How do you ask for lead?

[walker77]

Im heading out of town this weekend, and i thought i would hit up a few shops out in the country for lead. But since we wont be leaving till late, i thought i might just leave a letter on the doors. Might work, might not, but its worth a try. But i have no idea what to say in the letter. Any ideas? Thanks.

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[LUCKYDAWG13]

will trade beer for lead [smilie=l:

[imashooter2]

"Hi! You don't know me and it's too much trouble to come look you in the eye while I ask, but do you have any old WW I could have? Call me at XXX. Thanks!"

I know you don't mean it like that, but that is what they're going to read. Good luck and I hope I'm wrong!

[drhall762]

It is a sellers market. Time to shake hands, do the small talk and turn on the charm. Notes get thrown away.

my 2 cents.

[walker77]

I realize that. But i am never in the area when these places are open.

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[JonB_in_Glencoe]

On a similar note,
A friend of mind asked What I'd pay for WW Lead.
He wants some of my cast boolits (which will be a separate deal).
He said he had some connections and maybe he could come up with a barrel full of old WWs.

I told him I like to pay 35¢ a lb. (which is about $50 per brimming full 5 gal bucket).
I also told him, the last time I bought some WW, I paid 44¢ a lb and
after all the work and energy to smelt that batch,
I came to the conclusion that 44¢ per lb borders on "not worth it".
But that is what the Big time scrappers in Minneapolis
were paying at that time (2 or 3 months ago)
The LME price on Lead has risen since then and
those scrappers may be paying even more now.

Long story short, It's worth it to buy your Lead from the sellin'
and swappin' section from this website, unless you can
get a great deal on the WWs.
Jon

[Blammer]

I was wondering if I could have your old used broken wheel weights?

What do you do with your old WW's?

that is a good intro because inevitably someone will want to know WHY. :)

[walker77]

Should i say why i want them? With it being country folk, it will probably spark their intrest

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[Jal5]

If asked I tell them I am recycling them....into 38 specials. That usually brings on a good discussion. Most of the shops I stop at though are using the old WW themselves. Joe

[44man]

Wear a hoody or black mask! [smilie=1:[smilie=1::Fire:

[wallenba]

Really nice place you got here. It would be a shame if something were to happen to it, if you know what I mean.
I could keep an eye on it for ya, in exchange for...oh I don't know. All your used wheel weights?

Seriously though, the kind of tact needed for this should be left to a woman. Mother daughter, wife. They got the knack of persuasion.

[Jailer]

I was wondering if I could have your old used broken wheel weights?

What do you do with your old WW's?

that is a good intro because inevitably someone will want to know WHY. :)

This is the approach I have used and it seems to work well.

Take a few examples of your work as well. It sparks interest a bit more and shows them that your not just taking them to recycle and make money off their generosity.

[35isit]

I have had the best luck asking for a small amount at a time. Usually a half bucket or less. I have never paid a cent for wheel weights. I have over a half of a 55 gallon drum already sorted. But I only shoot about 1000 boolits per year, which is nowhere near the amount that many on here shoot. In my experience it is easier to get a small amount than a large amount.

[jsizemore]

Write your note on toilet paper. It'll make better b-ttwipe. The only thing missing is yoU.

[dakotashooter2]

"My boy scout troop is in need of some lead to make fishing jigs for a fundraiser"

You just don't have to tell them you are the only one in the troop...............

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

"My boy scout troop is in need of some lead to make fishing jigs for a fundraiser"

You just don't have to tell them you are the only one in the troop...............

Dang,
one time while out asking, I got that from the tire shop,
they said, "a scout master was just here and emptied the bucket"

<thinking out loud>.....I wonder where my Neckerchief is ?
Jon

[XWrench3]

face to face is the only way i have ever had any sucess. in my area it is rather like cold call selling. your going to get 10 no's to every one yes. and that is on a good day. stinking battery companies want ALL the lead. they do not want to leave ANY for the little guy.

[fredj338]

Should i say why i want them? With it being country folk, it will probably spark their intrest

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Depends on where you are at, but I rarely tell them I am bullet casting. Fishing sinkers works out here, close enough to the ocean to make that fly.

[Gtek]

They are locked up down here, sinkers, boolits, nothing works. It is now accepted as TOXIC! Corporate policy. The dark side even thought up a handicapped family member doing stained glass
requiring lead for seams. That would be bad JU-JU and stopped that thought process. It is what it is! Gtek

[Southern Son]

The last one I went to the manager was on the phone. When I asked on of the workers there he said "we might be able to sell you some, but you will have to ask the manager,but I can't see any problems, I have well over 100kilos at home, he has about that, too." The manager has tehn hung up an come over and I asked him. Manager said "no, we are not allowed to sell them, they all have to go back to our WW supplier, it is part of our contract." I was going to ask him if the contract allowed for him and his workers to look after themselves, but I thought stuff it, it won't get me any closer to what I want. I even offered to pay him what ever the WW suplier was paying him, but he just seemed to like saying no.

[olafhardt]

Whenever I take a car or truck in for maintenance or to buy tires I take some kind of bucket and ask the service writer if I can have used WW'S. I have never been turned down.

[GunStuff]

Whenever I take a car or truck in for maintenance or to buy tires I take some kind of bucket and ask the service writer if I can have used WW'S. I have never been turned down.

EXACTLY! Don't you guys ever buy tires? Make a bucket of WW part of the deal.

[WILCO]

I realize that. But i am never in the area when these places are open.

Phone calls are easy and cheaper than gas, paper and ink.
I actually stopped asking for WW's because it's too much of a hassle and I've grown tired of combative store folks. Put the word out amongst friends and family that you need WW's and lead in general. Try buying right from the scrap dealer.
Get yourself a LEE Lead hardness tester, you'll be surprised as to how hard "scrap" lead can be and won't bother with WW's.;-)

[higgins]

Try to ask the guys changing tires or the shop foreman, never the people at the desk unless maybe he remembers selling you tires. Ask for a coffee can full to cast leadheads or sinkers; by doing that I've gotten weights from shops that aren't supposed to give any away. I don't like to tell strangers that I cast bullets-leads to discussions of what guns you own, where you shoot, etc. I would never leave my name or phone number with strangers either. It's different If you know the people that run the shop or work there. My best score in recent years was stopping in at a car dealership that was moving. The guy that ran the shop was glad to have someone else handle the bucket of used weights. Wouldn't hurt to ask the salesman that's sold you a couple of cars either or someone in dealership management who knows you. Car dealers sell a lot of tires these days.

[mdi]

"Got Lead?" But really, if you don't go by them when they're open, how ya gonn pick up/pay for them?

[Ohio Rusty]

I tell them I make them into fishing lures in case they are an anti gun/anti hunting/anti anything type person. I'm not lying as I do melt some of the WW's to make jig heads for fishing and some sinkers. The rest get turned into boolit of course. They usually don't have an issue giving me a coffee can full or two. I carry metal coffee cans in all the cars just in case I come across available WW's.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[bydand]

A story about lead. The forest service (under Klintoon) closed our range because of lead pollution. they hired an UNQUALIFIED idiot to write a report on it (they couldn't get any professionals to do it)
Turns out that you would have to EAT the dirt in the berms to get any ill effects.
"Range said we will get someone into clean up the lead." NO you can't do that.
"The berms are not high enough", so we said we would raise the berms. NO you can't do that
Ashphalt pollution from the trap range when right next door the Forest service dumped TONS of it from a road widening project.
Turns out the original complaint was filed from the office of a real estate developer who had property BEHIND the range that he couldn't sell.
Bullets are hitting signs behind the range! Apparently they were radio controlled bullets that made two right angle turns to hit those signs.
Real story: Klintoon wanted to close all ranges on gubmint land. in this case forest service land)

Oh they did give us an option. We could have built a COMPLETLY ENCLOSED range ad a cost of MILLIONS

[Chapped Lips]

Ya just never can tell..........at a real small mom&pop balancing shop the wife of the owner asked mr rather harshly what was i gonna do with the ww's.
Told her i cast my own boolits.
She asked - again rather harshly - what was i gonna shoot with the boolts.
Told her i shoot paper and the dirt behind.
She said "good answer" "cause i don't like hunting"......then smiled nicely and asked if i wanted a cup of coffee. I accepted.

Now i didn't lie to her......i am such a poor shot with a handgun that any shooting of critters would have to be a close finishing shot so i shoot paper and steel.
Now i am a fair rifle shot but i don't cast for my hunting rifles.

I believe that most town people have a better opinion of muzzleloaders than they do handguns.
Daniel Boone image versus gun violence on tv,at the movies or the 10 o'clock news.
Your locale may be different.
So,i've decided i'm gonna say "i cast for my muzzleloader" from now on. If an anti-hunting ques pops up,i can say paper shooting and just plinking fun (i do have an inline).

[Hopalong]

Getting someone to sell/give you wheelweights is a bit of an art. Here are some guidelines that work for me: 1) Don't try to ask for wheelweights when the establishment is busy. 2) Don't go in wearing spats & a tie--dress clean but a bit ragged. 3) Carry along a small sturdy cardboard box--not an empty 5-gallon pail. 4) Many workers will ask what you want 'em for--I usually say that I want to cast fishing sinkers & jigs or downrigger weights. Some are interested in bullet casting, some might be offended by the idea. 4) Since I got gray/white hair, I get more wheelweights more easily--dunno why. 5) Trading small talk is OK if they have the time, but it's often better to be up front and ask, "You guys got any scrap wheelweights? 6) Even if their discard bucket contains stuff that probably won't cast well (zinc weights, etc.), take everything they offer--you can do the culling later. 7) If they ask (or imply) what you're willing to pay, offer a price that's a good bit less than you might expect to pay--haggle a bit. Good Luck!

[The Double D]

EXACTLY! Don't you guys ever buy tires? Make a bucket of WW part of the deal.

Did that last time I bought tires for the wife's car. When she took her car in to get the tires, they loaded the bucket in the trunk...we got a good laugh when she got home...I kinda forgot to tell her about the lead part of the deal. :-)