any one melt metals???

[cokey]

Any one melt metals for any reason?  I have a copious amount of electrical wires..  with the price of copper at a good rate I want to scrap them..  not sure if I should just strip it and bring it in or melt it to separate from any other metals.. 

also wondering if any one cast their own bullets?  Saw a couple of vids on it.. seems fun and may be coast effective.

Problem now is I don't have a outdoor spot to melt..  but when I do, I was thinking about going with a wood burning furnace.  Can't find info on how hot you can get with wood..  should be good enough for the melting temp of copper but that wont be the only thing id want to melt.. 

[Monsterlover]

My local scrap yard will pay for wiring even with the insulation on it.  I'm sure yours would do the same.

I don't cast my own bullets but I do reload using hard cast led.  Something about all the lead fumes keeps me from getting into casting my own.  Hard cast lead isn't that expensive either.  I like sending a paypal payment and bullets show up in the mail

[MikeZ]

The3 scrap company next to my business takes the wire with and without insulation but pays more without.
No reason to spend the time to melt it down if you are scrapping it.  Just peal off the insulation.

[WarrenJ]

I used to cast all my bullets, but when my wife and I started to compete hard, I didn't have the time to cast, size, lube bullets before spending all the time reloading and practicing. 

I do cast some of my lower volume rifle bullets like for the 45-70, etc. and some of my larger pistol bullets like the 320 grain 44's. 

Get yourself a good pot that can pour a good volume of lead fast, gloves, dipper, flux, heavy wood dowel for popping the moulds open, some inexpensive Lee sizers that can go in a reloading press, some liquid alox and have at it.  It can be frustrating and/or rewarding like anything else.

[He Man]

you will get a ton more if u strip and melted it yourself, but that requires a lot of work and a massive coal heat.


the places all arond me will weigh it and hide the scale from you and just tell if you want xxx dollars or not. if you really did weigh it, they steal atleat 30% from you. but theres nothing you can do and you would of scrapped it anyway.

[cokey]

Yea I'd weigh it prior.. I will strip it..  reason for melting is im not sure its 100% copper or not.. any easy way to tell?

[WarrenJ]

Melting copper isn't that easy.  1981 F    Lead melts at 500 - 700  depending on alloy,  aluminum at 1212F 

[VisceralReaction]

You don't cast solid copper bullets without a real furnace and the cost really prohibits it.
you can cast lead though very easy. I usually purchase my lead online from rotometals.
they sell bullet lead in various hardness. very easy as mentioned above with a good pot
and ladle etc. I've been doing it for years.

[RAT900]

You don't cast solid copper bullets without a real furnace and the cost really prohibits it.
you can cast lead though very easy. I usually purchase my lead online from rotometals.
they sell bullet lead in various hardness. very easy as mentioned above with a good pot
and ladle etc. I've been doing it for years,,,,Inside, down in the basement with all the windows closed and the vent shut...that's why I hang out on the DMF

there fixed it for ya  

[WarrenJ]

One of the reasons I went to swaging - I get my lead in wire form on 50 lb spools.  Cut it, drop it in the die and squish it to shape.  No heat or vapors.  I guess you can still absorb some through your hands.  The lubricant I use actually acts as a barrier to absorption, so lead toxicity is reduced quite a bit.  I still have over a ton of casting lead and linotype so I'm good either way. 

[VisceralReaction]

Rat you pretty much hit it on the head. though it hurts less than a vasectomy. 

[ducpainter]

One of the reasons I went to swaging - I get my lead in wire form on 50 lb spools.  Cut it, drop it in the die and squish it to shape.  No heat or vapors.  I guess you can still absorb some through your hands.  The lubricant I use actually acts as a barrier to absorption, so lead toxicity is reduced quite a bit.  I still have over a ton of casting lead and linotype so I'm good either way.  

The biggest danger from lead is inhalation...


http://www.osha.gov/pls/oshaweb/owadisp.show_document?p_id=10031&p_table=STANDARDS

Lead can be absorbed into your body by inhalation (breathing) and ingestion (eating). Lead (except for certain organic lead compounds not covered by the standard, such as tetraethyl lead) is not absorbed through your skin.

Since they took the tetraethyl lead out of fuel, absorption is a non issue.

I learned that in auto body 101.

[Speedbag]

Yay! So I CAN run my old cars/bikes in the shop with the doors shut these days.

[ducpainter]

Yay! So I CAN run my old cars/bikes in the shop with the doors shut these days.

Yup...

CO is no longer an issue either.

[Speedbag]

Woohoo!