linotype

[Guesser]

I remember reading somewhere some years ago that lino lost some of it's quality the older it got and the more times it was used. Thinking that it was melted and recast lots of times to make newspapers or whatever. Anyone have any information on how this degrading develops and proceeds? Facts or speculation, all is interesting.

[454PB]

Each recasting of the type metal produces oxides (dross) that reduce the amounts of antimony and tin. Supposedly, the printer then reconstituted those elements with foundry type once it got bad enough to decrease the quality of print.

[runfiverun]

pretty much sums it up right there.^^^

[Guesser]

Good info, thanks. I am in the process of reclaiming the type and meltings and dross from a 19th century newspaper plant. I'll have to get it all cleaned up and then run a check on the hardness.

[sqlbullet]

Keep in mind that the quantity of those constituents were so high that even "exhausted" linotype, from the printers perspective, would be a great addition to pure lead or COWW from a bullet casting perspective.

[cabezaverde]

Actually, when the galley trays of Lino were remelted, a material called plus metal was added to help bring the tin and antimony % back up.

Foundry type was much too expensive to use as a supplement.

[Larry Gibson]

Many of the smaller print shops found it less expensive to replace the linotype after a bit of use than to "reconstitute" it with the "plus" metal or they just didn't want to bother. I've found linotype over the years (I have some from various shops from '68 to current) that varies from 18 - 19 BHN up to 23-24 BHN.

Larry Gibson

[Guesser]

This stuff I'm working with comes out of a building that was occupied by the newspaper from 1894 til 1970 or so. I have no idea what is left in it and I have not located anyone in this area to break it down for me. I'll just test it with a hardness tester after I get some made into ingots.

[Cherokee]

Sounds like you have a great fine in lino. Good for you !!

[onesonek]

This stuff I'm working with comes out of a building that was occupied by the newspaper from 1894 til 1970 or so. I have no idea what is left in it and I have not located anyone in this area to break it down for me. I'll just test it with a hardness tester after I get some made into ingots.


Grab all you can,,,,worry about it's composition later.

"break it down"?
Do you mean analyze it?,,,just not sure I understand your want's there.

[Guesser]

Yes; analysis for % of components

[H.Callahan]

You gotta remember that back in the day when newspapers were king and being printed with linotype, lead (and lead-alloys) were almost a throw-away metal. Thats why a lot of papers didn't mess with reconstitution. When I first started casting back the *cough* '60s, you were looked upon as a hero if you got the stuff off their hands. I remember going to the local papers at the time and being able to load up the stuff in the trunk to take it home when I needed lead. Same with the garages around town with wheel weights. When one of the local papers shut down in the '70s, I could have literally had tons of lino just by backing up a truck and taking it. NOW, I wish I had... But who knew?