Zinc WW

[mto7464]

I am just getting into casting and was given a couple of buckets of WW. I read in a thread below about zinc WW. How can you tell zinc ones from lead? I smelted about 30lbs into ingots this afternoon. Could I have messed it up if I melted some zinc weights in it?

[Marc2]

What was the top temp. that your melt reached?

Marc

[mto7464]

I didn't have a thermometer so I guess I need to get one.

[NVcurmudgeon]

mto, first sort through your WW. Keep the tape-on weights separate. Test weghts with riveted clips using a magnet, if the magnet sticks to the weight, not the clip it is steel or iron, toss it. Now smelt your WW, keeping the temperature down to 600-650 F. This will melt all normal lead alloy WW but if there are any zinc, they will float to the top. zinc has a melting teperature of 787 or so F, so you can toss the floaters and not worry abut contamination. The very few zinc weights I have found were all marked "ZN." Now for the tape-on weights you set aside. If some of them are smaller than the others. They are likely steel, check with your magnet, and toss. Tape-on weights must bend easily to conform to the curve of the wheel, so steel tape-on weights are made very small so they can stick without having to bend. The remaining larger tape-on weights are the good pure lead ones. First soak them in gasoline, kerosene, or mineral spirits to cut the glue on the tape. Then smelt the good tape-ons at 600-650. The pure lead is prime muzzle loader ball material, and excellent for barrel measuring slugs. With these simple precautions I have manage to smelt over 1000 lbs. of WW since the worries abut zinc began with no contamination.

[Ohio Rusty]

If you end up with alot of zinc wheelweights, instead of pitching them, you can always give them to a fishing buddy that makes their own jig heads and sinkers. Zinc is fine for fishing equipment, and you then get the pleasure of watching them throw that zinc into the lake instead of you ....
Ohio Rusty

[rmb721]

Ohio Rusty:

If zinc wheelweights won't work for bullets, I don't think they will work for fishing jigs either. Regular wheelweights don't work for jigs nearly as good as pure lead.

[DLCTEX]

I swap the zinc ones for lead with a guy who uses them to make weights for a race car. DALE

[leftiye]

Rmb Hey, you can cast zinc boolits, you just can't mix it with lead and cast lead boolits with it.

[Marlin Junky]

I've observed some weights that float until the temp gets to about 640F and then they start breaking up. At first I thought they were zinc but I'm more inclined to believe they are a higher antimony content Pb based weight. I pick up weights about two or three times a year and I am starting to find more weights that are much stronger than others which break rather than bend.

MJ

[Hayfield]

mto. I'm into my third smelting try and got it down well enough now. I've cast tens of thousands of lead,tin & lino bullets over the years but never a WW yet. To smelt them. Get a casting thermometer. (The experienced guys probably can do well without one) Take your heat up to around 500F rather slowly. (Don't get anal about it now) Most of the weights well be pretty much melted by now. Stir it up for a while and the clips and dross will begin to stay on top. Start scooping them off all the while keep temping the mix. Level off at 600F. Those zinc suckers will be just sitting there waiting for you to grab them. If I go higher in temp something happens to the alloy and all this sand forms on the top and the ally get thick. This was my method today and it went well for me. That zinc must mess something up if you let it melt in. I'm sure this ain't the only way but beginner to beginner it does the job.

[rmb721]

leftiye: thanks for that information, but I am not going to start using zinc WW. I use WW and lino mix for rifle and pistol bullets and pure lead for the muuzzleloaders and fishing jigs and sinkers.

I melted 50 lbs. of WW today and found one that was zinc and five that were steel.

[mdr8088]

I've never had a problem with zinc, I know I've had to get some mixed into my lead. I've never had any problems with the bullets I cast. So what give?

[Revolver]

...The very few zinc weights I have found were all marked "ZN..."

I just want to point out that while sorting I started finding a style of Zinc WW that is not labeled as zinc, the only info is its weight. I have found quite a few of them from a few sources, they are an annoyance. :(

[Cadillo]

I used to worry about them, but not anymore. I just melt the WW slowly keeping the temp down according to my thermometer, and then skim off the clips, zinc, and steel weights. Once you've seen one floating, you'll know what they are and how to work around them. Proper temp is the key.