Weekend melt

[Ikarus1]

Got some COWWs from a member here, and the 100lb were around 65% lead alloy. Bucket contents from top to bottom are FE (Iron), Zn (zinc) and Pb alloy. Took me around an hour to sort 100lbs, and the thermocell kept the skeeters at bay.

pics of my melter setup

Result after fluxing and pouring - 64 lbs of excellent bullet alloy.

 

[BurnedOutGeek]

Whatcha got planned for it, something in particular or is it for a variety of stuff?

 

[Ikarus1]

Also scored a like new Lee TL .358 RN mold

 

[Ikarus1]

Whatcha got planned for it, something im particular or is it for a variety of stuff?

This stuff is the go-to alloy for my casting. I am a neophyte, so the formula I use is:

aircooled COWW mixed 50/50 with 2% tin added for pistol rounds up to 1000fps

straight aircooled COWW with maybe 1% tin for 1000fps and up pistol rounds (more than 25K psi pressure)

water-dropped COWW plus 1% tin for rifle rounds up to 2000fps

I'm starting to powder coat most of my faster pistol and rifle rounds so I'm sure the formula will change. Esp with the scarcity of COWW lead nowadays.

Wish I would have laid up a couple thousand pounds of this stuff when nobody wanted it.

 

[dman24]

What is coww?

 

[Ikarus1]

What is coww?

clip on wheel weights. Has antimony and arsenic for hardening properties.

SOWW or stick on wheel weights are nearly pure lead.

 

[dman24]

Thanks for the clarification. For the soww do you just add the extra stuff to get it to harden.

 

[Ikarus1]

Thanks for the clarification. For the soww do you just add the extra stuff to get it to harden.

Yeah but since most new ones are zinc or iron, i sort the lead soww ones out and make soft muzzleloading balls with it. Pure lead is pretty easy to come by, good alloy not so much

 

[copdills]

Thats a good Haul, thats some good looking Lead, great JOB

 

[JohnFreeman]

Good work. I can almost smell the aroma of burning SOWW adhesive from here. I enjoy the smelting process too and I figure each session probably takes 6 months off my life. Nice looking bars you have there.