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Type Metal: Lead Hardened with Antimony and Tin
Lead alone casts easily but shrinks as it sets and is too soft for type. Antimony makes it hard and the castings sharp; tin makes the melt flow and the type tough. The Linotype alloy is 86 % lead, 11 % antimony and 3 % tin. Melt the antimony and mix in salt, stir in red-hot lead, add the tin, skim the dross and cast ingots.
The picture: our diagram of the three metals going into one pot.
Intermediate
Half a day
Instructions
1
1
Weigh the metals
Weigh the metals
For 2 kg of Linotype metal weigh 1,720 g lead, 220 g antimony and 60 g tin.
Materials for this step:
Lead Ingot1720 g
Antimony220 g
Tin Ingot60 gTools needed:
Balance Scale2
2
Melt the antimony with salt
Melt the antimony with salt
Heat the antimony red hot in an iron pot until molten, and mix salt into the hot melt.
Tools needed:
Cast Iron Melting Pot
Charcoal Furnace
Sodium Chloride - Salt
Crucible Tongs
Welding Gloves
Leather Apron
Safety Glasses
P100 Respirator3
3
Stir in red-hot lead
Stir in red-hot lead
Melt the lead in a second pot, heat it red hot, and stir it into the antimony.
Tools needed:
Cast Iron Melting Pot
Foundry LadleCharcoal FurnaceWelding GlovesP100 Respirator4
4
Add the tin, skim, cast
Add the tin, skim, cast
Stir in the tin (our order). Skim off the grey dross, then ladle the alloy into ingot moulds. Every remelt makes more dross, so skim each time.
Tools needed:
Steel ScraperFoundry Ladle
Ingot MouldWelding GlovesLeather Apron5
5
Weighing a batch
Weighing a batch
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Tools Required
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