General discussion > Black Powder Shooting
scrap lead question
wvmtnman:
I have come across a great deal of scrap lead. It is old lead pipes and roof flashing. I don't have a tester but it seems really soft. The only problem is that it is really dirty. Should I melt this and skim it in a different pot or would it be OK to wire brush it off and melt down in the Lee furnace? (The pipes have scale inside)
Thanks, Brian
Dphariss:
Just melt it. I melt scrap lead in an old cast iron skillet to get it somewhat cleaner then make it into ingots that will fit my lead pot. Pipe and flashing or other sheet lead should be good stuff.
Scrap lead is high now, .80 a pound or so where I live.
Dan
Acorn Mush:
Congratulations on your scrap lead deal!
Prior to melting it down, I would suggest you remove as much dirt and scale as you can. It will make for much less skimming work. Just thump those old pipes on a hard surface, tap the outsides with a ballpeen hammer, or rod them out some way to get out all the crud you can.
Don't be concerned about wether or not the lead is soft enough. Flashing and plumbing pipes (and cable sheathing, if you can find any of it) was typically made out of pure, or nearly pure lead. I have shot lots of balls made out of such salvaged lead and it was all as soft as you please. You can depend on the ol' fingernail scratch test as a good indicator.
Good luck.
ironwolf:
Yea, definitely pre-melt it and pour of into ingots as Dan says. It's better to use only your cleanest stuff in your electric furnace, as you must be thinking already.
KW
BrownBear:
You'll go nuts trying to recover that quantity of lead in a small pot. For big jobs I use a cast iron dutch oven on a Coleman stove outdoors. Skim the dross and ladle the melt into 1 pound ingot moulds. Those are really handy for storage and even feeding into a 20 pound or even 10 pound electic lead smelter.
Congrats!
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