My last WW source has dried up

[jmsj]

Hey Guys,
Well it finally happened. My last and best source of WW's finally dried up. They told me today when I came in today and brought them a 12 pack of cokes and donuts and pick up their used WW's that today would be the last time. The manager seemed really apologetic but said that the owner had agreed to sell the used WW's to Interstate Batteries. I have been getting WW's from them for quite awhile. I guess all good things must come to an end.
I live very rurally and don't go to town very often and this stop is over 50 miles from my house. I am not upset, I always seemed to know that someday this was probably going to happen. I am grateful for all the WW's I have gotten from them over the years. Good thing I have been able to acquire a pretty good stock pile from them over the years.
Like I said I am not mad, upset or frustrated it just seems odd to be back at square one again.
jmsj

[dverna]

I am addressing the lead supply issue by reclaiming lead. I mostly shoot targets and I had a berm constructed when I had a pond dug 2 months ago. My plan is to fabricate a sand box to capture bullets (I have LOTS of sand) so they can be easily sifted out. I live 20 miles from the nearest town of any size so scrounging WW was not going to be worth the hassle of finding places that would sell them to me, driving to and fro, and sorting all the junk out. With the every increasing amount of steel and zinc WW's, it seemed like reclaiming was the best approach for me.

I have over 2500 lbs of alloy so I will never run out lead.

Don Verna

[BNE]

Sorry to hear about the dried up source. Keep looking. I'm just starting and thinking about how to build a trap also.

[wistlepig1]

Interstate Batteries have close off most of the market for ww in my area to. My only savor here is my hunting buddy owns a Chevy and Dodge dealership. The problem now is the Zinkies, Oh so many Zinks 30% and growing, Thanks you ****** tree huggiers!

[jmsj]

Thanks Guys,
I do reclaim the lead from the berm I shoot into at the range behind the house. Problem is it is a pain to reclaim, I shoot more than a few alloys and we shoot a lot of steel targets (not much to reclaim). It has been just easier to mix up a new batch and cast away. I used to reclaim lead at a couple of private ranges but lately I have gotten lazy. Looks like it may be time to start that up again.
I has been on my to do list to build a bullet trap using crumb rubber. Sounds like now I have my motivation.
Thanks, jmsj

[Wally]

Thanks Guys,
I do reclaim the lead from the berm I shoot into at the range behind the house. Problem is it is a pain to reclaim, I shoot more than a few alloys and we shoot a lot of steel targets (not much to reclaim). It has been just easier to mix up a new batch and cast away. I used to reclaim lead at a couple of private ranges but lately I have gotten lazy. Looks like it may be time to start that up again.
I has been on my to do list to build a bullet trap using crumb rubber. Sounds like now I have my motivation.
Thanks, jmsj


I am reclaiming mine and seldom use steel plate targets anymore..I now save steel cans for targets. When ventilated "enough" I crush them and recycle. Not as much fun as shooting steel plates, but it saves a lot of valuable lead. For those of us who have our own range and a sandbox trap..we be the lucky ones.

[dondiego]

I had 10 yards of sand brought in for my shooting hill. A box elder grew up behind the berm so that helped too. I have been shooting into it for years along with many friends. No telling how much lead is in the berm now. I bet at least 1000 pounds. I have a trailer and a boat stored about 10to 15 feet to the side of the berm. I have been finding slugs that are being thrown out of the sand from impact with other bullets as far away as 15 feet from the berm inside the boat and on top of the trailer! Should I mine the berm to prevent this loss of slugs or is this common and of no concern?

[bangerjim]

Well.......glad you find lead in your sand. All I find is cat poop!!! With nine of the lil buggers out there, they have the world's largest litter box!

banger

[dondiego]

I have heard of people putting a layer of cat poop on the top of their pot..........maybe that was cat litter...............

[milprileb]

Used to go around every 6 months and police up wheel wts. This last time, all sources had dried up. Saw this coming six years ago as professional hazmat businesses were getting to shops and buying WW from them and pushing me out of the market.

Now? Every 3 months and plan to travel farther, buy all I can when I find them and don't assume last times seller will be there for me.

Its getting tough to get WW (or Linotype ) anymore. Time to get tough and bust harder to get WW. See, Adapt and Over Come!

[shadygrady]

well i still got lead for your zinc

[MTtimberline]

From what I've been hearing, zinc is next on the too hazardous list.

[Fordprefect]

At least you guys were able to get them at all, I just started casting and went to three different tire shops and was told the same thing at each place, no one uses lead anymore it is all steel weights here. When I was at the recyclers the guy said he just got a bunch of wheel weights sure enough they were all steel. Looks like we will all have to get more inventive.

[bangerjim]

At least you guys were able to get them at all, I just started casting and went to three different tire shops and was told the same thing at each place, no one uses lead anymore it is all steel weights here. When I was at the recyclers the guy said he just got a bunch of wheel weights sure enough they were all steel. Looks like we will all have to get more inventive.

Check ALL the scrap/junk yards in your area. All the ones around the Phoenix area have lots of lead roofing, pipe, cable, and misc lead....as well as COWW's. And I have been lucky to find many hundred # of lino and other tin-rich alloys, inluding pewter. You have to ask. I have heard in some states they will not sell the dreaded element Pb to the general public. That seems to be in many of the "BLUE" states! A pox on them.

But the free sources are just about all gone. Even dentists have gone to electronic xrays now. Gonna have to shell out your $$ to get lead these days WHEN you can find it. A dollar a pound is a decent price (not for COWW's) for pure and alloy lead. WW"s are considered "contaminated lead" and should sell for less due to the zinc and steel clips in there.

But.....DO NOT EVER consider trying to use auto batteries for the lead in them! Unless you do not value life and limb! There are threads on here describing the horrors involved.

Good luck on your hunt!

bangerjim

[Eric H]

I feel your pain

[GlocksareGood]

I would be tracking any/all lead down now. I dont imagine that the days of easy lead will be around much longer for the majority of us. :sad:

[Eddie2002]

Can't get WW's at any of the tire stores in my area, they all recycle to Interstate or other companies. I've even offered to match what Interstate pays per pound but was told that a paper trail is needed for proper EPA regulations. I've a buddy in roofing and he is keeping the lead flashing pulled off roof vents and melting it down. Can't get him to give me any though he shoots a .54 caliber muzzle loader and goes through a lot.
I'm shooting plinkers and low loads into a big old chunk of dried pine log, plan to split it and pop the slugs out in about another year. Bet I've got 10 lbs of lead in it already.
Been getting my WW lead from on line auctions and need to get more soon.

[luvtn]

My local plumbing supply has to go completely leadless by 01/01/2014. I gave them my name and number to buy what they have left at that time as scrap.
lt

[Jon]

If you can reuse your lead, it will last quite awhile. If you know anyone that goes to a range, you may be able to go sometime when it's not being used, and mine the berm for some lead.

WW have all but dried up around here. I get all my lead from the pistol range at the club.

[00buck]

I got onto casting at the tale end of buckets of WW's for free. Then the tire shop guys wanted to scrap them for extra money. ( cant blame them)

Now the tire shops have "vendors" that take all the old WW's

I'm glad I got while the getting was good.

[Shiloh]

WW have REALLY become scarce for me. Range scrap is becoming mu go to supply. Seems to be enough hard lead in what I scavange to give decent alloy. Rifle boolits get sweetened with a bit of lino if they need to be harder.

SHiloh

[AlaskanGuy]

Here is an idea for you guys... Head out to a auto junk yard, armed with COWW pliers, and come out with pleanty. Especially the old scrap yards with really old cars... I did this when i went to anchorage last and got several buckets full.. Yes it took time, and effort, but it was free... Once you get the pliers, resist the temtation to use them in parking lots.... [smilie=l:

[dakotashooter2]

Can't get WW's at any of the tire stores in my area, they all recycle to Interstate or other companies. I've even offered to match what Interstate pays per pound but was told that a paper trail is needed for proper EPA regulations. I've a buddy in roofing and he is keeping the lead flashing pulled off roof vents and melting it down. Can't get him to give me any though he shoots a .54 caliber muzzle loader and goes through a lot.
I'm shooting plinkers and low loads into a big old chunk of dried pine log, plan to split it and pop the slugs out in about another year. Bet I've got 10 lbs of lead in it already.
Been getting my WW lead from on line auctions and need to get more soon.

While they may have to document that it goes to someone who is certified to handle haz mat, who is going to know what kind of quantities they have coming in? Another option is to get haz mat certified.......

I'm fortunate in that I work for a municipal govt. We have some contractors that are still pulling out lead water lines and I take all that I can get my hands on. What I really need to do is save up some cash. A former boss of mine has at least a couple tons of lead stashed away because he used to make fishing jigs for his family and friends. He has given up on that and I need to talk to him before the stash disappears or he passes away.

[dondiego]

I had a friend who worked for the City and he got me a couple of hundred feet of 1 inch lead water main when they dug it up. It is dead soft lead and I must have several hundred pounds of ingots smelted and still have 20 feet or so of the pipe. Unfortunately, he doesn't work for the city anymore so that source dried up. There is a printing company called Vistaprint that was advertising 200 business cards for $10. I had some made up for my "Recycling business". I do recycle lead you know? I recycle wheelweights and other scrap lead products into shiny new boolits and deposit them into my hazardous waste landfill. Some people call it my backstop but I know better!

[WILCO]

I feel your pain

Same here. When the wheel weights dried up, I found a source for indoor range scrap and then that supply went south for a time. Currently, I have enough lead that I've purchased, scavenged and was gifted, to last for many moons. As for the OP, keep putting the word out to friends that you need lead. Check estate sales for lead sinkers, shop the scrap yards and don't forget there's the online vendors here.

[tengaugetx]

If you know any phone company employees ask them. They use lead for several different applications. Not wheel weights but a good source of lead. It's worth asking if you know of anyone. You can use it as a mix to make your wheel weights or range scrap go farther.

[Ohio Rusty]

My local source has stopped also. The owner of the tire shop is now re-using the WW's he takes off tires instead of buying new ones to save money. I will often walk berms along intersections to find orphan WW's If I find a couple, I'm happy !! They get added to what little I have left. I've started adding pure lead to my WW's (50/50 alloy) to make it last longer.
Ohio Rusty ><>

[bangerjim]

I got onto casting at the tale end of buckets of WW's for free. Then the tire shop guys wanted to scrap them for extra money. ( cant blame them)

Now the tire shops have "vendors" that take all the old WW's

I'm glad I got while the getting was good.

Yes, sadly the days of free COWW's are gone for most if not all. I have may hundreds of ingots of the stuff cleanly smelted and neatly stacked in storage for my "old age"!

Besides......I have had my fill of smelting filthy WW's.

Now my quest at scrap yards is for alloys with Sn/Sb/Bi and clean pure lead to dope to the alloys I want.

With the "greenies" on the loose in DC, any form of the dreaded element Pb will become harder and harder to find.......at any price.

banger

[old beekeeper]

jmsj

If it is any consolaton, the battery company is probably going to get a big surprise. I live in Portsmouth, VA and my cousin is in charge of a large dealership, so I have first dibs on their wheel weights. My last bucket yielded about 45% steel, 35% zinc, the rest were a combination of lead and whatever is the new stuff they are putting on cars. Some of the lead is coated in some kind of stuff to match the wheel covers and just adds to the rest of the krud to be scraped off. My son lives in Camden, NC, building all of Dennis Anderson' Grave Digger and has access to a lot of small dealers, and the last three buckets were just about the same, mostly steel and zinc, with something which looked like rubberized plastic. So I guess the battery company is having a problem finding lead for their batteries, but I think they are going to be mightely surprised if they are paying a premium price for the wheel weights they get from the dealer. Since lead is finding itself among those things that environmentalists are against, and considering how "touchy feely" our government is getting, I think it will not bee long before we will be scraping the bottom of the barrel for lead. At least that is the way it seems to be here on the east coast.

Beekeeper

[Boyscout]

My brother came upon a source for free wheel weights just recently and has brought me about 200 lbs. If the first sort is any indicationof my yield, I am going to get about 30% Fe/Zn. I am sorting the SOWW out and treating them as pure lead for my purposes.

The source was interested in some 9mm reloads but I do not do 9 mm. I purchased some Winchester FMJ as a thank you as I do not feel comfortable giving handloads to strangers especially on something I have not worked up and tested myself. If he had a friend who reloads, I would gladly purchase a Lee 9mm mold and return some of his lead back to him.

Saturday, I picked up 100 lbs of Linotype for $1.00 lb. from a local museum which had given up on the idea of setting up a printing press. My source buys, sells and trades printing equipment and is only interested in typset he can reuse. I got a lot of spacer bars, shims, and 6 pt. slugs. If the budget allows, I am going to continue to purchase whenever I can. I feel fortunate to have stumbled into this one as it came up in casual conversation at work one day. I think I have gotten about 300 lbs now.

[dondiego]

Word of mouth has worked out for me. I tell everyone that I know to save wheelweights, lead, tin, solder, pewter, etc. for me. You would be surprised at what shows up now and them.

[surfanarchist]

I can still get COWWs for free but it takes a couple of month to get three full 5 gal buckets. After sorting I might have almost one decent bucket of weights. This past weekend I sorted and got my one bucket which I melted yesterday. That yielded about 130 lbs of clean lead. I've been doing this now for only the last year and the lead to zink/steel/whatever ratio even over the one year has gotten worse. I'll keep plugging away as every once in a while I get lucky but it's deminishing.

[novalty]

My source unfortunately isn't free, but they guarantee I'll get all lead wheel weights--as they'll exchange any zinc or steel that is missed in sorting for equivalent weight of lead. So far I've purchased 500lbs of wheel weights from this year--which I estimate will yield about 400lbs of clean lead ingots. I've asked around to a bunch of friends but it hasn't yielded any additional results yet. My father-in-law who taught me to cast, runs his own garage, and can't even get in enough lead wheel weights to keep up with his own casting needs.