Pre-cleaning of wheel weights??

[Two Flints]

Hello SSS,

I was gifted a 10 pound can of wheel weights    I just finished separating the stick-on wheel weights from the clip-on wheel weights.  Should the clip-on wheel weights be pre-cleaned in some way before they are melted down?  If this is something that you do...pre-cleaning of wheel weights...what do you use as a cleaning medium? 

This is a new venture for me, so I would appreciate SERIOUS RESPONSES only.  I have the Lee Pro 20 LB furnance for any final melting I do.

Thanks,

Two Flints

[Will Ketchum]

You might ask this question over at the black powder forum.  There are a lot of serious casters over there.

Will Ketchum

[Appalachian Ed]

TL,

I don't use wheel weights, but I do sometimes use other scrap lead that is filthy. I would scrub with soap and hot water first to keep the amount of dross down. You could just melt away, but you would have lots more junk to flux and skim off. You still will need to flux the lead to bring most of the crud to the top. But if they are dirty it would be a big help to wash them. I cast about 250Lb. a year.

[Cutter Carl]

Worke in a tire shop for sevearl years, used to melt wheel weights to make ballast weights for race cars.  Used an old Coleman stove and old bread pan to melt them in.  Filled a bucket with about 25 lbs. of weights and some cheap car wash soap and water. 
stirred them around with a piece of 2" x 4" and rinsed then melted down.  I cheap slotted spoon worked well to strain out the steel wheel clips from the molten lead and also to skim  the crud off the top. 

[Mossyrock]

Good advice so far...  Let me throw some more in.  First off, if you clean them with soap and water (good idea), make ABSOLUTELY SURE AND CERTAIN that they are dry before they are added to any molten lead.  ANY water in molten lead can cause a steam explosion.  Trust me...that falls into the "bad thing" column.  Also, I wouldn't recommend smelting them in your good casting pot.  Do the initial melt, skimming and fluxing in an old coffee can over something like a Coleman stove....OUTDOORS.  Oh, and separate the stick on wheel weights from the clip ons...and throw the stick ons away.  While they MAY be made out of dead-soft lead, some of them are made of zinc.  Zinc will ruin your alloy.