lead price

[jswaff]

Someone on Craig's List in Nashville is advertising that they will pay $70.00 for 5 gallon bucket of wheelwegights. I guess I'm getting started way to late.

[Leadforbrains]

Getting wheel weights for little or nothing can be a little tough at times, but $70.00 for a five gallon bucket to me is just plain crazy. The last I checked $30.00 was general ball park for a five gallon bucket. My daughter was able to get me a one time deal for $15.00 through a friend of hers. This same person told her he usually sells them for $30.00
If you are just getting started don't give up. Just keep looking. I make looking for wheelweights like a game. I carry some cash and some interesting items to trade when I go looking. Don't get discouraged to easily when you are refused. Just go on to the next place. It also helps to ask your friends. relatives, inlaws or coworkers if they know someone who works at or owns a scrap yard, plumbing business, or tire shop. It helps alot to have an inside guy to cut you a break in these areas.
It's a little more competitive, and may take a little longer but it's not impossible to get a good supply of lead to support your casting and shooting habit.
I hope this helps. Welcome to the forum!

[Ghugly]

Sad as it may seem, the guy paying $70 a bucket (around 50 cents a pound) can probably turn a profit on Ebay. Don't let that discourage you. Small business owners are an independent lot. One will act like his wheel weights are made of gold and the guy across the street will give them to you for free. Be friendly and chat them up a bit. Also, I never go into a business expecting to get anything for free. I'm not begging, I'm looking to buy. Better than half the time, I get them for free.

[JSnover]

Welcome aboard, JS.
In the beginning it seemed to me there wasn't any more free/cheap lead to be found but like the others said, be friendly and keep asking. You'll be amazed how much there is to be had. My favorite junkyard was a little leery of letting a stranger pick through their rims at first. I thanked them after harvesting about 5 pounds of WW, came back ten minutes later with some fresh coffee for the two guys in the front office. The next week when I dropped in to scrounge for more they treated me like a brother. Two coffees per week is a hard price to beat........

[jawjaboy]

Still free to $25 a full 5 gal. bucket in my neck a da woods. Folk say us southerners are slow. I sho am glad! :wink:

[Beaverhunter2]

Lead is $.60/lb at the salvage yard where I get mine- in any form (WW, ingots, strips). Hard to find WW in any real quantity at the tire shops around here.

I feel weird to be passing over solid lead ingots to buy WW at the same price. Especially considering I'll get about 75% yield. I just don't know how to get the straight lead alloyed to be hard enough at a cost-effective price. 50-50 lino/lead would cost more than the WW at the prices I've seen for linotype. And I've already got enough straight lead to last for a long time.

I still just keep reminding myself that no matter what I'm paying, it's lot better than $.75 each for jacketed bullets.

John

[Alchemist]

jswaff,

Welcome from another newb...and don't give up. Keep looking and network with friends and fellow shooters/casters. You'll find alloy somewhere. I agree that $70.00 a bucket is nuts...but if that word gets around, we'll see everybody trying to get that for WWs.

Try independent tire shops first...I got 100 lbs of WWs for the asking from an independent. Wall of China-mart won't talk to me about WWs. Same for lots of chain stores.

Just hang in there. And have fun.

Cheers :drinks:

Alchemist

[dmftoy1]

I don't know if you live in a state where they force you to deer hunt with slugs, but 12 gauge slugs are really good trading material for WW's in the months that preceed the season. There are alot of guys with shotgun reloaders but not that many who cast . .at least that's been my experience.

Good luck!

[targetshootr]

The out of the way places are the friendliest. I drive 25 miles to smaller towns because they like to help people and they don't charge much. And I don't even need more ww, it's just fun to do.

[GabbyM]

I've been paying $.90 for soft lead, $.70 for WW $1.50 for lino and $11.00 for tin.
The price a week ago for virgin lead ingots from the foundry in St Louis was $1.30 per pound.
Some of the big yards quote $.95 for WW then want to charge a fee to load your truck.

[canyon-ghost]

My neck of the woods is .40 cents a pound for Wheelweight. But prices are going up, have had it given to me though. By the way, guys, I think a five gallon bucket is about 210 pounds of lead.

[calaloo]

I just made arrangements to purchase 500 pounds of pure lead for .50 Cents per pound delivered. The guy works construction lead lining tanks and building X ray facilities and such. He says that he most always has some scrap. I haven't tried to buy wheel weights in a long time. I've got probably 200 or 300 pounds and never use them.

Bill