Scrap tin ?

[218bee]

I've been hunting scrap lead for many a year even though I've yet to pour my first bullet (but I'm close). I'm going to start with wheelweights for my handguns but eventually may want to play with 1-20, 1-30 or some other concoction. Any sources for scrap tin?? I know I can get it in 50/50 solder or 95/5 solder, but I'm a cheap bastid and was wondering if I could get some tips on junkyard or dumpster sources. Any ideas??

[IcerUSA]

Pewter.

Keith

[218bee]

Pewter ??

[IcerUSA]

Yep, all that fancy stuff , check the bottom of the item , should say pewter on it and it's almost all tin . Do a search for it also .

Keith

[jdhenry]

Type it on Ebay under search. You'll get an idea, Then go hit some garage sales and get it cheap:)

[IcerUSA]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=21850&highlight=Pewter

Read this thread .

Keith

[calsite]

I heard lead free solder but haven't personally tried it.

[kooz]

I went to a radiator repair shop and asked for a bucket of their solder drippings. Got a 5gal bucket of drippings for $10, guy said that they used 60/40 only . I have smelted about half of the bucket and recovered 25# so far. 60/40 is supposed to be a BHN of 17, and this tests at 16.8 so I guess it's pretty close. It is a pain to clean, but much cheaper than buying it in ingot form. Good luck

[NuJudge]

Some items such as old water meters were made of Tin, but I've never run into any. Tin is a non-toxic metal, and not very reactive, so it lends itself to certain applications.

I just look for solder scraps.

CDD

[Goatlips]

"Beer Coils" are a classic source, junked out of old barroom draft beer cooling systems. They're supposed to be pure tin, but although I ask for them at the scrap yards, I've never found any. Maybe a little too classic.

When you start do casting with wheelweights, you might have good fillout without adding any tin at all. I don't bother using it anymore for my Cowboy Action boolits. :Fire:

Goatlips

[montana_charlie]

There are some sources of tin that I have heard about which I never expect to find, myself, but you may.

Wine and Champagne bottles have (at times) had 'foil' seals that were pure tin. Some of the tin I have came from a guy who happened onto a pallet of wine seals, which he melted down and sold in ingot form. Being in the right place at the right time would be instrumental in getting some of that.

Speaking if 'instrument'...
Organ pipes have been made of tin. Saw it in a TV show about pipe organs. If I ever saw an old cathedral being wrecked, I would ask around about who had access to the organ parts.
But, talk to a guy in a backhoe...not a doctor. You might wind up on the wrong kind of 'organ salvage' list.

If an electronics firm is being closed out...one involved in manufacture of circuit boards...check out their soldering equipment. They typically use dip solder units that hold fifty (or more) pounds of 63/37 solder, and that is beautiful stuff for alloying bullets.

Alternatively, many circuit board outfits are currently changing over from lead-based solder to the new stuff. They will often be replacing all of their solder pots...and have left-over solder to get rid of, as well.

The slab of 63/37 I have came from an eBay sale by a company where one of those change-over projects was in progress. Wish I could have just backed up to their dock and taken all of the slabs they had available...

It's also possible (my memory isn't clear on this) that tin was used in food production places like dairies or cheese-making facilities...back before stainless steel became readily available.
If you become aware of an old place (such one of these) being torn down, it wouldn't hurt to ask around.

CM

[felix]

CM, you cannot believe the number of common folks into the organ trade. Usually, when any pipe organ is being replaced/removed for any reason, there are mailings to all the "registered" hobbyists. Talk about scavengers. Lived NEXT door to one in Houston. The WHOLE house had pipes installed. About twice a year, the block filled up with cars, all folks going to his house. That meant that some organ big shot came into town and wanted to play with his toy. The sound was tremendous, and heard throughout maybe one city block's worth. He told me that his organ had a 5 pounds of air production through 40 or 50 pipes, the longest were placed on the floor, some 32 feet. ... felix