Casting Zinc Boolits

[Mark]

I have a large supply of Zinc from my last batch of wheel weights. My buddy works for a Toyota dealer and about half of the factory ww's are zinc. I know the problems with getting zinc in my lead pot (that's why they are separate) but can I cast an all zinc boolit? Veral has a small paragraph on it in his book and he adds that they don't need lube. Is this true? Has anyone tried to cast zinc boolits and what was the outcome?
Mark

[NVcurmudgeon]

I have a large supply of Zinc from my last batch of wheel weights. My buddy works for a Toyota dealer and about half of the factory ww's are zinc. I know the problems with getting zinc in my lead pot (that's why they are separate) but can I cast an all zinc boolit? Veral has a small paragraph on it in his book and he adds that they don't need lube. Is this true? Has anyone tried to cast zinc boolits and what was the outcome?
Mark

Back in WWII days there was mild in terest in casting bullets of Kirksite, a zinc alloy. You wound up with useable bullets, but your pot and mould were ruined for lead.

[Freightman]

Sell your zink, smelt them down to bricks and buy lead!
You will be far ahead, I was given a 40# chunk of zink and sent it to another member to make cannon balls.

[STP]

Mark,

I can tell you from experience that casting with zinc requires the maximum heat the pot can generate. A couple of problems surface when you get going....

1. From the first cast, the spout will continuously drip...at an alarming rate too. An ingot tray underneath to catch the drippings will be full before you can cast 10 bullets.

2. Once the level of zinc in the pot drains below the position of the element (like a RCBS 20lb Pro-Melt), the remainder instantly turns to mush and will not flow.

3. If those new Lyman ingot trays with those nice long wooden handles are used, the necessary tapping to get the ingots to drop out, turns into hammering....which breaks the handle off the tray. The early ingot trays require nearly as much effort, but it still isn`t good ju-ju to have to pound on them so hard.

4. Clean-up of the remains in the pot requires a long spoon...think of it like trying to scoop out cake frosting from the sides and bottom while the pot is at full temp. You will be left with a film of zinc that refuses your best efforts.

No joy...

[Mark]

Ok, I get the point. I will scrap the zinc. Thanks for the advice and more important, thank you for helping me avoid yet another reason for a headache.
Mark J

[lunicy]

ok, I know not to use zinc, but why. What does it do?? I have some stick on WW but I don't know if they are zinc or lead. How do I tell??

[monadnock#5]

ok, I know not to use zinc, but why. What does it do?? I have some stick on WW but I don't know if they are zinc or lead. How do I tell??

Go to the dollar store and get yourself a pair of compound metal shears. Any wheelweight, stick-on or otherwise that cleaves easily under the pressure of one hand is a keeper. If you have to use two hands, and it still won't cut, send it to the scrap yard.

[hunter64]

Most stick on WW are pure lead or close enough, if you can scratch them with your finger nail they are lead. Keep them separated and make ingots out of them and sell them to muzzle/black powder shooters for a premium or at least an even trade for more WW's. I have really noticed the increase of stickon's in the last two years, they are used for the shiny mag's you see on the road that have become very popular in the last few years.

[The Double D]

Sell your zink, smelt them down to bricks and buy lead!
You will be far ahead, I was given a 40# chunk of zink and sent it to another member to make cannon balls.

Your kindness will not be forgotten...

And, I can still use more zinc.

[hunter64]

I have an older book by Col. Harrison and it is just full of info, it is a collection of answers he used in the NRA's magazine from the 50-80's. Someone asked him about zinc bullets and basically he said everything needed to be cast hotter than lead, keep the zinc in a separate iron pot and use a ladle. He states that zinc is so hard that one does not need lube and the zinc will not expand at all so it is for target plinking only. He also said that the main reason for casting Zinc was the weight difference for people who want to try a lighter bullet and he gave an example of a 158 .357 bullet that weighed in at 105 grains with zinc. Accuracy was close to a jacketed bullet. The next batch of WW's I get I will try and see how it goes, I have an old small cast iron pot that I am not using so I will keep the zinc separated from my lead stuff.

[sundog]

I'd be very wary of using any of my good moulds for zinc casting, fearing contamination. In fact, I wouldn't even try it.

[Freightman]

I'd be very wary of using any of my good moulds for zinc casting, fearing contamination. In fact, I wouldn't even try it.
I second that! if I wanted to do zink buy some cheap LEE moulds for that purpose, if you have one that is small try that one as they will be like Jackeded and ride the top of the lands. Then report to us on the results.

[dakotashooter2]

This brings up a thought. What about using a HP mold for zink. Given the composition, would one end up with frangible bullet of sorts? If workable it seems it might make a decent "target" bullet.

[Ricochet]

Worrying about "contaminating" a mould with zinc is unnecessary. We're not talking about Ebola virus here. If you can't see it, it's gone.

[Salmon-boy]

I agree with Ricochet. With steel and iron moulds, if there is nothing sticking to the mould, you're not going to have any contamination.

One issue with zinc is that it tends to alloy with Aluminum easily. Since the melting temp of zinc is just over 1/2 that of Aluminum, I'd be wary of using a Lee Aluminum mould. Might be a quick way of destroying it.

[Ricochet]

Yeah, you're right, I'd worry about it bonding to aluminum. I'm not going to try it. But no worries with an iron mould.

[hunter64]

Gives me an idea. I have an older .38 spl Lyman hollow point mold that would work just fine for this test. If I get some time this weekend I will give it a shot. Next Tuesday I was planning on visiting the indoor shooting range and I will see how it goes.

[spurgon]

What temperature does zinc melt at?
spurgon

[STP]

787.15 degrees F.

[mstarling]

MAJOR, MAJOR Caution!!!!!!!

Zinc vapor is VERY toxic and has resulted in the death of at least one blacksmith in the last few years. He wrote of his experience prior to his death. He had heated some galvanized material in a forge as saw a white smoke coming off of the steel. Most of us had NO idea this was a such a risky thing to do.

Be VERY, VERY care here fellas. Is not worth taking a significant risk!!!!!!

[Ricochet]

First I've heard of a death from that. But "zinc shakes" are common among welders and such from breathing those fumes. A somewhat flulike, usually self-limited illness with fever, chills and aching all over. Not something anyone would want to experience.

[MT Gianni]

Word is that zinc gas exposure is cumulative and if you weld galvanized with out precautions you will get it sooner than later. Milk is a supposed preventative. Gianni

[DeanoBeanCounter]

I don't think milk is a preventative. All it does is settle the stomach.
Deano

[Ed Barrett]

If you use the zinc bullets at a range where somebody salvages the berm for casting, you will likely be cursed by some caster to the fifth generation when all there stuff is contaminated!!!!!

[floodgate]

I've heard from a couple of old time welders that they kept a bottle or Thermos of BUTTERmilk handy and sipped at it while welding or cutting on galvanized iron, to avoid problems with the zinc fumes.

floodgate.

[Ghugly]

Seems to me that if you vaporize your zinc, you're way too hot. Also, milk is overrated. I had a friend who croaked after his friends injected him with milk when he od'd on heroin. Too bad, He was a nice kid, pity he was such a dumb-ass.

[BAGTIC]

My dad worked at a battery factory during WW2. He said employees were required to drink a quart of milk every day and they watched to make sure you did. Apparently high blood calcium levels were supposed to reduce deposition of lead in the bones.

[lathesmith]

This thread raises some very GOOD reasons not to try zinc:
1) The vapors and such can be very harmful to your health to mess with;
2) If used at a local range, you will contaminate their lead for future casters;
and I would like to add another reason to avoid zinc ESPECIALLY at any short indoor range:
3) I guarantee these things will have a horrendous tendency to ricochet, especially lower velocity pistol loads. Ever shoot a BB gun at a hard surface? Same thing!(Well, nearly.) If you are crazy enough to try a few of these, at least tell your fellow shooters so they can get out. been You have been warned...
lathesmith