Silver in melted lead

[Zero58]

Hi members have started making own lead balls I've done the ingots and all fluxed except for this sort of shiny silver stuff that seems to float on top do I need to get rid of it or leave it
The balls will be shot out of a black powder six shot revolver and have read only use soft lead balls so they don't damage rifling in barrel so does silver stuff stay or go if go do I just scoop it up with my spoon and dump it. I will flux again when I make balls I'm still very new to black powder so this is all new to me so I hope this is not a stupid question but knowing me it probably is from Frank

[tim56]

Hi Frank, silver in the lead is ok if your after vampires. Bit messy when they vaporise though.!! Sorry, couldn't resist.
I also get gold/silver and blue scum sometimes on top of the mix. If your using a pot with a spout scum isn't a problem
but i use a ladle so i just skim it off to get a clean dip. Don't seem to get it until i put my Lee scoop in the pot so assume
the scoop is made of something with a coating. Also too high a temp can give you colouring but if i drop the temp round
ball is ok but i don't get a solid cast with large calibre bullets. Ps, i always flux my lead with a commercial flux even when
using ingots. Never had a problem with colour in the soft cast balls but have sometimes had a blue tinge when making
hard cast 45 cal 405 grn bullets. Seem to shoot ok though. Tim

[Zero58]

Hi Frank, silver in the lead is ok if your after vampires. Bit messy when they vaporise though.!! Sorry, couldn't resist.
I also get gold/silver and blue scum sometimes on top of the mix. If your using a pot with a spout scum isn't a problem
but i use a ladle so i just skim it off to get a clean dip. Don't seem to get it until i put my Lee scoop in the pot so assume
the scoop is made of something with a coating. Also too high a temp can give you colouring but if i drop the temp round
ball is ok but i don't get a solid cast with large calibre bullets. Ps, i always flux my lead with a commercial flux even when
using ingots. Never had a problem with colour in the soft cast balls but have sometimes had a blue tinge when making
hard cast 45 cal 405 grn bullets. Seem to shoot ok though. Tim

Thanks Tim I have two ex wives who you could say are vampires always after my blood !!!
So skim off any thing on top of lead that flux as brought to the top I have a kranks scoop which is coated with some Teflon stuff so try to get the cleanest lead in the scoop thanks for advice and about the heat I'll try that sort of simmer it as opposed to boil thanks

[El Garro]

Kind of off topic but in the old lead mines around here, they used to get on average around 8 to 10
Ounces of silver per ton of smelted lead ore (galena) . In some mines, a lot more.
It was skimmed off but even though different processes were devised to try and recover it all , I wonder if they got every last bit ?

[Zero58]

Kind of off topic but in the old lead mines around here, they used to get on average around 8 to 10
Ounces of silver per ton of smelted lead ore (galena) . In some mines, a lot more.
It was skimmed off but even though different processes were devised to try and recover it all , I wonder if they got every last bit ?

No problem I like a bit of history yes you guessed it I'm the one who got the silver this lead belonged to my farther who I think got some of it off my mums grandfather. Further back I don't know it's always been in a shed of sorts each thinking it will come in handy one day I was the same well the day as arrived to be used I'm sure it as silver in it as its like a chrome shine still I'll skim it off when I reheat it can't have balls going solid thanks for the history and a possibility that it is a trace of silver in my lead from Frank

[airgunnut]

is the lead you have in ingots or rods? just wondering if some old silver solder has been added

[gtpkeeper]

sure the lead is getting hot enough,

[Dave 101]

When you get that coloured sheen on top , drop in a blob of candle wax when it smokes put a flame to it .

Dave

[Zero58]

sure the lead is getting hot enough,

I'm following lyman BP hand book but I used a cooking Thermometer and it was reading
400c but it was a very cold day and I was out side the shed so may be something to do with cold air on top I was simmering the lead at 350c thanks for post Frank

[Zero58]

When you get that coloured sheen on top , drop in a blob of candle wax when it smokes put a flame to it .

Dave

Ok Dave when I melt it again I'll re do flax and and see what dross I get thanks

[Zero58]

is the lead you have in ingots or rods? just wondering if some old silver solder has been added

I think they are or were Victorian window sash cord weights as there is a or was a round eye screwed into each one two of them have rusted the eyes not the lead I have six they weigh in at two pound each dead on so may be not solder bits but may be something else who knows I'll re flax and dross again when weather is warmer as said may have been to cold on that day for that type of thing thanks for post from Frank

[airgunnut]

did you know that if the lead was smelted pre 1940 (what it said on one web sight) is low alpha lead (older the better) is worth more than gold? due to something to do with electronics and the lead is better for solder

[Zero58]

did you know that if the lead was smelted pre 1940 (what it said on one web sight) is low alpha lead (older the better) is worth more than gold? due to something to do with electronics and the lead is better for solder

To be honest well no I did not know but what you have said "older the better" as cheered me up I'll try and do some more smelting when this dammed weather in proves some what try to make it a mild day I've had to do with shop brought at moment but am determine to make my own and feel lucky my lead predates well before 1940s thanks from Frank

[airgunnut]

To be honest well no I did not know but what you have said "older the better" as cheered me up I'll try and do some more smelting when this dammed weather in proves some what try to make it a mild day I've had to do with shop brought at moment but am determine to make my own and feel lucky my lead predates well before 1940s thanks from Frank

what i meant by older the better was that the older it is the more money its worth to the electronics business

[Zero58]

what i meant by older the better was that the older it is the more money its worth to the electronics business

Thanks got that I'll look into it as don't want to make balls out of lead that's worth something defeats the object of making a saving on my hobby thanks