Green Powder in Pot

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

First of all, I'm talking about a lead melting pot, not canabis. Found that a large amount of greenish/yellow "powder" was forming on top of my "pure lead" pot yesterday during pouring process. Never seen such a thing and I didn't take chemistry in HS. SOOO, what in the world was it and is it dangerous?  Inquiring minds want to know!!

Capt. Montgomery Little aka Gripmaker

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

Oxides?   Flux and skim it off for haz-waste.

[rickk]

green is possibly copper oxide.

sources could include residue from bullet jackets if it is range scrap, or copper plumbing if it is scrapyard stuff.

Sometimes lead battery cable lugs get cut off (with an inch or so of corroded copper wire included) and thrown into the scrap lead at either a scrap yard or a tire shop.

[litl rooster]

First of all, I'm talking about a lead melting pot, not canabis.

That elimanates cleaning your bowl with Moosemilk

[Dick Dastardly]

Howdy Lil Rooster,

As said, them's oxides.  Flux, skim and go.  The green will come from anything with copper in it.  Don't hurt nothing but should be fluxed and skimmed off.  If it's a bottom pour pot watch for stuff stuck in the spigot.  If that happens, drain the pot, clean the spigot and reload the pot.

So, you starting to cast bullets for the coming season?  Cabin fever setting in?  It sure is hereabouts.

Take care,

DD-DLoS

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I've never had a real problem with oxides.  I did have real problems when I tried to re-cycle BLACK TALON bullets picked up at the range.  Hard brown crud all over everything, including the bottom pour spout!

[Pettifogger]

Maybe if the lead came from an old X-ray lab its radium.  Are you glowing in the dark?

[Shotgun Franklin]

Don't laugh. A friend of mine was given 2 huge sheets of lead for free. One day 2 guys with badges showed up and told him that the sheets came from the Nuclear ship Savannah when it was decommissioned. He lost the lead but didn't mind seeing it go.

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

All the lead was "came", ie. strips of lead used in stained glass window construction so, no copper or any other metal contamination. But I did find out that this is typically what happens when these strips are melted and the pot remains HOT. Oxidation occurs but no one seems to know why. Have checked with a number of metalurgists and each one merely said, "Stuff happens!"

Gonna just SKIM...FLUX...and GO!  DD, not cabin fever as it is too warm here for that but the bullet pile was getting low and needed replenishing. Also got tired of stubbing my toes on the 5 gal. buckets of lead and wheel weights setting around.

Also heard from some survivalists that lead may soon replace Gold as the most valuable and widely exchanged metal. Kinda like during the ACW, WWI and WWII. Could take that two ways.

[Shotgun Franklin]

strips of lead used in stained glass window construction so, no copper or any other metal contamination

Stained/colored glass may well have copper as a coloring agent. If so then the lead could have picked up contamination from the glass.

[hellgate]

I have used stained glass window lead for casting. It makes great roundballs for C&Bs but it is a teeny tiny bit harder than dead soft pure lead so I don't use it for the .58cal minies but it is very close to pure lead and could be considered as such for blending alloys. I doubt there is any copper in it. You are likely seeing various oxidation states that produce green, gold & blue colors on the surface of the lead. The softer (unalloyed) leads seem to produce the colors more than tin/antimony mixes. Flux & skim.

[Fox Creek Kid]

I heard Hellgate held the monks & nuns at gunpoint while he stripped the lead from the stained glass windows in the cathedral. Now THAT is a hardcore Darksider!! 

[Dick Dastardly]

Since my bride does stained glass work, I do know that copper foil is used.  So, some copper could have come from that if the reclaimed alloy came from stained glass salvage.

DD-DLoS

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

The Captain said;  "Gonna just SKIM...FLUX...and GO!

Wrong order;  FLUX first. 

[Capt. Montgomery Little]

Sir Charles,  Normally I would say you are correct. BUT when the powder residue is 1/2" to 3/4" thick on top, Ya just gotta skim it off first in order to get the flux to the lead. So, I'm still gonna "skim...flux...and GO".

This lead has never been used for windows, so no copper present.  Still a mystery where that much "powder" came from.

[Sir Charles deMouton-Black]

I guess, normally, you don`t get that much crud on top!  In the case you describe, I agree with you

Lift off the cruddy crust, flux, stir, and skim.  Repeat as necessary.

[Angel_Eyes]

Just a little warning here guy's, and I am sorry if this is a repeat, but I have been warned NOT to use the lead from inside vehicle batteries!
There was apparently a case where a scrap yard employee was breaking open batteries and melting down the matrixes inside and was found dead next to his smelter.
This obviously does not apply to the terminal posts.

AE

[Stu Kettle]

There was apparently a case where a scrap yard employee was breaking open batteries and melting down the matrixes inside and was found dead next to his smelter.

If this case is an actual event and not just a "scare the children" story, I wonder if he was killed by poisonous fumes from the smelter or blowing himself up while opening a battery.

[Judge Lead]

I would be more inclined to think it was the fumes. We are talking about Sulphuric Acid after all. I would also hope the batteries would be drained and the fluids disposed of CORRECTLY.

Just my thoughts.

Regards