differentiating between lead and zinc wheelweights

[Big Boomer]

Can someone point me to the thread(s) that can help me ascertain the difference between lead and zinc wheelweights? I am using wire cutters and the lead is easy. What I think is zinc can be marked or cut, but is somewhat harder. The ferrous ones are also easy. What method do you use to figure out the rejects? Big Boomer

[JWFilips]

With zinc the cutters slide off ( you may mark them a bit) The lead will cut
Also drop them on concrete you will instantly notice the metallic sound of zinc

[Tatume]

Hi Boomer,

Easy, I just put them all in the pot and skim off the ones that don't melt. If you let the pot continue to heat the zinc will eventually melt, but you have to get it really hot. Lead melts at slightly over 620 degrees F, and zinc melts at just shy of 790 degrees F. Wheel weights will have to get a little hotter than pure lead, but should all be molten by the time the pot reaches 700 degrees F.

Let your pot get hot and the majority of the contents molten, then remove everything solid. If you have a thermometer so much the better, but it really isn't necessary.

Take care, Tom

[Shiloh]

The above three posts are the ones I use. My buddy drops all in a dutch oven smelter and skims off the zinc WW. The last batch of WW I scrounged had a LOT of zinc and iron in the pail.

Shiloh

[Big Boomer]

Thanks guys! I got to looking around and there's a sticky I found that is loaded with info. Mods, feel free to delete this repeat or duplication. Big Boomer

[kryogen]

I used to sort weights but it's WAY too long and usless. dont do that.

Throw a few inches of everything in a pot, heat, when it starts to melt, stir, and when it's all soaking in liquid lead, stop heating a lot and quickly skim everything that floats (zn, fe...) clips, whatever.

If lead has melted and something has not melted yet, you don't want it and skim it. Even if it looks like lead, skim it.

I contaminated a pot ONCE with zn, I just dropped 8 inches and let it heat for half an hour, that was dumb. when I came back, it was all oatmeal scrap floating.... had to flux endlessly, and cool/heat to get it out.

If you skim the stuff once lead has melted, and stir the pot, it will not happen.

BEST is that once you start, always keep an inch of lead in the bottom. helps transfer the heat evenly.

[44man]

Use a thermometer and keep the melt at 600*. What does not melt, skim and toss what does not melt. Do NOT flux because with flux, even antimony will melt in at 600*.

[JeffinNZ]

With zinc the cutters slide off ( you may mark them a bit) The lead will cut
Also drop them on concrete you will instantly notice the metallic sound of zinc

Yeap. Pb goes 'clunk' on concrete, Zn goes 'chink'. You actually get a bit of a eye for spotting Zn WW. I sort everything. Small insurance. I have had Zn in a pot. Not much fun.

[jeepyj]

I have sorted about ten 5 gallon pails after a short time you'll be able to pick out the zinc and steel quite rapidly. I try to get 90% +\- then melt the rest as others have indicated. Sometimes it's a little easier to have a few pounds of lead in the pot to start with then add a little Wheel Weights, skim and repeat at the same time pouring off some ingots as the pots fills. I have found it is way easier to use a turkey cooker and a large pot for the smelting process.
Jeepyj

[Big Boomer]

After sorting over one half of a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights, I've got a little better handle on the situation. I can spot the Fe and T-Zn right off. Some of the other weights I can easily enough cut, but they are thicker and bulkier. I will have to keep an eye on them when time comes to smelt.

Interesting that most of the weights are smaller, though there are a few large take offs. Are wheel and mag manufacturers doing a better job than in the past, getting things more precise? The tire shop where I got these weights said the only lead weights are take-offs, i. e., old stuff. They went to Fe and T-Zn (whatever the T is for) about a year ago. Big Boomer

Oh, almost forgot ... also found some stick-on Fe and perhaps some T-Zn weights. have to look over each item for fear it will contaminate the melt.

[nighthunter]

I didn't used to sort. Now I do. Most zinc WW say "ZN" in plain letters. If in doubt I resort to the sidecutters. To me its not worth the later hassle if zinc weights happen to melt and I do what I can to avoid the problem. It doesn't take that long to sort through a bucket.

Nighthunter

[RogerDat]

Since one never knows what a bucket will yield in terms of lead, zinc or Fe checking them first means you are only storing good lead and will have less chance of Zn contamination. If you miss a couple of zinc and some how they ended up melting it would not be enough to screw up a whole pot.

[MrWolf]

I sort them all with side-cutters. Worry about a zinc one on the bottom of the pot and temp even with thermometer getting to hot. Safer my way IMHO

[kryogen]

I sort them all with side-cutters. Worry about a zinc one on the bottom of the pot and temp even with thermometer getting to hot. Safer my way IMHO

works, but when you have 1000 pounds to sort, this is not going to happen unless you are unemployed.

[Big Boomer]

I'm with you, MrWolf. Right now my right hand is sore and stiff from using the side cutters. When you clamp down on either Fe or T-Zn weights, you feel the resistance. You don't cut those things. I used them on every weight. Like you, I don't want to end up contaminating a good batch of lead.

The weights were in a dirty, greased-up 5-gallon can. The tire stop also does front end work, wheel alignments, etc., so grease is a continual by-product of what goes on there. I got tired of the black fingernails and resorted to some surgical latex gloves and that kept the grease and dirt off my hands pretty much.

I found out that the young man I dealt with owns a .45 ACP Glock and I'm going to cast him a 50-round box of ammo for his .45. I'm pretty sure he would prefer jacketed stuff and I'll probably load him up a box of those, too, but I thought it would be pretty neat to give him back some of the lead he gave to me. Big Boomer

[kryogen]

going to pick up 500 pounds of WW tomorrow for 60$.... owned.