So about tin...

[Airweight38]

I'd say I've been relatively lucky so far with my casting. I've had my first 100lbs of lead literally handed to me. Some was my dad's old stuff, some was range lead, but it all melted down well, is accurate, is reasonably hard and doesn't lead my barrel (now that I am lubing after sizing). But I keep reading about adding tin to my mix to make my bullets harder, which I would imagine I'd want to start doing at some point if I want to shoot my .358 158gr LRFN as hotter .357 loads.

For a limited time only, I have access to hundred year-old barn roofing, which I have been told is probably tin, as long as some old, old GoodYear tin signs (like from mechanic's shops).

Is this tin the kind of tin I can use for casting (are there different kinds?) If so, when do I add it? When I'm smelting? When I'm casting? Do I just cut the stuff with tin snips and drop it in? What's tin's melting point, anyway?

Thanks for any help.

/Jason

[zampilot]

Take the barn roofing, if it's tin you just found a 'gold' mine so to speak. Tin is $9+/lb at some places. If it's not, aint gonna cost much to scrap. I'd do it.
If you do do it, can I have some!!!!???:drinks:

[randyrat]

No those things you mentioned may have been made out of actual Tin(Sn) at one time in history not any more. For boolits we are talking about (Sn) Tin.

[Ricochet]

Barn roof "tin" has been galvanized steel for a long, long time.

[Airweight38]

Are there any physical characterstics that will "give away" whether it is tin or not?

[docone31]

One might be lack of rust.

[GLL]

Break out the magnet !

Jerry

[dominicfortune00]

When you bend a bar of pure tin, it sounds like it is cracking.

[opentop]

More than likley, the barn roofing is tin coated. Look for rust bleeding through, and as GLL said, Take a magnet!

[waksupi]

I'll bet it is galvanized (read ZINC!), and not tin. Metal roofing has been referred to incorrectly as tin roofing for many years. Put a torch to a corner, if it smokes, and turns yellow and white, you know you have zinc. If it drips off in a nice silver stream, I am coming to steal it all.

[Ricochet]

The old Goodyear signs are likely to be worth a lot more than scrap tin, if they're in decent shape.

[TAWILDCATT]

aint it funny every one calls it tin.it probably was never tin,most roofs were copper.then gavanized steel.
you really dont need tin or very much it helps the lead to flow.as long as you have WW it will have the tin.:coffee: [smilie=1:

[HeavyMetal]

One more thng: Tin doesn't really harden lead alloy's. Tin is used to aid "flow" which helps the boolits fill out better. Adding tin to ww alloy will help fillout and the antimony in the ww will do the hardening.

Guys cast a "straight" alloy, like 20 to 1 lead tin, get no increase in hardness by water dropping or heat treating.

Ricochet is right about the Goodyear signs, if in good shape tag them "Vintage" and put them on evil bay!

This will most likely gain you funds to purchase WW metal or some type alloys if you do some searching.

[jawjaboy]

It could be galvanized steel, tin coated steel, or solid aluminum. This old barn here at our place is just shy of 100 years old. The roof on it is solid aluminum "tin". It was reroofed in the early 60's. The walled section on the right end is tin made of galvanized steel, and shows rust through as mentioned above.

The tin mentioned by the OP could be any of the above, but none of it usable for boolit craft. Jes my 2 cents. [smilie=1:

http://i56.photobucket.com/albums/g194/jawjaboy/IM000658.jpg

[mtgrs737]

A lot of items are refered to as "Tin" like pots and pans of the early days with factories made steel cooking pans and tin dipped them to help with rusting. Not much solid tin as it is too expensive. Now if you can find some "Pewter" at yard and garage sales real cheap, that is another option worth looking into!

[jawjaboy]

A lot of items are refered to as "Tin" like pots and pans of the early days with factories made steel cooking pans and tin dipped them to help with rusting.

Yessir, tin is a very generic term.
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