How do you ask...?

[barn06hart]

I was wondering how everyone approaches tire store owners and other places you ask for WW. I want to start casting but i don't know how to ask for WW and i also have a local car junk yard and was wondering if it was worth asking them if i can remove old WW from the hundreds of junk cars they have. thanks for any replies and yes im only 18 so think about that i don't know if this will make some people wonder why im asking for lead. :lovebooli

[Bodine]

I can tell you from experience how to do this..

First, tire stores are not the only place to collect wheel weights, but it is a good choice. You may need to go to several to get enough to cast with.

You might ask the manager of the store what they do with the old wheel weights. Straight to the point, but be friendly and cordial. Another place to look is truck stops. They generally have larger weights than most tire stores.

Another good place to look is recycling facilities. I recently found a very large quanity at one of the local facility near my home. You will get the best price buying a large quanity.

Another place to look is on EBay.. I found some good linotype there about a year ago from a fellow in Bloomington, IN. He had a ton or so. If you find someone on EBay that is near you, contact them by email and start a conversation and see if they would be willing to sell to you directly. You will get the best price and save on shipping.

Last but not least, ask family members if they know someone in the car repair business.. That person may be able to help you also.

Good Luck!

[Cloudpeak]

Start by asking at the place you buy your tires. If they won't give you any, go shopping for another store. Tell the prospective store you're pretty disappointed in your "old" tire store where you spent a lot of money that they won't give you any wheel weights. Ask them if they give wheel weights away. If they do, support the business by buying tires there.

I just went through this. I'd bought 6 sets of expensive tires from a dealer over an 8 year period. I asked if I could have some WW and he said sure but he never kept any around for me. He was always out when I showed up and acted like he didn't even remember me. So, I went to another tires store and asked if they'd like to get rid of some weights. They were very nice and I scored 4, 5 gallon buckets of weights. Guess where I'm going to buy my tires next time?

I read someone else's suggestion: send the wife. If you have a trophy wife, so much the better. Have her ask if they're giving WW away.

Cloudpeak

[Spokerider]

Show up at your local tire dealer.....bring a 12 pack of beer........bring your own 5 gallon pail. They'll know what you're after.

[Buckshot]

..................Usually the store manager or owner for that matter don't give much thought to WW's other then a cost of doing business, or something they step on or kick out of the way on occasion. In other words they don't even think about them. They may or may not re-cycle them back to whomever they buy new ones from.

The thought of selling or beyond that, trying to contain used WW's is foreign and sounds like extra work, which it is really. They may have a bucket by the tire machine and balancer but some still escape and are swept up in the afternoon and get dumped.

If the guy is your brother in law then there shouldn't be much of an issue in your getting them. Walking in off the street is tougher. Coming through the door they see a tire sale or some other service being sold. You hit them with the WW deal and they have to mentally change gears from a possible profit scenario to something that means nothing to them, but possible trouble. Wheel weights?

It's usually easiest if you ARE doing some business with them. You can always walk in and say you were there a couple Saturdays ago for tires or an alignment (which establishes you as a customer) and you noticed the wheel weights. Go from there. Try not to hit the place at lunchtime. Getting inturupted by legitimate customers is hassle enough. Just being some person in off the street asking about WW's would be a definate negative.

It doesn't always work, even when things seem positive. I had such a deal with a pretty big 8 bay shop. Both service writers seemed enthusiastic and I even left a bucket with my name and address. I called once a week for a month and they never had any. That was 6 months or more ago and I haven't been back. I had offered to buy them or bring a 12 pack of their beverage of choice for each bucket they generated.

Sometimes you win and sometimes you strike out.

.....................Buckshot

[454PB]

If I met a guy 18 years old that wanted to learn casting, I'd give him several alloys, a bullet mould, and some lube. I think it's great when youngsters want to learn casting and handloading.

If you have an opportunity to be around other shooters, tell them you have an interest in casting. Surely one of the older farts will step up to the plate and help you get started.

[barn06hart]

Nice to meet you! i am 18 and i love everything to do with shooting. I live to study everything to do with ballistics and hunting. I love it! I have been an avid reader of almost all of the firearm related forums and have the same sn to prove it! My parents arn't so thrilled about me wanting to mess around with lead and powder but hey they got me started when i was young with a 20 gauge and i have been hooked since.I have yet to buy a centerfire rifle or handgun but im sure ill end up with one after i get all my graduation $$ with my parents concent or not even though i don't own a centerfire i can out talk almost anyone on here with ballistics and have plenty of exp. in shooting as i have many relatives that enjoy hunting. My favorite firearm i own right now is a .17 hmr many cats yes lil cute meow meows have fallen to the lil bullets when they come running to a squecking mouse haha dad gives $5 for each one just don't tell mom lataz i gotta french test tomorrow i need to study for !! est-ce que tu etudies francaise? :lovebooli

[John Boy]

I have four sources for lead that have been productive:
1. Privately owned auto repair shops that have multiple bays (larger volume of repairs). The Goodyear's - Pep Boys of the world usually are unfriendly giving up their WW's for free. Start off by doing business with them; oil change, etc. Then ask them if they have any WW's after they get to know you. I don't remember how many 5 gallon pails my Fred's Auto Repair has given me.

2. Single bay repair shops that do business with tires. Usually good for the asking. Normal bucket has stems, nails, cigarette filters, etc. but a pail is a pail

3. Gas stations are good sources of WW. When you score, ask them if they want an empty bucket ... I carry a 1/2 dozen in the truck when I'm making the rounds.

4. An overlooked source are dental offices that don't have digital X ray machines. I have 4 dentists that are good for about 50#'s of lead X ray shields each every 6 months. My friendly dental hygienist has a box ready for me when I first sit down in her chair. That's about 100#'s per year from Christene :-)

Truthfully, I'm having a problem shooting the stuff in CAS and BPRC fast enough from my 'scores'. Got about 800-900#'s of ingots stacked up in the back yard :veryconfu

Regards
John

[StanDahl]

They'll invariably ask what you want them for, and if you live in a part of the country where shooting and hunting are normal everyday activities, just tell them. If you live in an area where hunters and shooters are feared and guns are evil, lie. I would approach a small shop and tell them my father-in-law was building a sailboat and wanted to pour his own keel (saw that whole process on the web somewhere). I told another shop that just installed a set of tires for me that I was making a catapault (not a siege engine!) as a science project and needed a counterbalance. That got just a bucket, even though they had tons in back and their recycler had quit. When I got to the shop owned by the guy with the NRA cap, I knew I was in lead. But...once he pegged me as a caster, he started to want some re-processed wheelweights. That's what 6-cavity moulds are truly for. Stan

[jh45gun]

Like what was said above every one thinks of the tire shops right off the bat but a lot of garages that change tires may have WW they would love to get some one to take off their hands. For the little they get from the scrap yard for most of them it is not worth messing with their time to take them there. Jim

[KevMT]

Like what was said above every one thinks of the tire shops right off the bat but a lot of garages that change tires may have WW they would love to get some one to take off their hands. For the little they get from the scrap yard for most of them it is not worth messing with their time to take them there. Jim

Strangly I don't have a lot of luck getting ww just for the asking here in Butte MT. The "Les Schwab" place in town wants $35-40 a bucket. The one smaller tire store I've gone to wants to sell them by the pound. At one bigger tire store in town (but locally owned) I managed to talk them out of a bucket worth on my last tire purchase. However, when I inquired about making a deal for more they said that a guy bought them in bulk from them. I think if I tried I could make a good bulk purchase with the last shop but it seems I may have to move in the near future (employment drying up) and I'm not sure how much extra weight I want to drag around.

Kev

[steveb]

My father worked in a scrapyard and just retired from there.We went yesterday and got over 200lbs of WW and block tin plus a excellent melting pot all for $22.65!!!Now thats cheap!

[TC66]

I found a place that is a locally owned tire shop and he took them to the scrap yard every couple of months. Got .07 a pound for them. I told him I would pay double and pick them up from him. He said great he hated having to lug them to the scrap yard. Good deal for both of us.