What do you pay for wheelweights?

[VP]

I stopped off at Discount Tires and asked the manager if he had any scrap wheelweights. He looked at me funny. Then I offered him ten bucks for a bucket full. He told me to go out to the tire man and take them all, and give the money to him.

Tito, the tire guy, traded my empty white plastic bucket for one about half full, and helped me carry it to my car and put it in. It is 75 pounds exactly, including the plastic bucket, and 3 wheelweights I picked up in the parking lot on the way out. Contents are nice clean wheelweights, a lot cleaner anyway that my last bucket which sat for 8 years gathering dust, and lots of the tape-on pure lead weights, and one allen wrench set with all but 2 of the allen wrenches in good shape.

Now I'm not so cheap that I want to quibble over ten bucks, I mean, Tito told me he was in training to be a cop, and was saving up for a rifle, which he would buy when he turned 21, and we talked about casting bullets for a few minutes, and I would have given him ten bucks without the wheel weights. But I'm just curious-- those of you who do pay for your scrap wheelweights, what is the going rate? Is there a going rate? What do the tire people make off scrap wheelweights?

I've never been able to buy any before-- I got run out of every tire shop I went to, and then got lucky at a truck stop and got 80# for free and didn't go back to a tire place for 8 years until today.

So I know most of you have free lead fall out of the sky or whatever into your melting pots, or like Buckshot have your neighbors leave it in front of your garage for you, but those of you who do have some buying arrangement, what are you paying for scrap wheelweights? Thanks--

[David R]

Last time I bought wheel weights, I paid $10.00 for a 1/2 bucket WITH the top of the bucket filled with the stuff from the bottom of the radiator repair tank. I ended up with 40 lbs smelted solder and still have the wheel weights. I think I got an awesome deal. I own a garage, so wheel weights are not a problem. I have not smelted the wheel weights yet, I have a bunch of ingots already, but they keep for ever.

[Willbird]

I sort of wing it, but sometimes I get them for $.05, and usually for $.1 per lb, and they seem happy with $10 for a full bucket that record weight was 160lbs, but typically runs 120lbs or so.

Just beat the bushes more, I didnt think of the local Ford dealer until a guy hanging out at a tire shop that worked there told me to drop in, net was 280 lbs for $10.00.

Leave buckets with your name and ph. number on them, ask them to call when they are full, typically so far they do so.

Also hit the radiator shops, they seem happy to get $.10 for 60/40 solder dribbles, one place I got 300lbs cleaned of 60/40 for $30

One good indoor range haul can net you 4000+ lbs, and the scrapyards are only paying $.03......rathole all the lead you can, My goal was 10,000lbs but maybe that isnt enough.

Most importantly do what you say you will, that seems to suprise the heck out of them.

Bill

[BruceB]

If I time it right, namely when the shop's scrap-WW bucket is about full, I get the full bucket in a trade for a 12-pack of cold Pepsi....call it about $3.50 for a bucket. At that rate, I don't even argue if the bucket's only HALF full, because it's still a bargain.

It's usually a good idea to take along an empty bucket, too, but I've never been refused at "my" shop for lack of a replacement pail.

A few years ago, I used to trade cold beer for WW at the same place, but the boss finally put his foot down, saying the guys were "drinking too much beer". Efforts to convince him that it wasn't "drinking" as such, but actually just re-hydration, were not successful. Pepsi's cheaper than beer, anyway, so I didn't argue much.

[VP]

Last time I bought wheel weights, I paid $10.00 for a 1/2 bucket WITH the top of the bucket filled with the stuff from the bottom of the radiator repair tank. ... I own a garage, so wheel weights are not a problem. ... they keep for ever. Gents this is all great information! Thank you. Question for David: As a garage owner, can you tell us what the wheel weights are worth, if you do NOT use them for casting or sell them to a caster? I still am wondering what value they have other than to us casters. Can you sell them to a scrap dealer? Is there an expense for "hazardous" disposal, and are we casters doing a favor to tire places or garages by taking them off their hands?

[RayinNH]

It might be a good idea to call the local scrap yard and find out what they are paying for scrap wheelweights. That way when you go scrounging for weights you'll have a good idea what to offer for them. Wheelweights in a five gallon bucket weigh approximately twelve pounds per inch. Do the math in your head and and you have a pretty good offering price. Small service stations are the best bet to deal with as their volume isn't high enough for the recyclers to go to them, and they don't want to bother lugging those heavy buckets around...Ray

[Buckshot]

...........Vern, I haven't bought any WW's in their wild natural form in many a moon. Since I'm at the range every Tuesday, and it's the day after they're closed, lots of people cruise in with stuff to sell. Lottsa times lead. Mostly it's already rendered into ingots. Usually it's about $.25/lb and I'll gladly pay that for clean ingots.

Had a kid shooting on the pistol line one day, so Deputy Al meandered over (natch, it's a pistol) and got to talking. The young man wanted to know what we were shooting, so cast boolits came up. Seems the guy works in a Goodyear tire store and the manager is a shooter also. Doesn't cast his own boolit's though. Heh, heh!

Several years ago I did approch a Pep Biys and a Winston tire store. I was told the same thing at both. That is that their delivery truck picks up all the old WW's for recycling. That's probably true. Also probably true is that the delivery truck driver could give a rip less if there are any to pickup, and probably tickled if he doesn't have to lug any to hoist up onto the tail of his trailer.

Further, back at home base I doubt there is anyone particularly interested in how much they do, or don't accumilate in a day/week/month. I doubt that they render and then recast their own, and most likely they're traded to who they DO buy their WW's from.

What it boils down to is to make it attractive to the place that generates the WW's. Best to approch them when they're not busy at the front desk, or you'll prolly just get dusted off. If they're distracted, your asking for WW's isn't going to make much of an impression. When/if you DO score, make it as easy and simple for them as possible. As has been mentioned, a pail with your name and phone number on it is the way to go.

Personally I don't think there is such a thing as having too much lead. One day several years ago 2 guys in a beat up 1 ton Ford dually rolled into the range. They had lead counterweights off some machine, I assume. These were 4" square and 4 feet long and curved with 1" holes about every 6". They had 16 of them in the back of the pickup, and it was dragging. They figured the weight at 300 lbs each and wanted $30 each. I bought 4 of'em and have one left.

..............Buckshot

[txbirdman]

Willbird, my son is the service manager at a Ford dealership and most all of them have a "Quick Lane" operation that specializes in oil changes; brake jobs; and tire sales. Naturally I have no problem acquiring wheel weights. I also just drop off a bucket and it doesn't hurt to bring the tire guys a sack of donuts when you come by to pickup your WW.
This may not be necessary for me anymore as a guy who has gotten out of casting has given my casting buddy and I a stash of stuff including 58 muffin pan ingots of Lyman #2 and 40 ingots of wheel weights. That will last us a long time.

[Willbird]

Tx, if you get a Lee 6 cavity mold and BruceB it for a couple 3-4 hour sessions your pile will start looking smaller.......and smaller....and smaller hehe


especially big stuff like 45 boolits of the revolver and semi-auto persuasion.


Bill

[jcork]

The local tire chain, Les Schwab, sells a small bucket (about a cubit foot) for $13, just raised from $10. It's just a regular inventory item in the cash register for them.

[45 2.1]

Tx, if you get a Lee 6 cavity mold and BrubeB it for a couple 3-4 hour sessions your pile will start looking smaller.......and smaller....and smaller hehe


especially big stuff like 45 boolits of the revolver and semi-auto persuasion.


Bill

Last time I did that, I killed a 5 gallon bucket full. Don't have to cast those for a long time though.

[David R]

As a small garage, wheel weights are worth nothing. I have had a few people come and ask for them. I just tell them no thank you. I had one guy stop in and say "I'm here to pick up your wheel weights" like he was the national wheel weight police. I told him to GET OUT. :grin:

They are worth what ever people are willing to pay. I think $20.00 a bucket full is plenty. I have only PAID for them the time I picked up the solder too.

[slughammer]

I took my car for inspection at the local TIRE shop. Working second shift I don't need to drop it off, I can wait. Leaves the perfect time to bring up the question of wheelweights. These guys dont use buckets, they use a (2) 30 gallon oil drums. I had to dig them out and put them into my buckets (heavy rubber gloves are required for such operations). I don't know how you guys get FULL buckets; the mechanic told me if I fill the bucket it will tear the handle out. I filled mine about 2/3 full and that was plenty to carry. I did (7) buckets total and I'll be back in December for my inspection and another years supply....hopefully.

[HTRN]

I currently have two full 7 gallon pails of wheelweights sitting in the garage, waiting for me to reduce 'em to ingots.

Where did I get them? Sears. I asked the manager and he said "sure, but it can't be a regular thing, we gotta dispose of them through the company".. The next day I showed up with pails and damn near got a hernia moving the things. While I was loading, the guy asked me, "what are you gonna do with them?", I figured honesty was the best policy - "bullets", "bullets?", "yup".

This seemed to satisfy him.

Most of the major chains who do tire work seem to dispose of them through the company. I got flat turned down at Costco. I think the best bet is to hit the local tire stores that are "major league". They probably see old weights as a nuisance. I've go two to hit locally, plus gawd knows how many local garages.

My stance is I won't pay anything. If I don't get it for free from one guy, I'll get it for free from another. That said, the bribery method, be it beer, donuts or pizza, is a very good idea to keep the lead flowing.


HTRN

[Johnch]

Last time I needed WW , I used a 12 pack of beer to get 2 5 gallon buckets .
But they wanted the buckets back . [smilie=l:

I am droping off 2 12 packs this afternoon to pay for the 250 lb or so of sheet lead that I traded for .

Johnch

[Willbird]

Well on the full buckets, see the WW get lovingly placed in there a few at a time, nestled with plugs of chawin terbaccy, cig butts, valve cores, and rubber valvestems.

This makes their Karma all harmonise, and they tell each other bedtime stories about the open road....

But I have had the 6 gallon buckets full, weighed 211 lbs, the handles didnt rip off,

I have thought about stopping in and saying "I'm here to pick up the wheelweights" but never tried it hehe

I guess it's like sales, I approach each stop however seems right, I have gotten a few free, but paying seems to make the guys happy.....and I'm happy to pay a fair price.

Bill

[BCB]

I have been getting mine for around 7¢ to 8¢ depending on what the guy wants to charge for a heaping 5-gallon bucket on a given day! It also depends on the weight of the buckets, of course. I don’t figure that is too bad, as a matter of fact, free would only be better in my mind. The guy that is selling them deserves a bit of $$$$$$ also.

But what really makes mine a bit cheaper is the fact that my backstops are stumps. I set them at the various ranges I mostly shoot and after a summer of shooting, I did out the smashed slugs. I figure I recover maybe 60% or a bit better. So, a 30 caliber bullet might later become a 44 caliber bullet!!! Good-luck…BCB

[Willbird]

I got a total of 900 lbs this week for a cash outlay of $48.00, heaviest 5 gallon bucket was 150lbs


Bill

[drinks]

The local tire and lube place has been happy to get rid of them, even carried them out to the van, for the senior citizen [me].
I have been having my oil changed there every 5k for the last 6 years, so I am sure that helped.
Don

[Pop_No_Kick]

I have a chance to get some Medical Lead, Thease are 3"x3"x4"h
containers used to hold Radio active XENON Dosage's

the Experation on these Dosagaes have a life span of 90 days from MFG. and these all expired aprox 5 yrs ago.

Radio activity was listed as .010 Mci (Micro curies)
I do believe a smoke detector in the home has 300 X
the activity, But uses americian 231.

The Lead Containers being outside for aprox. 2 yrs. don't oxidize
like regular lead does., So Maybe some alloy?. its soft and heavy like Pb.

They Got about 5 55 gal. drums of this.
@ 0.90 p/lb.

anyone got a Geiger counter ?
or a geiger muller tube so i can make one ?

"This is not depleated urainum (not heavy enough)"
thou I have found some here @ this oilfield scrap yard.

Anybody got some insight on this?
Hmm. Tracers without the Willy P. (Just Kidd'n)

Thanx's
Chuck

[Johnch]

Pop No Kick
I get X ray room lead from a installer some times.
The stuff I get is pure lead .
1/8 - 3/8 thick sheet
It comes to me pulled off the walls . With glue and lots of paper . (free)
And as clean scrap ( Miller Lite)
I have been told that it is safe and the reason they have to replace it every 2 years is due to Gov regulations not safty

I melt it down and ingot it out for later use or sale to Muzzel loaders.

I wait till I have a nice breeze to blow all the smoke away. Boy dose that glue ( Liquid Nail ) stink .

Johnch

[Pop_No_Kick]

Pop No Kick
I get X ray room lead from a installer some times.
The stuff I get is pure lead .
1/8 - 3/8 thick sheet
It comes to me pulled off the walls . With glue and lots of paper . (free)
And as clean scrap ( Miller Lite)
I have been told that it is safe and the reason they have to replace it every 2 years is due to Gov regulations not safty

I melt it down and ingot it out for later use or sale to Muzzel loaders.

I wait till I have a nice breeze to blow all the smoke away. Boy dose that glue ( Liquid Nail ) stink .

Johnch
Hey thanx's for the lead source,
I never thunked of that!

Chuck

[felix]

As much as necessary to get a truck load (pickup or trailer). ... felix

[Dutch4122]

I have managed to work a pretty good deal going with the manager/asst. manager of one of the local big chain tire stores. I take them a case of Bud Lite once a month and they give me two buckets full of used wheelweights. I usually stop by on a Friday or Saturday morning 15-20 minutes before they open so that they are not busy and have time to deal with me. They usually load the stuff up for me too!

I think they've gotten to look forward to a free case of beer at the end of at least one week a month.;)

[fiberoptik]

Lead don't hold radiation. Got a friend who casts for his muzzleloader & works at the hospital, picked up the same little lead boxes. He checked em w/a gieger counter. Nothing. Don't worry about it.

[BlueMoon]

A buddy gave some of the sheet lead and it had the sheetrock paper stuck to parts of it. Came out of a X-ray room I guess. Made some nice ingots that tested at around pure lead. I couldn't figgure out how to cut it into chucks to melt and finally used my bolt cutters to carve it up into smaller pieces.

Bill

[Johnch]

I use a sawsall with a wood blade

JOhnch

[mroliver77]

Going with Willbird we put the hurt on my Ford F350 dually and my cattle trailer. Taking Willbirds advise I just did some footwork with $100 in my pocket and came home with 1000 lbs at $.10 lb. That and sopme range scrap and some other hauls got me set for a while. Jay

[shooter575]

I use a air chisel to rip the lead sheathing of 13200 electric cable.Can split a 4' x 2" cable in 30-45 seconds or so.The linemen let me keep the lead and I give them back tod copper to sell.
I once got a pure lead block that had a stainless pot in er.Was used in some kind of university experment.It was about the size of a 5 gallon pail.Anyway I carved it all up with that air hammer.I welded a biger 2" wide cuting end on to a extra shank.Worked darned good after I tried everything else it the shop.
I am allways looking for soft lead for them 500+ gr minnes.Make up 400 or so for a shoot and see what that does to your stash <G>

[Possum]

I took the advice here and asked the guy who does my tires. He was giving it away to another guy to sell at the recycling center. He asked me what I was going to do with it and I told him honestly I was going to make bullets. He said for me to bring a bucket every week and I could have it all. He said he figured I might end up protecting him one day with those same bullets. Sounded good to me. I get about a third to a half a bucket a week. It is perfect for me because I can melt them down as I go and they don't build up in my shop.

[robertbank]

$15. Cdn for 100 lbs. locally. fisherman use the darn things for casting jigs and weights for fishing so now we have a market for the darn things. If I get to an area where there isn't the fishing preasure they are free for the taking.

[milsurpcollector1970]

Here in STL,MO I go to tire stores. There are already some guys that buy the weights from them for casting so some of the stores started rasing the price. i avoid those of course. I wont pay anymore than .10 per pound which is what the scrap man pays.
I always ask this way do you have any wheel weights I can BUY. Money talks

[imashooter2]

I just traded the scrap man wheel weights for cartridge brass 2 to 1. The wheel weight bin had 2 rolls of solder in there too. Saw no reason to leave it there.

ETA: Upon further review, it was 2 rolls of lead free solder. :D

[475/480]

It flunctuates,from a low of .08c to a high of .25c a pound,I still have about 1600 lbs WW, 200 lbs LinoT, 200 lbs MonoT,so I have not looked at prices since last year.

Sean

[454PB]

First, I'm as bad (or good) as the rest of you at scrounging lead, but have you thought about the fact that someday it will probably be considered "hazardous waste" ?

I'm sure I have enough to last the rest of my life, but can't seem to refuse any donations.

A tip for anyone wanting to strip lead sheath off of electrical cable: use a sledge hammer. I once stipped over 200' of 1000 MCM lead covered cable this way. I just rolled it out on concrete, then worked my way from end to end, smashing is with a 10 pound double jack. It split right open, the lead was pulled off in strips, and the insulation ruptured, exposing the copper. It's kind of messy, since there is a dielectric heavy oil incorporated with the cable that is harder to wash off than STP.

[Newtire]

Hi VP,
You might try one of the local colleges that offer an auto program. I work at one & get mine for nothing there. There's usually a happy student with a transmission question ready to load them for me into my car even!

[Petander]

First, I'm as bad (or good) as the rest of you at scrounging lead, but have you thought about the fact that someday it will probably be considered "hazardous waste" ?



That´s the way it is over here. Plus zinc WW:s are coming in big time. And fishermen casting sinkers are pushing the price up... yep, funny that people are paying for the waste really.

I used the good old corruption method: a bottle of Brandy and a moose steak for the local tire shop manger. Should be good for the next ton or so. :-D

[David R]

I lucked out today twice. I bought 1200 lbs wheelweights for $50.00. Then I went to the hareware store (real old style) and bought a nice OLD ladle that prolly holds 5 lbs lead and has a 2 foot handle. $20.00 for that.


Good Day for me!

[David R]

Just in case anyone wants to know. I got 8 buckets, some small and some standard size. The heaviest one was 190 Lbs, the lightest was a "half" looking bucket, 110 Lbs.

[Buckshot]

...........I'm waiting for my new source to get with the program. It's been a week and I called. A guy I hadn't talked to said they had about a half a bucket. Heck, they had a half a bucket the day I left mine there! I don't htink they're takeing me seriously yet!

................Buckshot

[Willbird]

Good deal David,

Now if you do more footwork you will find the local scrapyard that will take the clips you get when you smelt, the one I go to they don't even really LOOK at what you bring in, they don't pay much for "shredder" steel, but I think I got $.02 per lb. for the clips and some other steel rubbish, and they bought everything I skimmed off the top when smelting :-)

I was glad to find a place to take it.

You may already know this but keep the clips and dross DRY, the arsenic in that scrap is safest that way, There is a poisen gas produced if the dross and crap gets wet according to Bill Fergusan.

Bill

[David R]

Thanks will,

I have too many clips now to put out to the curb, I think the local sanatation men would question the wieght of my garbage can, so I am saving them in one of the 5 gal buckets the weights came in. I make a trip to the scrap yard a few times a year to get rid of all my drums, rotors, water pumps and radiators. They even take old gas tanks.

I just found 1/2 ton of pure lead I might buy to sell in ingots. Waiting for the hardness tester to show up.

David

[pdgraham]

I just paid 29.87 cents a pound for WW.. $23 for 77lbs..

After thinking about this.. only about 3/4 of this weight is lead...

Am I paying too much???

[Willbird]

You did not say where you bought the WW...

But Last weekend my Wife and I went "leading" as she calls it, we netted 320lbs for a cash outlay of $14.00, we did some other stuff on our journey but we burned 3 gallons of gasoline on that trip, on a hit and run where I don't see the owner of the WW as a regular provider I try to snag them for .05 an lb. The regulars I pay .1 and round it up a little bit, they seem to like getting the cash in hand, the scrapyard here told me they pay .07, and wouldnt tell me what they would sell them to me for :-) They did say the supply had dried up for them lately, I told them thats because I was buying them :-).

Bill

[felix]

Ten cents a pound is a fair and good price, provided you pay in cash. Typical yield is around 85-90 percent when you smelt down with lots of BTUs. ... felix

[pdgraham]

You did not say where you bought the WW...
.............

A place called Newlans.. scrap metal yard... paid cash and they hauled my bucket out to my car for me.. :) .. nice people... but they have a finite amout of wheel weights and they are mixed with a lot of junk like steel battery terminals.. and junk.. I'm not the only one buying from them and I think in a year they will be all out at the rate they are going... :-|

[MtnGunner]

I stopped by a local tire store this morning and scored in excess of 1,200 pounds of WW. The store manager didn't want anything in return, but I felt guilty getting them for free so I dropped off 3 twelve packs of soft drinks. Total cash outlay $9

[nighthunter]

A couple of weeks ago I was in Pittsburgh and went to one of the major tire dealers there. I got 1200 pounds for $50. I have melted and cleaned them. I got 950 pounds from the lot. Thats about 6 cents a pound for cleaned WW. Seems more than fair to me.
Nighthunter

[yammerschooner]

I drop off donuts as a thankyou, and leave my own buckets with them so as not to cause any extra hassle. I will also pull out any "pretty ones" I happen to see as I am dumping the bucket into the pot, and take them back with me next time I go to get more. Several of the smaller shops recycle them, and appreciate you trying to help them out on their overhead. I may not get enough lead for a couple of dozen bullets more, but I figure it is worth the goodwill I build.

[Blackwater]

You guys are getting some DEALS compared to what I have to pay. Around here (SE Georgia), nobody wants to give away WW's any more. They won't even let you buy them sometimes! I've taken to going to the junkyard, and paying $.20/lb. That's their price for "soft" lead or WW's - any kind of lead they've got.

BTW, I bought an apparently very old chopped up tank (water I think?) or boiler that was made of lead. He said it was "soft," and seems to be significantly softer than WW's. Anybody know what kind of alloy this might be?

[HTRN]

Heeheehee, I just got a new source on Saturday - Free, of course. I went in for the $*&R%* inspection and inquired about the wheelweights - they were throwing them in the trash. I asked if I could leave a bucket... "Sure". Next smelting run, gonnna make some sinkers as that's what one of the guys said he occasionally used them for. Doesn't cost me anything....

Boys, ANYTIME you go into a station for whatever reason, whether it be servicing, gas, or just for a snack, ASK. I'm also considering buying up a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and marking them with my phone # and "call when full"... Saves alot of unneccessary trips.



HTRN

[FISH4BUGS]

I buy the 5 gal buckets (complete with lids) from a local sandwich shop (Moe's) for $1 each. Their pickles come in them. I put my name and phone # on the side of the bucket and leave them off at three garages locally. I pay $10 per full bucket, probably 100 lbs. each. I also trade two six packs of top microbrew beer (probably $14) for one garage.
I am grateful they sell them to me as opposed ot the scrap dealer. Of course, I spent $600 on tires at one garage, and I asked at that time if I could get some wheel weights....it helped to be a customer.
My goal is to get 1000 lbs of wheel weights and 200lbs of linotype in the shed. Enough handgun and submachinegun lead for a lifetime. Rendering the wheel weights down will have to wait for a used turkey fryer at a yard sale. Till then it is a Lee 20lb pot to do the rendering. One afternoon can do a bucket.
Be persistent. Be nice. Be willing to pay. It will work out eventually.

[Bret4207]

When you have photos of the garage guy and his wifes younger sister in a comprimising postion, or at least lead him to think you do, you get the WW for free. Some doughnuts and beer help grease the skids.

[felix]

I guess scrounging around for lead is a hobby in itself. Patience is fairly thin on my part, so I try to find a large source and buy all of it. This was one of the incentives of building the MOAS, to be able to handle enough lead for me, and Sundog in particular. He shoots 10 times more lead that I do in a year's time. I get interested when I see 10 or more 5 gallon buckets ready for pickup. Cost of the actual lead is miniscule when compared of the total expense (and effort) of getting the lead into bars. When it is all said and done, and the total cost figured, we just might just throw in the towel and say no more. That's why it must be considered a hobby, and only a hobby. ... felix

[yammerschooner]

. I'm also considering buying up a bunch of 5 gallon buckets and marking them with my phone # and "call when full"... Saves alot of unneccessary trips.

HTRN


That is exactly what I do. In the last three months I have gotten one call. I had the buckets laying around from laundry detergent, and it seemed like a good way to put them to use.

[Ken O]

Today I stopped into a tire shop I never "hit" before and asked, the guy says he has one bucket and wanted $10. That seems hight, but it seems more and more casters are out there and creating a market. I grumbled a little and he loaded the overflowing bucket. I weighed it when I got home and it was 152 lbs, the heaviest 5gal bucket I've ever got. Also, the bucket is real clean, no valve stems, bolts, caps etc. He said to be sure and stop in ocasionaly and check, I sure will, I usually pay $5 a bucket, but most have lots of garbage in them.

[44mag]

Be carefull what wheel weights you use. The last few bucket fulls I obtained contained a bunch of junk. They are in wheel weight form but are not lead. I think they are zinc or some other kind of junk that you don`t want going down your gun barrel. If you check the real light colored ones with a screw driver you will find they are extremely hard and not lead. I toss those in the trash or give them to someone who casts fish weights. The fish weight casters tell me that it doesn`t form very well and they dumped it. Just a little word of caution until I can find out for sure what the heck that stuff is. :-D

[Ken O]

44Mag, there are more and more zinc ww showing up. They are rivited to the clips, and shinyer. They are easy to pick out, and they float to the top of the smelter, so the melt temp of zinc is much higher. I'm thinking eventually all the lead will be replace by them, I want to stock up all the ww I can before this happens.

[HTRN]

In the current bucket I've been slowly working my way through, I've come across 3 of them. And I've only gone through half the bucket.

Thank god they don't melt and add another headache to the process.


HTRN

[vrmn1]

I usually give the guy a 5 or a 10 what ever I have in my pocket.
I usually get about 30 gallons every 3 months.

[3584ELK]

I pay $10/ per bucket. My guess is that those 5 gal. buckets full of WW's weigh about 150#. I was really hustling WW's for awhile, looking for extra buckets on the side of the road, carrying buckets in the car, stopping at tire shops, etc. I now only have one bucket "out". There seems to be some pretty good competition in my area ( NE Colo). One place tried jacking the price from 10 to 20 bucks, and I said "no thanks, find someone else" and walked out. I DO have some standards! :-)