Should I wash dirty WW's

[creekman]

Went by my local tire store the other day and asked if I could buy a couple pounds of scrap wheel weights as I was going to take up bullet casting. They gave me a 5 gallon bucket full and wouldn't let me pay them anything! But, the WW's are REAL dirty. I'm wondering if it would be worthwhile to wash them with hot water and soap before melting them. I'm thinking I'll put a couple handsfull in a vegetable colander, spray on a little dish soap and then spray with hot tap water.

[300RUM]

There is no need to clean them up everything either burns off or it will float to the top to be scooped off .

[shotman]

ditto just make sure NO WATER in the melt shotman

[lunicy]

I wouldn't bother

[montana_charlie]

The people in that tire shop have some nerve giving you dirty wheel weights. I might even consider taking them back...

...or not.
CM

[docone31]

I thoroughly wash them in my MELTING POT.
I take my pot outside, stoke it up, and plop them in. Do it on a day when the wind is mildly blowing. The bouquet, pleasant thought it is, is an intoxicant. It makes a person not want to come in and be sociable. Especially if it is a room full of welfare liberals.
I use a long tong pair of rusty needle nose pliers to remove the clips that float on top. I put them in a coffee can to let them cool.
When you go back to the tire shop, bring a box of donuts. They will give you more stinky, messy used wheel weights.
Someday might just need to have them think of you well.

[jack19512]

You probably already know this but in case you don't be very careful, hot lead and water do not make a good combination, if you happen to drop a wheel weight into hot lead with even a very small amount of water you will find out why.

[atr]

+1 for jack19512 comment about water and hot lead NOT mixing
I dont wash WW,,,,,just melt them down,,,,make sure you are in well ventilated area.
and always remember to wash your hands after handling anything with lead in it

[seabat0603]

I can honestly say there are a lot of things I would wash before I touched them.....This isn't one of them. 300 RUM is right, it all burns off or is spooned off by you after you flux.

[GP100man]

i have a peice of steel pipe with a bottom welded on that will hold 25-30# & i just start with a cold pot each time & pile on the weights ,when melted skim & flux until clean.

keep an eye on it though & skim as soon as possible to make sure you don`t melt any zinc weights!!!


GP100man:cbpour:

[Duckiller]

NO!!!! All that dirty stuff on them makes a great flux material. You may need to add some flux material or stir with a stick for flux, but never wash wheel weights.

[Hardcast416taylor]

I use a fairly strong magnet to remove the clips when they melt free of the ww. Once you`ve tried it you`ll see why I use it, a pair of leather work gloves are needed to wipe the clips off. :lovebooli Robert

[glicerin]

I sort out rubber, plastic, misc. steel, zinc when found, on a 1/4" wire mesh shaker. Avoid dust from this process. Burning rubber and plastic are not good for you.

[mtgrs737]

I have smelted WW's both ways, cleaned and dirty. The cleaned WW's don't stink as much, but then there is the time to clean them and make sure they are DRY before you shovel them into the pot. I don't bother with the cleaning anymore, but I do spread them out on the concrete to sperate the stems and stickon out. Keep the temp below 725 degrees and the zinc weights will skim off with the clips, stay up wind of the melt. Good luck!

[runfiverun]

i usually hose mine off and let dry in the sun scoop up with a shovel into buckets i can carry.
i also put them into the smelter with a shovel, grease is fine even a bit of oil, but i try to get as much dirt out before i flux it as possible.

[mikenbarb]

If you start off with wet ones its fine because they will dry in the heating process but NEVER add wet ones to the molten lead because it will be a storm of melted lead showering you from all over and will definatly ruin your day(Dont ask how I know.LOL.). I use a long handled french fry strainer that Wally World sells for a couple bucks. For my larger smelter I use a custom one I mad so I dont have to get that close.

[Old Ironsights]

I hand-sort mine into "Longs". "Shorts", Stickons & "Crap".

Other than that, Cleaning is, IMO not necessary.

The Road Tar is Flux.

[Old Ironsights]

Went by my local tire store the other day and asked if I could buy a couple pounds of scrap wheel weights as I was going to take up bullet casting. They gave me a 5 gallon bucket full and wouldn't let me pay them anything! ....

NOTE: GO BACK WITH A CASE OF BEER AND A BUSINESS CARD

Make sure these guys call you whenever they get a full bucket. :drinks:

[creekman]

Well do Old Ironsights...Thanks to all for the advice...Creekman

[RegCom7]

Pick the junk out by hand, then blow compressed air over the wheelweights to blow away most of the dirt. That way you don't have to expose them to water.

[leadman]

Compressed air may not be a good idea. Even though most brakes linings don't list asbestos on the contents of the material there could still be asbestos in it. If it is less than 1% asbestos it doesn't have to be listed. The other contents of the dust are iron dust and other organics. not really stuff you want to breath.
Washing wheel weights is not much of a job here in Arizona. After washing, put them in the sun and they are dry in no time, especially in the summer.