Need some advice

[BBFisher]

Kinda new to lead melting. Have some lead that I got at a scrap yard. It is painted  can I still melt it down. I have a aluminum pot and kitchen stove. Or my melting pot is a small one with a handle and heat coil on the bottom. I am wanting to make 1\80, 1\64,1\32   :jig: with it. Any advice is welcome.

BB

 

[Hawnjigs]

1. Paint will likely burn & smoke, unpleasant at least and dangerously toxic a possibility.  Try to remove the paint with an appropriate solvent first.
2. The melting point of aluminum is 1,221* F and hazardous for melting lead.  Altho the pot itself may not melt, it might weaken enuf to break with the weight of the lead.  On a gas burner, I did manage to melt an aluminum pot (with lead) when I left it sitting too long.
3. I have been unable to LADLE pour your listed sizes even with pure lead at high temperatures.  Mystery scrap lead might be even harder to pour.  You will probably need a good bottom pour melter and MAYBE some cleaner lead.  I'm guessing you got some sheet lead, which in my experience is usually decent quality for scrap.  Pipe lead is a bit iffy, but likely alright.

I'll let others comment on using a kitchen stove for this purpose.

 

[Fatman]

Don't use aluminum!!  Too dangerous!!  Get a cast iron pot with a flat bottom - kitchen stove use for melting lead NO!!! unless it's an old stove outside in a workshop.  If you have one of the separate plug in type burners that might be enough to melt lead but outside! 

You can ladle pour small ones IF you file a fine groove with a triangle file in one of the pour tips to get a really fine stream.  The line on the tip pointed down has a yellow line you have to file dead center to get a fine stream to pour small ones.  

 

[QPassage]

Cast iron is the only way to go for melting lead. Stay away from wheel weight and I usually sort through the lead at our scrap yard. The softer the lead "pliable" the better. The cleaner the lead the easier and better your pours will come out. I use a propane camp stove to melt clean my lead. Take Fatman's advise inside is no place of melting lead. I do mine outside on a calm day if I can.

 

[BBFisher]

Thanks guys I think I got this 1 get a cast iron pot 2 don't use mommas stove inside lol 3 get a plug in burner or camp stove. Hawn I have poured jigs in the smaller sizes with my Hot pot 2 they have turned out ok for me. I just haven't melted scrap lead before. Another question what is flux or candle wax in this process.   
Great advice 
BB

 

[QPassage]

What I do is melt it down skim it off and skim through the lead. Then I take candle wax and put in the lead it will flame up so be prepared. After it burns out I skin it again. Then I add a small amount of saw dust to the lead and let it burn off, skim one last time and you should be good to go. I have found the saw dust seems to add a bit of carbon back to the lead witch I think make the lead shiner. The saw dust will act as a flux to some degree. Good Luck.