Author Topic: Dross Help! (Read 572 times)

Boge · « **on:** August 23, 2004, 06:26:43 PM »

I helped a buddy start casting today and had something very interesting happen. Firstly, all the eqpmt. was new, Lee 20 lb. (ladle only) furnace and a Rowell ladle. The alloy was 20 to 1 that he bought from a major company. Well, we cast some great bullets but I have never seen so much dross! It was awful! I usually use a cast iron pot and a turkey burner and have never had this much dross! We'd flux it with beeswax and a match then stir & 5 mins. later more dross! Im thinking that it could only be the alloy he bought, but why wouldn't all the dross come to the surface with the first flux? :?: :?

Lloyd Smale · « **Reply #1 on:** August 24, 2004, 12:05:31 AM »

theres a good chance that what your dealing with is oxidized lead at the surface. Not much you can do about it when your ladle casting except to keep fluxing.

jgalar · « **Reply #2 on:** August 24, 2004, 01:24:50 AM »

Also the lead temperature may have been way to hot. Using a lyman lead thermometer I found my Lee pot is the correct temperature when set at only 3 to 4.

LAH · « **Reply #3 on:** August 24, 2004, 06:21:23 AM »

Somethings not right. If it's something you're doing wrong: most likely, "too much heat." If it's not your fault: most likely, "bad alloy."

Boge · « **Reply #4 on:** August 25, 2004, 03:53:07 PM »

I talked to my buddy today and he had some good news. He cast some more and this time he used a large ball of beeswax & fluxed the melt until it screamed! hahahah! He said this eliminated almost all of the dross this time. Man, that was a DIRTY batch of supposed foundry alloy! He said he'd never by from this seller again. Thanks, fellas. :-)