These'll work?

[Fatman]

I'd have to say no to the fragrance in the candle - I use stuff my wife toss's and it's by Yankee Candle, pretty weird you're there melting lead and you have a shot of whatever smell you happen put in for fluxing!!! My fave is mango/raspberryLOL

You can get a thermometer for lead melting but they run $35 and up for a good one, Lee or RCBS

Got a buddy on Cast Boolits reloading site that use's one of the electronic ones where you point it at the pot and pull the trigger and it gives you the temp. http://compare.ebay.com/like/360448270226?var=lv&ltyp=AllFixedPriceItemTypes&var=sbar

Can't speak much about the pot - I have a cast iron one and the bottom melters. Before that I had a Hot Pot which is nothing more than a really big ladle and a heating element in it. If you can find an old cast iron skillet laying around try that.

 

[Hawnjigs]

Redear, sounds like zinc contamination which continually produces SILVERY dross on the melt surface. Dark + yellow dross in my experience usually forms on a very hot melt of soft lead.

Never had need for a thermometer for tackle casting which doesn't require precision heat control useful for boolit alloying & casting.

OK, pic below of my dross reclamation equipment - two thrift shop cast iron small pots(hot pot and cool pot, tho can get by with 1), gal can + metal mesh strainer, cast iron ingot mold, wax processed into convenient size small chunks, Lee small ladle for skimming & stirring. Gas burner station & suck fan in back.

Process: ain't hard.
1. Heat load of slag, I like 1/3 pot full, until metallic lead starts melting onto pot bottom, then add flux. My wax chunks are estimated right size for a single to flux 4-6# of CLEAN lead for casting. Processing slag requires more, maybe 2-4 chunks depending on the amount of slag. Ideally, the burner should be adjusted to just enuf heat to liquify lead, since higher casting temps are unnecessary. At the lower temp, the wax may smoke away before igniting so I like to add a flame starter, a small wad of toilet paper soaked in paint thinner for example, as soon as the wax has melted into the slag. The flaming slag needs to be CAREFULLY stirred to separate as much metallic lead as possible.
2. Drain melt into mold being careful to leave remaining dross in the pot.
3. Dump remaining dross into second empty (cool) pot or other metal heat sink container and when any metallic remainder has solidified, strain to separate powder waste from larger bits which may still contain metallic lead.
4. The remainder can be re-processed to extract more metallic lead, but if the amount appears to be negligable I like to save for the next 1/3 pot full. My choice of 1/3 pot full of slag is a personal preference, less or more is do-able.

 

[Lost Pole]

Thx Hawn

 

[Fatman]

Thanks Hawn

 

[redman]

The other thing that can be done is to have a casting oven that you can put the lead in and keep it a 600 degrees for a few hours and flux for the last half hour. I got my oven when I worked in the jewelry field. Nice cool toys that I got that work with my hobbies.

I would try to do with what Hawn suggested. Think that all is not lost yet. The lead is still there you just have to get it refined. All this lead pouring stuff is a learning curve that sometimes can be very steep.

Redman