Author Topic: Wheel weights (Read 2940 times))

Insanity · « **on:** October 29, 2019, 02:58:04 PM »

So about a hour away a gent is selling used WWs that appear to be lead only. What are the odds they are pure or have some sort of alloy mixed in? For the 1 to 1.25 a pound and its good lead to cast pellets with I would go and buy some.

https://columbus.craigslist.org/mat/d/centerburg-scrap-lead-wheel-weights/6979497023.html

Loren · « **Reply #1 on:** October 29, 2019, 03:07:37 PM »

The stick on weights tend to be 99% lead. The clip on will have some antimony (maybe 4-6%) and maybe 1% tin.

I would give it a go!

Lani52 · « **Reply #2 on:** October 29, 2019, 03:08:51 PM »

I would not.

Too many alloys that can ruin your alloy and too hard.

They were great back in the day for pb shooters, you could even heat treat them, but today’s ww mixes are not the same as they were years ago.

Tape on ww are said to be pure lead, but do you trust them to sort it all out?

Lead is cheap if purchased right.

Roachcreek

HunterWhite · « **Reply #3 on:** October 29, 2019, 04:27:16 PM »

You could buy enough to fill your pot, just keep it separate. Empty out the stuff you already have and try the new stuff. If it works, then buy more, he has 2 tons of it.

AGEnthused2 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 29, 2019, 05:05:08 PM »

Buy a bunch and sell it to members on GTA in a flat rate box.

Mole2017 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 29, 2019, 05:33:31 PM »

4000 lbs...plenty to go around.

Bob Pratl · « **Reply #6 on:** October 30, 2019, 06:25:03 AM »

If you need lead, it is worth checking it out, just bring some side cutters because lead nicks easy. Sort through them before purchasing.

Insanity · « **Reply #7 on:** October 30, 2019, 06:54:41 AM »

Some nips or a pencil to test hardness. Man this truck I am riding in is making it even more difficult to type lol.

maraudinglizard · « **Reply #8 on:** October 30, 2019, 07:14:06 AM »

Wheel weights are a hit and miss for lead these days, most now have zinc in them. Zinc weights will have a ring to them when tapped on metal, lead will have a thud sound when tapped. Lead will cut easy with side cutters also. If you can scratch deep cut with your finger nail it's lead.

FuzzyGrub · « **Reply #9 on:** October 30, 2019, 10:07:15 AM »

I think the stick-ons would be the better value. Generally, softer lead, no clips, and significantly less dirt and grime. Prepping it for ingots would be less work. If it was close to me, I'd consider some.

Insanity · « **Reply #10 on:** October 30, 2019, 10:33:10 AM »

I would definitely only go for the stick on ones only I dont want to deal with the clips.

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #11 on:** October 30, 2019, 10:56:16 AM »

Clip on have a lot of antimony in them as well. Something you don't want.

Lead just went up at my local scrap recycle yard. It went from 48 cents a pound tot 53 cents a lb. for pure. I have paid as much as 1.45 a lb back when I was getting started and rotometals was at 5.50+ a pound. Not hare to figure at all.

Have you called any scrap yards. Many he tones of it.

One batch I bought was from a PD range. All 40 cal speer gold dot. The plated shells floated to the top of the smelting pot, and they bought it back from me as scrap. Stick on's can be pure lead, some mix, or zinc. So the advice to use caution is valid.

Knife

Insanity · « **Reply #12 on:** October 30, 2019, 11:10:53 AM »

Quote from: KnifeMaker on October 30, 2019, 10:56:16 AM

Clip on have a lot of antimony in them as well. Something you don't want.

Lead just went up at my local scrap recycle yard. It went from 48 cents a pound tot 53 cents a lb. for pure. I have paid as much as 1.45 a lb back when I was getting started and rotometals was at 5.50+ a pound. Not hare to figure at all.

Have you called any scrap yards. Many he tones of it.

One batch I bought was from a PD range. All 40 cal speer gold dot. The plated shells floated to the top of the smelting pot, and they bought it back from me as scrap. Stick on's can be pure lead, some mix, or zinc. So the advice to use caution is valid.

Knife

I haven't called any but I just may and see what they have also. Would save me a couple hours driving.

SAGERAT NITEMARE · « **Reply #13 on:** October 30, 2019, 06:52:19 PM »

Lead availability and quality/quantity depends a lot on where you live...only one recycler in my area...lead is scarce because EVERYONE AROUND HERE hunts and casts seems like...I check every time I go to town, usually twice a month, but usually only get the dregs because everyone that lives in town and casts checks DAILY and grabs any that comes in that day...seems like...

Most of the time I just get a head shake or a shrug...the ALL know me.

Good Hunting.

maraudinglizard · « **Reply #14 on:** October 30, 2019, 07:27:58 PM »

Over time I have kept my small caliber pellet lead and reused it to cast the heavier stuff. I have found good clean lead on Ebay and have enough to last me a life time. Roto Metals is your best bet for starting out for good clean lead for casting. My target is full of clothing in a box with a 2x12 as a back stop in the box. When the box is full, I will shake out the lead and cast into ingots. I don't have to wash anything and have the risk of an explosion from water in the lead. The clothing bits will float to the top and burn off.

https://www.rotometals.com/lead-mini-ingot-pure-99-9-1-pound/

KnifeMaker · « **Reply #15 on:** October 31, 2019, 03:45:37 AM »

Pre-heat your lead on hot plates in a pan. already have them for pre-heating molds anyway, no water danger then when adding to the pot.

In the summer, I put it out on a table in the sun. No water survives the Texas heat! lol

Knife

Lani52 · « **Reply #16 on:** October 31, 2019, 11:27:01 AM »

I used to mine various police ranges that I qualified on, at the time it was a great way to get alloy. I would end up with 100 to 150 lbs of lead.

This was back in the 70’s.

Then some thing happened to my latest batch of lead alloy from the range, the stuff would not even come close to filling out a mold, it was a matter of surface tension. I had poisoned my allot batch with what we, myself and other experienced casters assumed was zinc, in the end after trying many different things to salvage the batch, I threw it away.

At the time wheel weights were also a dependable source of bullet alloy, so for the next 20 years Les Swab tires was my best friend. I averaged around 100 lbs of alloy a year.

Then the black powder cartridge bug hit me and I turned to pure lead. BP cartridges, like airgun casting, demands soft pure lead with just a touch of tin. Saving money by guessing what is in the alloy with your finger nail or a pair of side cutters is a fools errand.

Sorrry but after throwing away a batch of alloy that I worked so hard on, mining, cleaning, casting into ingots has left me jaded.

So these days, when I have less time in life left to cast, I buy my alloy from Rotometals or off ebay in the form of the old 6 sided foundry ingots like the Ames ingots.

Roachcreek

K.O. · « **Reply #17 on:** October 31, 2019, 03:58:29 PM »

the only salvage lead I have use is pellets and a 10" pipe sealing ring(plumbers Lead)... oh have used 60/40 bar solder but that was for the tin content...

the rest has been Rotometals supplied... for what I am doing small bore using boolits cast from alloy on the soft side it makes the most sense... I do pick up other lead when I see... keep it to give to a pb reloader I know... just not worth it for me to try and scrouge lead...

just recycle what I have so far... will probably get another 30 LBS or so of roto or other 99.99% or 98% to go with the 30 lbs I have... also as I shoot up my pellets they get added... that is probably another 40- 50 LBS...

Mole2017 · « **Reply #18 on:** October 31, 2019, 05:06:42 PM »

You all talking about sources of lead reminds me that I scrounge it when I can. I'm like, "oh, some lead...got to save that!"

Let's see...
...I've salvaged the lead from the cast iron plumbing I found under my house. I recently grabbed a ~50 pound fragment with three or four joints in it that I found in a field (dumped there). I still have to get it out of the joints, but that's got to be 10 or 15 pounds.
...I grabbed the lead shower liner a friend found under his shower when he renovated his house. It was corroded some, but the pieces were really heavy. Somehow I'm thinking that was 90 lbs of sheet lead.
...Then I discovered someone had used lead rods to weight a vinyl curtain that went to the trash. About 24 pounds of lead already in handy 1/2"x12" rods. (The hoarder in me even grabbed some of that thick vinyl curtain...)
...LOL, I've even hoarded some cast iron pots to do all the melting when I get around to it.

...but I don't cast anything! Must be the engineering material hoarder in me, though I think at one time I was thinking of selling it for scrap like I did with a bunch of copper pipe, wire, and brass pieces I had collected. I even bought 15 sticks of 1"x20' copper tube because Lowe's put it on a clearance price that was cheaper than scrap value, something like $7.50 a stick! I still have to sell that stuff, but I've also discovered you can do better than scrap value selling pre-cut lengths to people through eBay--that was a revelation!

Anyway, back to the topic...Now, well, with the air gun thing going, I might just be able to use it some day.

Insanity · « **Reply #19 on:** October 31, 2019, 05:19:58 PM »

Of the stick on lead WWs I have encountered they seemed to be soft lead and may be suitable for pellets which is why I am asking and very grateful for everyone's input. This would be the only ones I would pick out to use and probably purchase around 50 pounds worst case I smelt it and sell it on Ebay as WW lead for a couple bucks a pound...

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Wheel weights

Author Topic: Wheel weights (Read 2940 times))

AGEnthused2