Kitty Litter, Fluxing and Oxidation

[carpediem]

Hello All and Happy New Year:

Some postings back I read a posting that suggested using kitty litter to prevent the oxidation of the alloy in the melting pot by pouring enough kitty litter to cover the top of the alloy melt in the pot.  Adding more alloy to the pot would filter through the kitty litter into the melt leaving the impurities behind in the kitty litter.  Am I right so far?

Do you stir the kitty litter in like you would a regular flux?

I use a 25 pound ingot that slides down a ramp into a 40 pound pot.  The ingot melts its way into the pot as I pour the lead from the bottom pour.  As the ingot would constantly be melting through the kitty litter, would the kitty litter stick to the ingot, dragging it down into the poured bullet?

In your opinion, do you think kitty litter works better for fluxing than sawdust?

Thank you in advance for your advice and information.

Kindest regards
 :wink:
Carpediem

[hubbard]

i read a similar post about oil dry which looks like kitty litter to me. i fluxed my mix before adding the oil dry and that was the last time. i'm continually adding ww's while i'm casting from a bottom pour and never had a sticking problem. i stir my mix from time to time and never see a dross buildup. it certainly helps with the oxidation problem for me.

[cukrus]

In my opinion the kitty litter/oil dry works better than saw dust/wax/charcoal when casting;  I still use all the old fluxes when cleaning wheel weights and making alloys. When using kitty litter I keep the pot pretty full, don't empty it and don't stir.  
How do you stir a pot with a 25lb ingot sliding down a ramp?  I think I need some kind of therapy just thinking about it.
Your debilitated sevant,
cukrus

[FAsmus]

Carpediem,

C: Some postings back I read a posting that suggested using kitty litter to..

F: Don't ever put cat litter on your lead alloy: It will plug up your ladle and make casting bullets impossible.

Good morning,
Forrest

[waksupi]

Uh...Forrest... That's for bottom pour pots. Something new they invented. I know some of the older guys are still using buffalo paunches with red hot rocks dropped in them to melt lead, but there have been a few advances. For instance, we have found it a good idea to use fresh kitty litter, rather than used.

[carpediem]

Thanks for the info guys.

Cukrus, the ingot is approximately two and a half feet long and while it is melting into the pot I grasp the top of the ingot and stir.  Once the ingot is fully melted I use a ladle.  Keep in mind I am using a Magma Bullet Master which casts bullets at a rate of 2000 per hour.

Waksupi, I haven't laughed that hard in years.  Your humour is pricelss.

FAsmus,  thank you for the info on ladle pouring.  I normally use a bottom pour pot but will need to do some ladle casting for round ball.  I never thought of the kitty litter plugging the hole.

I thought you were supposed to use the used kitty litter? :-D  :wink:

Do you guys ever skim off the kitty litter?  if so how often?  Do you flux first and then pour the kitty litter on or do you stir the kitty litter into the alloy like a wax flux?

Thanks for the advice.

Kindest regards,
 

[waksupi]

I leave the same litter on for three or four melts. It starts getting funky looking by that time, and is breaking down into finer granuals. It's cheap, so change every melt if you want to.
'Litter contains organic elements, so is a flux itself. As I have said before, I use a dry piece of dowel to stir completely to the bottom, and to scrape the sides of the pot. This way, the carbon thoughroly saturates the mix, rather than just the top layer. You just plain ain't gonna be able to stir something with a lighter specific gravity down into the lead otherwise.

[FAsmus]

Waksupi,

W: ..That's for bottom pour pots.. Something new invented..

F: ..Well, I guess I knew that. But I have to say a few things in defence of the ladle method anyway!

Primative the method may be but I'm a believer when it comes to casting the more demanding sorts of bullets. Things like long 44s or 550+ 45 caliber grain bullets just don't come out as well from the bottom-pour outfits as a ladle can produce.

Now, for casting hundreds of small-bore 30s or even pistol bullets, sure, bottom pour is the best.

Good morning,
Forrest

[hammerhead357]

Hi all once again I am late and short..... Use the cat litter if the alloy going into the pot is clean. I use the stuff and feed the pots from lino feeders and use the litter until it has so much dross in it that it looks bad then when the pot is hot I stir the whole thing and then skim the litter off and put some more on. Let it sit for a while to heat up and  the start feeding more lead through it. I have done this for years and many thousands of pounds of lead and it works wonders.    Wes

[FAsmus]

Gentlemen;

When I use the new-fangled bottom-pour pot for making relatively simple bullets like the general run of pistol bullets with a multi-cavity mold the feed rate is so great that fluxing is of no consequence or consideration.

These bullets are made by running the 90-pound pot of alloy for a source and the 10-pound bottom pour pot to feed the mold. If the 10-pound pot were used alone it could never keep up with the demand of hot alloy. By feeding the little bottom pour with hot material from the big pot a fellow may make 5-600 bullets per hour once everything is up and running.

On the other hand if you need to make precise large caliber bullets weighing within +/- 0.3 grain the bottom pour pot simply cannot perform: You have to use a ladle.

Good evening,
Forrest

[Jim L.]

Hold onto the Cats legs or they will splash molten alloy all over the place while trying to get them stuffed into a small bottom pour. Sorry that was mean. Yes I have a cat. (smile) The kitty litter does really well for oxidation and will keep the inside of pot clean also. You will notice the difference in the bullets as dross will seem to disappear. I keep my litter in gallon jugs to help prevent moisture although you will still want to be carefull pushing it below the surface. Try it, I think you will be happy with the results.