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mecoastie
05-20-2006, 02:51 PM
Help! I can not find anymore wheelweights anywhere. All the garages now deal exclusively with scrap dealers. I have a huge supply of pure lead. What do I need to convert this into good alloy for bullets? I have some tin and some 50/50 solder. Can I buy antimony to help the mix?

SharpsShooter
05-20-2006, 03:03 PM
Help! I can not find anymore wheelweights anywhere. All the garages now deal exclusively with scrap dealers. I have a huge supply of pure lead. What do I need to convert this into good alloy for bullets? I have some tin and some 50/50 solder. Can I buy antimony to help the mix?


If you have lead and tin.....you are in good shape for most applications. You don't indicate what you are casting for, rifle or pistola. Mix your lead 1 part tin and 20 parts pure lead and you will be fine for most low to moderate pressure loads. If you want to run a bit faster then the antimony might come in to use, but I use the 20:1 for everything and it works well.

:coffee:

mecoastie
05-20-2006, 03:19 PM
I am loading mostly pistol. 9mm Mak, 9mm, .45 ACP, .357 and .44 possibly some .40. Some rifle mostly .30-30 and .35 Rem but maybe some .30-06 and .30 carbine. Saw the 20-1 but I havent had time to really research it. Maybe save the wheelweights I have for the rifle and use 20-1 for the pistol?

Bucks Owin
05-20-2006, 05:07 PM
Are there any "old" print shops around that have used linotype in the past? That's where I found my supply, a printer who was forced into retirement by "computer age" printing but kept all the linotype from his closed down shop....

FWIW,

Dennis

(Linotype is super hard and casts beautifully. Great to mix with your pure lead)

versifier
05-20-2006, 05:44 PM
If you are in Maine, as seems possible from your netname, I might be able to help you out. PM me and we can figure it out.

Willbird
05-20-2006, 06:37 PM
I think you just need to cast your WW net wider :-) and point out that you will pay more than the scrap dealers. The last I heard they were paying .06-.08, and I pay .1

If you are water dropping, once you get back into some WW I have found I can cut WW 50/50 with pure lead and it still heat treats just as good water dropping.


Bill

DEVERS454
05-20-2006, 10:35 PM
Someone already posted checking in with Antimony Man....

I like to use #9 Magnum shot ($18/25 lbs) and 95/5 tin-antimony solder along with pure lead to thin it out a bit. Makes MARVELOUS Lyman #2 alloy. [90% Lead/5% Tin/5% Antimony]

Using no added lead and less tin gives you 92/6/2, which is also a great alloy to work from.

I just got done making up a big batch of Lyman #2 that appears to heat treat very nicely to 20 BHN. Air cool is around 13 BHN.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

There is also ebay...

mecoastie
05-20-2006, 10:35 PM
I offered 2 cents a pound over what they are getting and have still been turned down by 3 places. It is frustrating as I am just getting into casting bullets. Have casted sinkers for years. Fell into some casting equipment and figured what the heck.

JohnH
05-21-2006, 08:13 AM
Keep searching, it'll come. In the meantime you can also use 1 to 1 lead/WW makes a good alloy for pistol bullets, uses what you have and don't cost like tin does. Be sure and mark your ingots, keep 'em in a marked box or something 'cause in six months you won't know what you got if you have 2 or 3 different alloys around.

Bass Ackward
05-21-2006, 08:40 AM
Don't foget to check with the neuclear medicing folks at your local hospital!

They get those heavy containers that are WW mix equivalent. I just scored four pick up truck loads that had me looking like I was poppin wheelies down the road.

I asked if there was any danger of radiation with these and the guy looked at me and said there is a minute chance of some residual radiation that could kill me in 40 or 50 years.

There goes my life expectancy. Literally .... shot to hell. :grin:

In seeking an edge to beat that 44man, I wonder if these will glow in the dark like tracers so I can shoot at night?

DEVERS454
05-22-2006, 12:07 AM
The radiation should help be released when heated. But, you might run the risk of radon gas or such.

Do be careful... do all your work outside.