What do I have?

[Cyrus]

Hello everyone. I've been busy turning wheelweights into nice, shiny ingots. A few years back, a coworker gave me a rather large ingot that his father had used for jewelry making. I believe he used to pound gold links together against it as evidenced by marks in its surface. This ingot has the name Revere stamped across its top. I know Revere to be a battery recycling facility, and this is where the gentleman received it. It is roughly 3 inches tall, 3 inches wide tapering to 2 or so inches on top, and 2 feet long. It weighs 59 pounds with one of its "tabs" cut off before I received it, but should have weighed roughly 61-62 pounds complete. The numbers 45 and 920 are on the back. It scratches with a fingernail and a saw cuts easily into it. Any idea what I have? Should I smelt and look for anything specific? Thank you.

[454PB]

I've never heard of such a thing, but from your description, it's probably pure lead.

[NVcurmudgeon]

If you have a thermometer, you can get some clues by melting temperature. My guess, Revere being a battery recycling facility, and the ingot being old, is that it is pure lead. IIRC, pure lead melts at around 600F, while common wheelweight alloys melt closer to 450F. And if it takes more than 600F to melt, it would make a great doorstop!

[Tomhorn]

Try scratching it with your thumb. If you can't scratch it more than likely its pure tin. They probably used it for alloying. Pure tin is commonly used for jewelry making, Also refered to as pewter.

Mark

[Cyrus]

It scratches with a fingernail, so I'll watch my temp with my Lyman thermometer and see what it is.

[ron brooks]

I wonder if the Revere being mentioned is "Paul Revere" instead of the battery recyler. Paul Revere was a silversmith when he wasn't giving tea parties in the Boston waterfront and taking horseback rides. :) Silversmithing equipment would crtainly have applications in jewelery making.

Just a thought,

Ron

[Cyrus]

She was turned into 28 muffins weighing slightly more than 2 pounds apiece, for almost 59 pounds total. Temp stayed between 500-550 during smelting, and only at the very end got near 600 degrees according to my Lyman thermometer. It seemed to start melting as low as 450 degrees, though. Ingots scratch with a fingernail. My questions: Because my Lyman thermometer never got near 621 degrees, is it safe to say it's not pure lead? Is my Lyman accurate to a few degrees typically if working properly? If it's tip is touching the bottom of the pot, is my reading inaccurate? Thanks in advance.

PS Ron, if ithat 59 pound ingot was silver, I'd be at Shiloh Sharps website ordering myself something nice as we speak! :-D

[454PB]

Cyrus, PM me if you'd like to get hardness test on your alloy. I'll give you an address, you can put an ounce or so in a padded envelope, and I'll PM the results to you.

[Cyrus]

I'll get the email out tomorrow. Thanks again!