Lead ingot question

I’m breaking down some large pieces of “clean” scrap lead that I’ve scrounged up. I had a sheet of X Ray room liner that I melted down by itself because I think I read that’s the best stuff out there. This ingots are a bluish color. Next I’ve melted down some large 3/16” thick sheet and large diameter pipe that looked the same and had about the same flexibility. It seems like pretty good stuff. Those ingots are very shiny silver almost like aluminum foil. Even though they appear to be soft does that mean they have a high tin content?

Lesson for today..... don’t put a wet piece of solid lead into a pot with molten lead. Sorta makes a small scale explosion.

Im being real safe today. Got my leather boots on. Wearing thick stick welding gloves. I’ve got 2, 54” exhaust fans on in the shop and I about exploded myself with wet lead. And this is the story of how every
event in my life goes. I think it was John Wayne who said, “If you’re going to be stupid, you’d better be tough.” I test that theory nearly on a daily basis.

Don’t know the answer to that . But! Wow u better be careful with your experiments ! I Learned years ago melting down wheel weights on a Coleman stove and old pot what 1 drop of sweat does in molten lead!

I think the purer lead will be shiny, at least mine are.

My wheel weights are a dull grayish color.

Usually mix 3 to 1 or 4 to 1, depending on what I'm pouring.

You are extremely lucky it wasn't a big explosion!

You are a lucky man. Jungle Jim had that happen to him a few years back from a sinker that had moisture in it, and it popped from the bottom of the pot. He was also lucky, but it can be nasty. Glad it wasn’t any worse.

Yep, damp lead and hot pot will get your attention fast. Now store your ingots in a dry location. Have sweat or moisture in a pour pot is a bad combo too. Be safe and enjoy.

Wow, glad you survived that lesson without any bad consequences!

Glad to hear your ok. Hot lead does damage like hot grits, need plastic surgery to fix. On the lead hardness, I maybe wrong here, but I thought the more tin it had the harder the lead.

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Dang man that sounds like a dangerous and painful way to live, think I would give some thought to slowing down a little when dealing with things that can really hurt or kill you!

You were Blessed this time, not sure I would test that again, lol!

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Thanks guys. I think the thing that saved me is that I'm using a big stainless stock pot for the initial melting. It's probably 14-15" tall, so those deep sides contained the molten splatter from the explosion. I think I paid $2 for it at a junk store. I use to use it to boil steel traps in.

I'm still not as careful with the hot part of this process as I should be. I'm numbed down to the dangers because I deal with plasma cutting, torches and welding every week day at this same shop that I play at on Saturday. Red steel is hotter than molten lead but it doesn't matter, best case, they'll both get your attention in a hurry.

Jamesdean, the more tin, the harder the lead. If I said that wrong in my first post, it was due to toxic fumes. LOL

You guys will be glad to know that I didn't do anything really stupid or life threatening today. :biggrin

Well why not? Are you not feeling well?.....:Rofl