Making Alloys For Casting

[ian27]

Hi, I am quite new to this forum, and and have just started to get all the kit for casting. I have made a lot of enquiries at tyre shops for wheel weights, and have had very little success. It seems that they are all using zinc wheel weights now, and get very little lead. One guy said that he would save the lead ones for me, but reckoned that it would take quite a while to even get a bucket. I did the usual thing and offered payment, but they all said if they had them they would have given them to me for free. So it looks as if wheel weights are not going to be much of an option for me. It looks like I'm gonna have to buy Linotype etc from Midway and mix it with lead flashing and other pure lead I can get. I have done a bit of reading on the subject and have found the following blends. I'm just looking for confirmation that the info I have is correct.

I have read that mixing linotype 50/50 with pure lead will produce an alloy of around 16 bhn, and that mixing 4lbs of linotype with 1/2lb of tin and 5 1/2lbs of lead will make an alloy similar to Lymans #2 alloy.

Just wondering if the above blends are correct. I have Lymans manual on order, and a friend copied a few pages of data for .30-06 and 303 British for me to get me started. I will be casting loads for target shooting, probably not further than 300m. The Lyman data I have is using Lyman #2 alloy for the boolits.

Any info and advice would be appreciated.

Ian

[Bullshop]

Ian
Just curious here to know where in the world are you from that they have gone almost completely to zink? Was it a gov. mandate? Likely just a matter of time before they succede in saving us all.
BIC/BS

[ian27]

I suppose I should have said, I live in N. Ireland. I have made enquiries at all of the gun clubs I know, and I seem to be the only one who has thought of starting to cast. Every tyre shop that I checked are all using zinc wheel weights, some say that lead ones are banned, others say that the law hasnt come in to force yet. Regardless of whether it has or not, they all seem to be using zinc. Of course there is still the odd lead one floating around, but it looks like I am not going to be able to get enough of a steady supply to keep me casting.

Ian

[454PB]

Here is a link to an excellent alloy reference site:

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

The 50/50 mixture of lead and linotype is a great one, but harder than needed for most handgun applications. I use it for boolits in rifle applications and very high pressure magnum handguns.

[shooter93]

Ian...for me it's not a matter of finding wheel weights but rather the time to smelt them etc. What I do a lot is buy them already in ignots on ebay. By the time I factor in the time I'd spend smelting them myself since I can work all the hours I want to...it's actually cheaper for me to do it this way. Some of the guys selling on there have very clean metal.

[Snapping Twig]

I've been using wheel weights and Linotype 50/50 with gas checks for magnum loads. Sometimes I go WW 75% and Linotype 25%.

Flux for me is candle wax and scrape the dross after flashover. Works great!

For non magnum loads I use 100% WW.

Best of luck finding the lead you need, your mix sounds excellent. :)

[Johnch]

If you are the only one casting
See if you could get range lead from a indoor range , wear a good dust mask

I have been cleaning our clubs out lately
I have 1000+ lb of range lead/junk to melt down
I should end up with 800 lb of ingots

All my pistol ( 1200 fps max ) bullets are now being cast from it , with no leading problems

John

[nicholst55]

[QUOTE=johnch;201708]If you are the only one casting
See if you could get range lead from a indoor range , wear a good dust mask
John[/QUOTE

I think I would wear a respirator, personally. A dust mask MAY be adequate, but I don't think so. :???:

[zipdog]

Some of the guys selling on there have very clean metal.

Where on Ebay?

[buck1]

Check the Hospitals for containers that hold radioactive meds. They are close to WW. ;) ......Buck

[leftiye]

Zdog, For lead on evilbay, look under "hunting/ reloading/ molds". There are other places too, but I'm not aware of them as to where they are. There's some sheet lead, and some WWs, and Some pure there right now, if memory serves.

[randyrat]

Fleabay= "sporting goods"-"reloading"-"other"-or "search" for lead.