Nasty wheel weights

[Tenbender]

Had 6 buckets of nasty oily wheel weights . Casts them into ingots today. Six buckets net 588 ingots. I had 2 buckets of zink-steel and clips. Looks like 150lb. bucket will net 100lb's . Maybe a bit more. I know steel, zink and clips are not as heavy as lead.
I'm tired ?
188543

I have 6 more to go.

[Bzcraig]

It's definitely a labor of love because it sure ain't fun.

[Skunk1]

Glad it's a hobby. Wouldn't do it for any other reason.

[TexasGrunt]

I just got three full buckets. I love sorting them! It means I'll soon have more alloy to make more boolits!

BTW Bzcraig, how long have you lived in Nampa? I left in 1975. Went to West Jr. High. It was a brand new building at the time.

[Budzilla 19]

Guys, when you sort your wheel weights why not melt your zinc ones and offer them to fellow casters for alloy hardening purpose? Just a thought. I'm trying this on advice of a moderator here. Going to make some hard .30 cal. boolits for '06 rounds! If nothing else, when you sell them to scrap yard, you might get a better price for zinc ingots! Just a comment. Tenbender, that's a heck of a pile of ingots!

[runfiverun]

definitely save those zinc ww's.
they seem like a scrap metal to our casting purposes but they have a whole bunch of usefulness.

[tomme boy]

Like an anode for my outboard motor. Or if your boat is at a dock that has power, you better have a bunch of them! Or your aluminum boat or outboard is going to have lots of pits and holes in it.

[too many things]

found a good deal with a couple tire shops . they are not supposed to reuse them but most small places do
if you make a deal you will sort the good zinc and steel for the lead they will let you have them to sort .
its worked for me
most of the old lead don't have clips to work in the new rims

[lightman]

Thats a good days work! I just finished sorting out a bunch of weights that I have had for a while. One bucket was very oily. I also had a lot more painted weights than in the past. Should make for some nasty smoke! I ended up with 8 buckets, about 1/2 to 3/4 full. I was thinking that 1/2 full would be easier to dump into my smelting pot. I used to enjoy the smelting process, and then I got older and more worn out! Hoping to smelt mine this week or maybe next week, depending on getting a Buddy over to help.

[Soundguy]

I don't know where / how you guys find these weights. I've checked every tire / service center in 3 towns.. all have a service that takes theirs.

They don't even have buckets of them.. just colelction boxes. I wouldn't be able to tell a zinc from a lead one since they have been hidden so long.

[lightman]

It seems to be a geographical thing. While they are getting harder to find around here, they are still available if you look and ask. Some States have had laws against lead weights for long enough that they are scarce. I'm in a small town also, and that probably helps.

[Tenbender]

I don't know where / how you guys find these weights. I've checked every tire / service center in 3 towns.. all have a service that takes theirs.

They don't even have buckets of them.. just colelction boxes. I wouldn't be able to tell a zinc from a lead one since they have been hidden so long.

I feel lucky to have about 5 locations that save them for me. Only one major tire store but mostly small country service garages . The Goodyear dealer even sorts out the zink and steel. I just collect them up for a year or so and start melting. Check the small garages. Last year I stopped at a garage to get a state inspection and went into a back room for some reason. The balancer and tire changer was in there. All over the floor and behind the machines were wheel weights galore. I told the guy I would clean the room for the weights. I got 5 buckets grease and all. lol Took most of the day though. Now I have a friend for life.

[Cold Trigger Finger]

I'm hoping to find a shop like that. So far, no luck tho.

[lightman]

Keep looking! They are out there. Its kinda like fishing, you usually don't catch something with every cast!

[308Jeff]

I just got three full buckets. I love sorting them! It means I'll soon have more alloy to make more boolits!

BTW Bzcraig, how long have you lived in Nampa? I left in 1975. Went to West Jr. High. It was a brand new building at the time.

I hated sorting them at first. Then I started getting 'em figured out and ended up enjoying it. :-) My tire guy is supposed to have another full bucket for me by the end of the week.

[tomme boy]

I have a friend that works at a Ford dealership. He cast too. He gets ALL of their WW's. I know most of the shops in this area, they just throw them in the trash. They just don't want to bothered with them or you. Most of these places that say they have a recycling place that is taking them, they are flat out lying to you. They just don't want you there bothering them. At least here in Iowa anyway. I most of the owners in my area on a personal level and this is what they tell me.

Like was said. Find a small store and ask them.

[Tenbender]

Went to the garage this morning where I got the 5 buckets of greasy wheel weights last year. I had to get a inspection on the mother-n-law's car. The tech guy said he had another bucket for me. Sense I cleaned up for him he has kept things looking good and put's the weights in a bucket for me. LOL I will go pick them up in a day or so. A little good will goes a long way sometimes.

[sigep1764]

Wanna sell some? Lol