Help ID metal

[compass will]

My neighbor brought me home something we think is Tin.

It looks like it started as a sheet, kind builders today's sheet aluminum.

It was then formed into molding that was around the soffit of this 100 year old building. It's not soft enough to be lead. When you look at how it was joined, they put a cut in it like pinking sheers would to cloth, then they soldered some of the points of this cut to hold it all together.

Then it was also used like a vent ridge cap that was bent to form a shape, then soldered at the joints.

think I got straight Tin here? It don't look like it's galvanized.

I guess he brought around 50 lbs of these pieces home for me. If it is tin, what temp does it melt at?

[John Boy]

if it is tin, what temp does it melt at?
449.47 °f
Might want to do a hardness test on it too

[WildmanJack]

Will, do u think it could be zinc? Or a zinc alloy, somewhere in the folds of my mind I remember hearing about zinc being used for things like that. Could be wrong though, it wouldn't be the first time...
Jack

[compass will]

[QUOTE=WildmanJack;625856]

I called Dad who used to be a builder. He's around 30 years younger then this metal but he said they used to use a lot of straight tin for roof valleys, and he has seen it used on old houses for trim work. I thought Tin that was galvanized had a zinc coating on it, more then being cast into the metal.

I need to take a sample to a scrap yard and see what they think.

[largecaliberman]

I would take a small batch just enough to make a couple of boolits. First take a 1 lb ingot of what you normally use to cast then add into the the mix say 1/4 lb of that. Now if it cast well without voids, comes out shinning and perfect then it must be tin. If it is otherwise, then well you would use common sense. The way you describe it and where you got it-----I would say TIN!!! If it is tin, then you've hit the mother load!!!!

[randyrat]

If you have WWs molten and you place a thin strio of this (tin) in the molten WWs it will melt in seconds. According to my notes Tin (Sn) melts at 429 degs and WWs are molten at 505 degs.
It's not my intention to argue melt temps, one thing for sure is, Tin Sn melts way lower temp than WWs. That is a quick way to find out if it is pure tin Sn....
Also, as stated before if you add this stuff and make a couple boolits out of it, they will be the nicest looking booolits on the block.

[BD]

While I'm sure there's flashing that I haven't run across yet, I've never seen pure tin flashing. I've seen lead sheet, copper sheet, tinned steel sheet, lead coated steel sheet, and lead coated copper sheet used for flashing, but so far no straight tin sheet.

Most of what was traditionally called "Tin", as in tin cans and cookie tins was really tinned steel.

I'd put a small piece in the pot and see what happens.

BD

[Bob Krack]

My neighbor brought me home something we think is Tin.
It was then formed into molding that was around the soffit of this 100 year old building. It's not soft enough to be lead. When you look at how it was joined, they put a cut in it like pinking sheers would to cloth, then they soldered some of the points of this cut to hold it all together.

Then it was also used like a vent ridge cap that was bent to form a shape, then soldered at the joints.

think I got straight Tin here? If it is tin, what temp does it melt at?

My great GranDaddy was a "tinner". Sheet roofing and all of the roof trims - gutters, valleys, ridge caps, lookouts, cornice and soffit coverings were most often made of:
Pure tin
Tin plated steel,
Copper,
Terne Metal (lead coated steel)
Galvanized.

If ya take a small torch and try to melt a piece, the pure tin will melt and drip like solder does. Tin-plate and Terne-metal might "sweat" but will not melt without major discoloration (like red hot).

Try cutting a small sliver and dip it into your alloy or lead - pure tin will melt like butter at temperatures much lower than most any boolit alloy you might be using.

My reply is based on my memory of spending time with Grampa around the early 1950's.

Bob

[compass will]

Thanks for the advice everyone. I will see if I can find time this weekend to try these experiments.