wheel weights, 99.9% non zinc???

[XWrench3]

so, because i recently acquired a large pot to smelt with, for the first time, i actually sorted through every single wheel weight in the bucket prior to smelting. i only found 1 zinc weight (and 3 stick ons) that were not lead alloy. is this normal? i used a SMALL pair of spring loaded (so they automaticly open) electronic diagonal uutter to check the weights. i went to the edge (where the weight was thin) of each weight, and tried cutting into it. the one zinc weight i did find, was quite hard, and with the pressure i was exerting, wouldn't even hardly scratch anything but the paint. while everything else either dented quite easily or actually cut through. i did not put a lot of effort into cutting any of them, as i knew i had a LOT of weights to check. is this as good of a test as most others? i also looked for "zn" on any of the weights but even the one i did find did not have that on it. i also did not find any "floating" in the slush of ww's when smelting, so i dont think (unless the melted at the bottom of the pot) there were any. i just hate second guessing myself, it just seems strange that there were so few. i wish there was a good easy 100% positive way of checking. it was interesting noting the difference of hardness in different brands of wheel weights. you can definitly feel the difference between some of them.

[qajaq59]

I tried to sort them and gave up. Now I just melt some of my known wheel weight ingots and set the temp to 650. Then I add the new wheel weights and skim off anything that floats. Yeah, I'm lazy.

[Matt_G]

i actually sorted through every single wheel weight in the bucket prior to smelting. i only found 1 zinc weight (and 3 stick ons) that were not lead alloy. is this normal?

That can be normal depending on your location.
I am not getting many zinc or iron weights either, YET.
I'm sure that will be changing in the near future.

When it comes to sorting, I'm with qajaq59.
Just watch the temp and keep it below 650. I usually don't let it get above 620 or 630 when melting clip on WW's. Since zinc melts at 782 F, you don't have to worry about contaminating your melt this way. A lot easier and faster than the cutter method.
The main thing is to keep solid weights pushed down into the liquid while they are melting. This will prevent hot spots.

[Shiloh]

Two weeks ago, my buddy smelted some range lead for me and then did some wheel weight. Zinc wheelweights float on the top and it is obvious that they are not lead.

just pay attention when smelting and you'll be fine.

Shiloh

[HeavyMetal]

Smelted for the first time in years this weekend.

My old stash of ingots had gotten low so figured it was time to get a supply of fresh ingots ready.

I've been "aquirring" WW as I found them and had a bucket of sorted clip on's as well as a bucket left from about 10 years ago. The "new" bucket had been sorted to remove stick on weights, still have a bucket and a half of those to smelt, the old bucket never got sorted.

I bought a turkey fryer last yr at a yard sale and decided to use this to smelt rather than the Plumbers furnace I have. Temperature control being my prime thought.

Worked out well. The turkey fryer will not get the melt hotter than 675. Ran the first bucket through and found about five steel WW I'd missed and one zinc. They just floated on top and got skimmed of with the clips.

The interesting part was the old bucket of WW when I ran it through I only found one strip of stick on WW, the usual junk like wood chips and tire stems, but no zinc and no steel WW.

I think this show a couple things to us. Yes Zinc and steel are coming! It also shows a trend toward "custom" wheels as that's the major use for stick on weights. As I'd mention I sorted that first new bucket a few months ago, it was a three bucket deal, and got more stick on than clip ons out of it.

Just something to think about.

[462]

I think the ratio of lead to zinc weights has to do with the ratio of domestic to foreign cars in one's area. Where I live, foreign cars have always been sold in abundance, and my buckets always have a lot of zinc weights.

[fredj338]

Zinc or lead ww are very area specific. Since Kalif. is going non lead in 2010, I am finding more & more zinc. The last 200#+ I picked up in Aug. had about 20% steel or zinc wts. That is quite a bit compared to last Feb., about 5%. I would expect a bucket in Dec. will be almost 1/2 zinc.

[hammerhead357]

Boo on Kalifornia..However I am starting to find zinkers and iron weights here in Texas so I guess it's coming to all of us sooner or later....Damn it all..WEs

[XWrench3]

if i only had enough money, and sources, i would buy up 10 - 55 gallon drums of ww's and just stack them in the back yard. smelt them as i need them. of course, with that much, my son would be smelting ww's until he was in his 50's! but nothing like haveing a stockpile of what you need when you need it. especially if it is going out of circulation.