PDA

View Full Version : Got some free lead, what is the alloy?



spurgon
01-02-2008, 07:39 PM
A friend of mine gave me 45lbs of lead today. He says that he can get all I want. I

think that it came from a pipe foundry. Is there anyway for me to tell that it is safe

for me to smelt. I have read that it is not a goodidea to deal with battery lead. Is

there anything else to be concerned about that could be in donated lead?

Thanks

spurgon

Ben
01-02-2008, 07:45 PM
Get outside and set you up a smelter, stay away from any fumes that are coming off the alloy while it is melting......flux and clean the alloy, pour it into ignots...You should be fine.

Ben

Blammer
01-02-2008, 07:45 PM
what form is it in?

If it's already in ingots I'd say you have nothing to worry about.

Blammer
01-02-2008, 07:46 PM
Heck, just ask him what it's from.

dubber123
01-02-2008, 07:49 PM
What form is it in? If its already in an ingot or pipe shape, even if it did origionally come from a battery, someone did the nasty work of the initial smelting for you. If it really is lead pipe, it stands a good chance of being quite soft, maybe too soft for your needs. You might be able to swap it off for wheelweights with another caster if that is the case.

spurgon
01-02-2008, 09:39 PM
One piece is in the form of a brick and weighs in at 26 lbs. The other is a rough cub weighing in at 20 lbs. I guess it is in ingot form.
spurgon

KAF
01-03-2008, 07:55 AM
"form of a brick and weighs in at 26 lbs"

If it what I think it is it will have what looks like it was extruded. If so it is Certified pure lead used for radio active containment rooms.

They were also made in a double size that weighs in around 52 Lbs each.
Then there was smaller ingots that were joined together and used for "mortar".

Good stuff for sure. Wish I had more.

It had to be Certified as pure to be used for containment.

Blammer
01-03-2008, 11:26 AM
I'd take all he had!

Where in the piedmont are you?

I'm in Asheville and have relatives in Mebane area, and used to live in GSO, and Winston-Salem.

Morgan Astorbilt
01-03-2008, 02:01 PM
Blammer, You ever shoot over at the Ashville Rifle and Pistol Club on hwy 191 across from Bent Creek? That's where the Western Carolina Schuetzen Society has their matches.
Morgan

Blammer
01-03-2008, 03:14 PM
I was a member there many a year ago, 10 or more if I remember right.

They are close by and I thought about joining, but I don't get to shoot as often as I'd like to join a club like that. So I usually head over to my friends house about 45 min away and we shoot there for free.

They now required you to attend 4 meetings in a row which is a 4 month period as they have one a month, then pay $100 process fee I think, then $150 a year or something pretty stiff.

Not worth it to me right now.

Never got involved in any match shooting of any type. My schedule don't work with it, and I'm not really interested in it either.

spurgon
01-04-2008, 05:46 PM
I'd take all he had!

Where in the piedmont are you?

I'm in Asheville and have relatives in Mebane area, and used to live in GSO, and Winston-Salem.

Blammer

I'm just east of Charlotte.

Spurgon

Lloyd Smale
01-04-2008, 06:14 PM
spend 60 bucks and buy one of gussy hardness testers and cast some bullets and check it. I find my hardness tester can be my best friend. i take it to the scrap yard with me so i can at least get a rough idea what im looking at