I've been getting quite a bit of slag on the casting pot that Gulf wax nor bees wax will reduce back into the mix. I stir with a wooden stake before skiming, that doesn't help either. It's kind of a grainy looking thick meal. I've tested the slag with mureatic acid with no reaction, so I doubt it's zink or calcium. I'm getting great looking bullets out of the alloy so it can't be that junky. Alloy is range scrap with pewter and a few WW to bring it up to spec.
Today I was mixing more alloy in the big smelting pot and put the accumulated slag in with it. Threw a couple handfuls of wood shavings (pet bedding) in and started stirring. The slag reduced in seconds!? I run a 10" 200,000 Btu burner on the smelting pot without a thermometer so maybe more heat is contributing, but it appears the wood is the main answer.
I hate to run the wood shavings in the bottom pour casting pot, but it looks like I need to. I typically run close to 1-1.5 Sn, 2-2.7 Sb. Is the slag likely antimony because there isn't enough tin to combine with?
Today I was mixing more alloy in the big smelting pot and put the accumulated slag in with it. Threw a couple handfuls of wood shavings (pet bedding) in and started stirring. The slag reduced in seconds!? I run a 10" 200,000 Btu burner on the smelting pot without a thermometer so maybe more heat is contributing, but it appears the wood is the main answer.
I hate to run the wood shavings in the bottom pour casting pot, but it looks like I need to. I typically run close to 1-1.5 Sn, 2-2.7 Sb. Is the slag likely antimony because there isn't enough tin to combine with?