Zinc and what to do with it

[roysha]

I just picked up 3-5 gallon buckets of WWs from a shop and have discovered that over half is Zn marked. So my question is; what do I do with the Zn WWs? The price was right, free, so I'm not complaining, just would like to find a use for the Zn if possible.

Looks like this may be my last trip for WWs unless I find an out of the way shop that has some setting off in a corner.

I have heard that the lead WWs are to be banned this year. Is this correct?

[deltaenterprizes]

There are cannon shooters that will trad lead for zinc.

[dakotashooter2]

fishing jigs... weight and fillout isn't as critical....

[randyrat]

Melt them down into ingots,(but don't contaminate your equipment too much) Save them for trade. Mark them clearly. If they are pure Zinc, they could be worth $2-3 / lb or more at the right time. I'm not sure if zinc WWs are pure zinc.
If you leave them as whole WWs they aren't worth much at a scrap yard.

The zinc market is closely related to the lead market for price. As more and more WWs are being made from zinc the price may go up.

At one time I got $3.50/lb for some pure zinc ingots.

The other option, throw them in your dross/clip bucket and turn them in for $.10/lb

[Maximumbob54]

I would hang onto them. I have read on this very forum that there are guys out there trying right now to cast zinc bullets. I think of them the same way I thought of copper bullets when I first heard of them. Not yet, but in time...

[Ohio Rusty]

They can also be melted down and poured into jig head moulds for fishing. If you lose a zinker jig head in the bottom of the lake ... you aren't out anything ...
Ohio Rusty ><>

[Dannix]

Make boolits out of them. Look up jbunny's posts.

I actually think, in the right calibres, zinc boolits could be quite attractive -- imagine greater sectional density without having to push something heavier.

[oscarflytyer]

Duck decoy weights. That is where the next bunch of my Zinc weights are headed.

[HollowPoint]

I've been toying with the idea of making zinc jackets for my 30 caliber bullets. I think I've figured out a way to do it but, I threw out all my zinc wheel weights away several years ago thinking I'd never need them.

I have a couple of friends that own tire shops here in town so if I don't have any luck getting a few zinc weights from either of them I'll inquire in the "Swapping and Selling" area about maybe buying just enough to experiment with.

Anyone know off-hand what the BHN of zinc is; by the way?

HollowPoint

[DeadHandRed]

zinkers

[badbob454]

i jut tested the bhn of zinc its over the lee hardness tester chart by a lot ... measures .025 , .050 is 20.9 bhn if i remember so roughly 3.4x harder than linotype ill check the elements and get back to this post .... 4150 steel is 300 bhn/ pure zinc is 70 bhn / bronze is 75-80 bhn . so it is extremely hard to contour to the rifling of a barrel.... what about paper patching it ? hmmmm

[Mk42gunner]

My zinc WW go into snagging sinkers.

Robert

[BOOM BOOM]

HI,
Check out my posts on casting with Zinc. About a year ago.
hardness is halfway between Pb & Cu. :Fire::Fire: