Tape weight sorting [Archive]

sheepdog

03-12-2009, 11:48 AM

I have a bucket of nothing but tape weights with the ones marked zinc and ones that reach to a magnet purged. Some are clearly lead, the vertical rectangle IAW weights about a dime sized each. I also have some the same size and markings but they appear shiny. They dont appear to be coated. Are these pure lead too? I can get pictures if need be. I don't have a thermometer yet as I'm just starting but have made about 50 WW ingots from clips ons I know are lead.

monadnock#5

03-12-2009, 11:54 AM

The lead tape weights are very soft. If you can cut them with a pocket knife or tin snips, or deform them by rapping on them with a hammer, they're lead and fit for the pot.

sheepdog

03-12-2009, 11:57 AM

Yeah but the shiny ones seem soft too. I'd like to use them unless they're zinc or something

ghh3rd

03-12-2009, 12:20 PM

When I was preening my first bucket of wheel weights I wanted a way to determine the non lead weights. I started by rubbing them across my driveway - rub a few inches and 'feel' and 'hear' whether it was lead. Worked OK but that got old fast. Then I took dikes and cut into them, until I wore a blister on my hand.

Finally, I just took a tip from someone on this forum and put everything into the pot on low heat, just enough to melt the lead. At first I was concerned that I might melt some zinc, but everything but the lead floated and was easily removed.

My boolits have cast just fine, and I saved my knuckles and fingers from cuts and blisters.

Randy

monadnock#5

03-12-2009, 12:29 PM

Zinc is very hard, if what you have is soft, toss it in the pot and melt it down.

dirtdobbertwo

03-12-2009, 12:35 PM

i found some zinc weights in my melting pot yesterday. all the clips were bradded to the weight. stick ones and clipons were marked with zn or fe on them. i used a thermometer but my colman stove never got the lead above 650 degrees so no zinc melted.

sheepdog

03-12-2009, 12:39 PM

Recluse

03-12-2009, 01:18 PM

Can you put up a picture of the zinc ones? Would be most thankful

Here's a thread--with pictures--on zinc wheelweights started by 38 Super Auto a couple of years ago when zinc WWs were starting to become more prevalent. Good info.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=40765

Depending on your smelting setup, you really shouldn't have all that much to worry about. WW and pure lead melt quickly and at lower temps than zinc. The zinc and steel weights will float to the top along with the clips and other non-meltable stuff. Skim 'em off and set 'em aside. There are a few folks here who actually use a bit of zinc in their alloy blends. There are others who also keep them and then melt them into fishing sinkers.

For sure, a batch of zinc can ruin a good batch of lead, but unless you smelt at really hot temperatures (which is unnecessary in the vast majority of cases), the fear of zinc contamination is usually worse than the actual liklihood of it.

:coffee: