Scored 5 lb belmont metals 58% Bi and 42% Sn ingots? What to do with it?

[10 ga]

was really cheap, $.35 lb at junkyard and picked them up, 2 round ingots of 2.5 lb @, with a bunch of solder, sheet lead and lead flashing. what can I do with them? Have never scored any bismuth for casting but have shot some bismuth shotshells for waterfowl. are they any good for boolit casting? The Belmont site list them at 22 brinnel, 58% Bi and 42% Sn. what would they have been used for? Babbit?? thanks for any info.

Also scored 2 bars of 1 kilo @ of 62/36/2 alpha vaculoy solder at $.35 a lb so that was $1.40 for 4 lbs of solder. I know exactly what to use that for!

10 ga

[GrayTech]

Best I can suggest is make a few SMALL batches of various lead alloys with it and test/shoot them, then report back with your results.

There is some info online wrt the properties of lead alloys containing bismuth, do some research.

[bangerjim]

Check the melt temp! I have a similar Bi/Sn alloy that melts at 142F. Similar to wood's metal minus the Cd.

I do NOT use it for boolits!!!!! I use it for casting antique reproductions moldings and trim. It can be cast in plastic. The several hundred pounds of it I found was cast in SOLO drinking cups! Also used to hold aerospace and jet engine turbine blades for machining.

[10 ga]

Banger, the Belmont site and ingot stamp indicate a 281 f melt temp. Have done a search here and it looks like it makes lower melt temp, harder but more frangible/brittle boolits. Might use it for some steel sillouette or gong boolits. Or might just put it on the sale/swap forum. bismuth at $6 lb now and tin about the same. Of course they won't "go bad" so might save them, never know what the future might be. 10

[gloob]

The low melting point should make it handy for desoldering electrical components. Look up this stuff called ChipQwik.