i'm getting grey flecks in my bullets. i'm using wheel weights and a pound or so of pure lead in a lee 10 pound pot. at first i thought maybe it was a fluxing problem and switched from alox beeswax to frankford arsenal cleancast. still there, so i cleaned out the pot put new alloy in it and i'm still getting the ashy flecks. am i doing something wrong? i don't think it's zinc the shoulders on my semi wadcutter mould are filling out nicely, they just look like crap

Believe you are getting slag in your alloy. When collected to the center of your pot, the flecks range from light to dark shades of gray and they appear dry? If so, you will need to flux more often making sure that the alloy on the sides and bottom of your pot get brought to the top along with the slag. My first experience with this stuff was devastating. Lots or rejects and wasted casting time. Would flux and everything looked clean and shiney on the top but would get gray flecks in the bullets when I bottom pour. This stuff does not easily float to the top of the pot when fluxing and tends to lie on the bottom of the pot where it is drawn out through the spout. I have fluxed when the pot was half full and you wouldn't believe the amount of slag I got out of the alloy indicating that my fluxing was not bringing this stuff to the top. So when casting, flux regularly and stir diligently. Hope this solves your problem.

Are you making ingots in a larger pot when you melt down your wheel weights. I've found that doing that and skimming the dross and fluxing in a large pot seems to get rid of most all of that kind of stuff.

I use a propane turkey fryier and a big cast iron pot and a dipper to make ingots. Pour them in a couple of RCBS ingot molds. That way only clean fluxed lead goes in my Lee melt pot. I still flux each time I add lead to the casting pot though.

Another thing;be sure to stir from the bottom to the top of the pot when fluxing.and be sure to move matter from the bottom edge.

Frank

use a ladle with yhe lee pot bet your problem will go away

thanks for the replies. you guys hit it on the head. i used a ladle instead of the bottom pour and the problem stopped. i do melt my wheel weights in a cast iron pot i guess i'm just not cleaning it enough. i'll try fluxing more and stirring like suggested next time. thanks again

I find the crud gets trapped against the wall and botom of the pot by the molten lead. The melt presses it against the wall, and will not let it float away. I find I must scrape the walls & bottom of my pot with a long spoon to get the slag off the wall so it can float up. Then, I can use my bottom spout all I want.

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gmd is giving you good advice. I use a long spoon and scrape well when I flux. Wish I'd said that. Thanks gmd.

2nd or 3rd GMD's point along with Marshal's. Get a long, thin spatula with wood handle (plastic melts) and clean the sides well. There is a mason's tool that does this even better; a long, skinny flat with an offset handle. Don't recall the name, but they come with and without triangular teeth. You want the toothless kind. They will scrape the sides and bottom, while the spoon gets the bottom corners.

Like Ribbonstone, I use a turkey fryer propane burner to melt WW's and other scrap. I noticed Gander Mountain had the burners by themselves with no pot for $25 or $30 a year or so ago. A plumbing supply house used to be able to sell you a good heavy cast iron round-bottom pot, but I don't know if they still do? Cleaning the crud before casting ingots is a very big help.

Unclenick the mason's tool you were talking about is called a pointing trawl another thing you can use to scrape the crud of the sides and bottom of your pot is a old dull hack saw blade with about 1 to 2 inches of it bent on a 90deg.I have one I put a wooden handle on been using it for the last 6 or 7 years now it will get the crud right off and to the top to where you can get it out of your mix Forest Punch

A dry stick of wood or dowel works purdy good. Must be dry for safety and must be replaced as needed. Might have some fluxing properties? 3/8 to 1/2 inch scrapes the bottom of my Lee pot.

Cheezywan

the resin in the wood if a soft wood will help flux and some type of air/oxygen barrier
on top of melt will also help.

can't believe nobody caught on it was a lee wiyhout it being mentioned in the
original post

I've used wood paint stirrers before, but prefer the sharper metal tool. The hacksaw blade's not a bad idea for the sides and corners. You'll still need a spatula or something with a flat to thoroughly scrape the bottom, though.