Getting Bug-eyed over used wheel weights

[KirkD]

Boys, I only started casting this summer. I've started collecting used wheel weights from local garages to feed my habit. I'm melting them down and making 2 pound muffin-shaped ingots, using one of my wife's muffin pans. Don't worry, I asked permission first and she gave me one to keep (how lucky can a guy get).

Anyway, I figure that if I want to sent a pound of lead downrange every week, and if I want to keep doing that for another 50 years until I'm at least 104 years old, I need 2,600 pounds of lead. So far, I've got 22 pounds worth of lead muffins. Anyway, I figured I need more sources of lead, so today I was in the city and stopped off at a major tire center. The going rate that the scrap company pays for used wheel weights is 30 cents a pound, so I offered the manager that. He said alright and showed me two buckets of wheel weights. There must be at least 100 pounds of lead in those buckets. Just a year ago, I never dreamed I'd be going bug-eyed over a couple buckets of used wheel weights, but now I almost drool when I see a whack of weights like that. That tire center produces a mother load of used wheel weights every week ..... and I'm the lucky guy that gets them!

Thanks, men, for helping me develop a new obsession. Normal people think I'm sick and need help. As for me, I think smart people make their own bullets. It's the 'normal' people who need help!:-D

[jawjaboy]

Good deal! :-D

Don't forget your Mom 'n Pop stores though Kirk. I've had my best results there.

.

[Down South]

I know the feeling. Not too many years ago I didn't think to much about it when I was scrounging WW for 1Lb sinkers. You could pick up a bucket or two full at just about any major tire store for free. They were glad to get rid of them. Since I've started casting boolits things have changed. I've got one guy who lets me have his WW and I get about a bucket full every six weeks. I still find a few here and a few there. I need at least one more major supplier to get my stash built up.

[FN in MT]

I've probably picked up nearly a hundred pounds of wheelweights off the highway over the years. Those big truck weights are easy to see. And on our rural roads it's not a big deal to stop and snag a weight off the road.

When I was 21 and new to casting I can recall taking a screwdriver and a pair of pliers and getting TWO five gallon buckets FULL of WW's from an old auto wrecker that was going out of business. Owner was a friend of our family and allowed me to extract the weights off of hundreds of cars and trucks.

Lead is where You find it.

FN in MT

[targetshootr]

I asked permission first and she gave me one to keep
Just don't let her use it for cooking if it's had lead in it.

It's like a sickness. After two years of scrounging I had all I'll ever need and I still go looking for more.

[pps]

I've been finding about 10#/month just from increasing my cycling (and I've lost about 20# of a$$ in the process.) I go about 15 miles approx 3 to 5 days/week and grab whatever clip[ on 22 I find along the way.

I've also been hitting up local garages with mixed results.

[Bigjohn]

I have to compete with the fishermen who cast their own sinkers but it's all in the timing. You get in first when the buckets at its fullest and its yours for a small fee.

I also carry an extendable magnetic pick tool in the car beside the drivers seat. I take note of all lost WW's and with the right traffic conditions I can rescue the WW without holding up the traffic and don't even have to get out of the car.

Just don't try for the ones still attached to the wheels of moving vehicles. :roll:

John.