How much does Linotype sell for?

[kellyj00]

I'm new to casting and alloys. I have someone trying to sell me 100 lbs of "ex-newspaper type" linotype for 80 cents/lb ($80).

What is this stuff truly worth? Would anyone be interested in trading for wheel weight alloy?

[richbug]

That would be a good price. I got some at 75 cents and was thrilled to have it.

Somewhere about $1.25 would be a fair market price I would think.

[Ricochet]

Yeah, I'd grab it at 80¢.

[grumpy one]

Bear in mind that linotype sold as scrap is usually depleted. This means it will need to have some tin added, and just possibly some antimony as well. If you are planning to use it as an alloy sweetener this doesn't matter, but if you want actual linotype you'll have to refresh the alloy by trial and error. Pure linotype melts at 462*F, and passes from solid to liquid without an intermediate slush stage because it is a true eutectic. Just melt a small sample, with a thermometer, and you'll know whether it is depleted or not.

[kellyj00]

if I mix depleted linotype with my wheel weight alloy, will that work?

[grumpy one]

It will work in the sense that you'll get an alloy of WW and whatever your depleted lino consisted of. Most depleted lino seems to be, roughly, 2% tin instead of 4%, but reasonably correct with regard to antimony (12%). I think they used it until it stopped casting well, then stopped. Lino is usable down to 2% tin. So, if your lino doesn't transform from liquid to solid without a mush stage, you probably need to add some tin, starting with 1% and adding another 1% if it is only halfway fixed. For alloying WW and depleted lino, it's best to have some idea how far off the lino is or you won't know what you're going to finish up with.

In my experience there isn't much difference in casting ability for WW/lino mixes that have around 4 to 6% antimony so long as you have a little over 1% tin. A bit more tin (up to 3%) does improve castability, but not very much - it's barely noticeable. Some people like to have equal quantities of tin and antimony, because that range of alloys, at least from 3% to 7%, are pseudo-eutectics and also are reputed to be tough and shatter-resistant. That is only something that matters for hunting bullets, and using lots of tin that way is fairly expensive, but finding tough alloys for hunting is a sort of ultimate goal for many people here so it is well worth thinking about. Don't ever allow the amount of tin to exceed the amount of antimony, unless you have just about no antimony at all. High tin alloys of tin, antimony and lead stash the surplus tin in soft spots, which are unhelpful to just about everything.

[corvette8n]

I paid $20.00 for 60lbs two months ago, but that was a one time deal.

[crowbeaner]

I had a guy GIVE me about 400 lbs in 25 lb. pigs. Years back I bought used lino at a salvage yard for 0.25 a pound. I got all they had. I even paid them 0.25/lb. for new Taracorp 311 bullet alloy in ingots; about 400 lbs. I'm still using it. Lino usually goes for around $1.50/lb. WWs vary from free to $1 a lb. Put out feelers for type setters and offset type casters. Some times you can find a lode at reasonable prices if they are going modern. CB.