w-w ?

[bisley45]

I got some w-w today at the tire shop and got about 1/2 5 gallon bucket full the ? is that there are some funny looking w-w they look like there riveted on are these the zink w-w you all are talking about they are very very hard

[Bullshop]

Put a magnet on em, thier prolly steel.
BIC/BS

[tomf52]

Those are the zinc jobbies!

[steveb]

Yea how do you tell the difference,I just got 80 some lbs of WW and few of them were shiny looking.Would that be the zinc ones??

[imashooter2]

Good thread with pics:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=2268

[bisley45]

thanks guys

[Bullshop]

OK one more time for you fellas that did not work in the junk yard. If a magnet sticks to it it is steel.
BIC/BS

[NVcurmudgeon]

In my area I can go through a five gallon bucket of WW and find that nearly all of them are normal. The rest of the bucket will amount to about a handful. As Bull shop said, the riveted weights are most likely iron/steel, use a magnet for certain identification. With the magnetic weights gone, there have been maybe six weights remaining, OUT OF 120 LB. You could just toss them, or melt them separately at the last. Among these few there will be a very few flat weights with a thinner area in the middle that takes a separate steel clip, these are most likely lead. If a weight isn't normal looking, won't melt, and isn't magnetic, it could be the dreaded zinc. In smelting some 1200 lb. of WW over the last ten years, I have seen ONE that might have been zinc. Flat strip weights wth tape on the back are called "tape weights" and are close enough to pure lead. Save these for your muzzle loading friends and bore slugs. Please mail your doubtful weights to:
NVcurmudgeon, Pleasant Valley, NV.

[USARO4]

I agree with NVcurmudgeon, I've turned 2000 lb of WW into ingots over the last 2 years. Did'nt find the first of the dreaded zinc WW's until 1 year into it. Have found 3 more since then. They are all riveted to the clip and are not magnetic, found most of them floating in the melt. If I ever figure out digital cameras and how to post pictures i'll try to post'em. may have to get my son to help.

[Dale53]

Even tho' you won't find many zinc weights in amongst the regular ww's, it still pays to be vigilant. I find one of the best uses for my dial thermometer is to keep the lead smelting at 625 degrees (not more). That is plenty hot to melt the WW's but the zinc won't melt at that temperature. Too many of us melt at much higher temperatures than necessary, IMO.

At 625 degrees, zinc will float on top of the mix and will be easy to dispose of. If you don't EVER find any zinc weights, nothing has been lost. One zinc weight will ruin an entire melt. Some of us melt LARGE quantities at one time. I would HATE to loose an entire melt. Propane costs being what they are today, it would be a waste (besides, saving on fuel costs is our Patriotic Duty, don't you know? :smile:

Dale53