how do you prep your lead and copper for melting to make ingots?

[stilly]

I have a lot of recovered bullets and I want to start melting them down and making lead ingots.

I have a few of the PLATED 230gr 45 ACP that I pulled from the side of a burm/ back stop and they have dirt and stuff encrusted with the mushroom and lead. Should I clean that out and if so what is the best way to do it?

ALSO.

I am thinking LARGE anvil and large hammer, but how to I quickly open up and of the TMJ recovered projectiles that I have? Put them on a large anvil and hit them with a 4 lb sledge causing the sides to buckle and the lead to be exposed, then toss them in the melter and let the copper float to the top?

Any info is nice.

[ExtremeX]

Here one idea...

[koehn,jim]

I use a plumbers pot on a Coleman stove. Put some lead in it and get it hot add the bullets slowly making sure to remove any junk and live shells. live ones make it exciting. The hammer and anvil should work.

[TKM]

Don't worry about dirt and copper jackets.

If it weighs less than lead it will just float to the surface and you can scoop it off. Anything organic will just go poof.

Some of the guys on Castboolits take the copper bits down to the recycle center for beer money.

[bruce381]

smash the copper jackets so the lead will leak out when melted 700F is all you need for all the lead to melt. The copper and crap will float on top easy to skim out. Go to the cast boolits site read sticky things ALL the info you need ther there.

[pure3d2]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/

[Inkman]

^^ Castboolits for all things casting and lead related

FWIW...i stopped smashing any fully jacketed bullets and just let the heat open em up with the lid on. Any that don't open up get skimmed and tossed with the other junk. Too time consuming for too little lead.

Al

[shooterbill]

I soak recovered bullets in a bucket of water. Shake and stir for awhile. Strain and rinse. A sledge works. Smash a little and squeeze with a pair of side cutters. Less junk in, less junk you have to remove.

Stir a lot when melted. The jackets hold some of the lead. You end up wasting lead if you don't.

[fredj338]

Everything floats in molten lead so just shake out the excess dirt & put everything in the smelting pot. You DO want to break the plating on whole plated bullets, they can actually pop as they build pressure, not good. Jacketed w/ an open nose or base are fine whole. Flux, skim everything off, ladle into molds, ready for the casting pot.
Fluxing is just adding carbon based something to help pull contaminants out of the alloy. The best thing I have found is wood chips or sawdust. Use only wood, not fiber poard or MDF. Stir it in, skim off any dross that collects, ready for ingots.

[anyracoon]

Just a big FYI. If you wash your recovered bullets be sure to make sure they are dry! A wet bullet added to a pot of melted lead goes boom as moisture turns to steam.

[Capt.Dunsel]

[QUOTE=fredj338;11308528] The best thing I have found is wood chips or sawdust. Use only wood, not fiber poard or MDF.QUOTE]

This is a great re-purpose for your old walnut/corn cob medium from your tumbler.

[stilly]

Here one idea...

good stuff.

So cast boolits or gunloads is where I need to go. YEah I am familiar with that place, that is where I learned about swaging my 22lr into something useful... :\