.
NightProwler

Redman, It's all plumbers lead or soft sheet lead.

While we're on the subject of fluxing the lead. Can I flux it right in my Lee Production Pot or will the flames damage it? It would be a lot easier (and safer) to pour into ingots that way rather than fluxing in a pot and using a ladle.