Good, Bad, Ugly - Lead, Zinc, Steel - I Need your help

[tmc-okc]

I need some help. I am ready to smelt, render or melt -whatever the correct terminology is - my300 Lbs of clip on wheel weights ( COWW ) into ingots prior to casting boolits. I wantthe cleanest alloy possible and plan on fluxing several times using beeswax andsawdust. I am having a hard time determining what is zinc and what is lead.
I have removed all stick on wheel weights (SOWW) into a separatebucket which I will at a later time cast into ingots and label them as SOWW Pb. I have already removed everything thatI have identified as steel and a lot of stuff that is really hard to cut intothat I presume is zinc into another bucket. Using a pair of Klein 9 inch pliers with a side cutter I have identifieda lot of COWW's that are really soft that I am sure are lead but I also have alot of weights including some that are painted and or coated with what appearsto be an epoxy finish that are harder in composition than those I am sure arelead. Using my pliers I can cut into them but cannot cut them very deep withmoderate force. These are what I suspect is to be zinc ???
I have a good casting thermometer that registers up to 1 K° in10° increments. I have calibrated it in chlorinated tap water which boils atapprox. 210° F at 1300 Ft above sealevel ( my altitude ) and at 210° my water boils ! I can only assume that mythermometer will also be reasonably accurate at 650° F. I understand zinc melts at 787° F and lead at621° F. Will zinc wheel weights float inmy pot allowing me to scrape them off if I carefully regulate the temperatureof my pot and not allow it to get hotter than say 650°F ? Will having zinc wheel weights in my potcontaminate the lead or my pot even if I keep the temp. at or below 650° F..
I don't want to throw away anything that is actually leadbut I don't want any zinc and I don't want to contaminate my pot either.
I really respect the information and advice I have found onthis forum and will follow your advice.
Thanks
Ron

[aspangler]

Keep the Temp at 650 or less and you will be fine. They will float like steel. Skimm them off and resale to the recyclers.

[1911KY]

Almost all Zinc weights that I have seen have a Z or Zn on them some where. If not just drop them on the concrete, they will make a completely different sound than lead. It is a much higher pitched ding vs the dead thud of lead.

This thread was very helpful for me.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?139839-Guide-to-Hand-Sorting-Wheel-Weights

[Gtek]

The large set of cutters and biting them you will very easily confirm the difference. Also do not assume there is not any Zn in SOWW, have seen enough to really check them well. If you have temperature control as stated and staying under 700 you should have no problems.

[dkf]

I use a diagonal wire cutter on any suspect weights. Lead will easily get cut marks from the cutter and zinc or steel won't. A magnet is quick for the steel. Once you get use to it you can sort them pretty much by sight alone. I save the zinc weights but the steel gets thrown out. I don't take the chance with getting the pot too hot and ruining a batch of lead with zinc contamination.

[gwpercle]

Lead are soft, Zinc and steel are hard. Diagonal cutters and magnet will sort them out, you don't want to accidentally melt Zinc with the Lead ones it Contaminates all the alloy in the pot.
I go over each piece and weed out non-lead just to be safe. When you have the heat cranked up during smelting , way to easy to overheat and melt the zinkers.
Gary

[bangerjim]

And to not forget the acid test! Muriatic (HCL/pool) acid will attack Zn and not do anything to Pb.

Fast easy way to test. Just be aware HCl fumes up horribly in the air and can really get you wit the the yellowish chlorine fumes.

I use it all the time.......in a small drip bottle. Really eliminates any guesswork! Wear latex gloves and glasses if you are not used to messing with acids. And do it outside!

banger