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Jeffery8mm
02-11-2010, 03:37 PM
Just got some lead? from the dentist. This is little squares that resemble tin foil. About 1"x1 1/2" squares. Is this pure lead or what. How do I go about melting/processing it?? Any and all advice is welcome.
Thanks
Jeff

trooperdan
02-11-2010, 04:39 PM
Jeff,
Most folks assume that lead foil is pure, or darned close to it. Just melt them down and check the hardness. I used to get that type foil from my dentist but more and more are going to a new process that doesn't use film so the source is going the way of wheelweights!

sqlbullet
02-11-2010, 04:42 PM
I got about 25 lbs of this from my brother-in-law, who is a dentist. I have not tested the hardness, but have hit these ingots against both ingots of pure lead and of 96-3-1 pb/sb/sn. It was in between as far as hardness. I would guess it is mostly lead with a little tin, to give it extra malleability.

They have lots of dross when I melt them. I attribute it to the high surface to mass ratio of foil. You will be suprised at how little lead there actually is when you are done.

I haven't cast any bullets with them, so I can't speak to that.

KCSO
02-11-2010, 04:56 PM
I go outside and fill my smelter, add a little waste oil to the bucket and turn up the heat and touch off the smoke. Burns up the paper and melts the lead. Otherwise you have to pull the lead off the backing and that gets tiresome. Mine tests out pure lead and I save it for muzzleloader balls.

462
02-11-2010, 05:17 PM
I treat it same-same stick-on wheel weights.

BOOM BOOM
02-11-2010, 07:28 PM
hi,
I squash as much as i can pound into a #10 can set it on a campfire, & pour inguts as normal.
Close to pure lead.

lwknight
02-11-2010, 07:32 PM
You should know that the X-ray foil is on the film when it is in the mouths and removed to develope the film. Handle with caution. Herpes,HPV (nowdays commonly in te mouth) hep, and so on..

kyle623
02-11-2010, 08:00 PM
if that were true knight, then the dentist couldnt give them away. they would be classified as biohazard. my daughter works in a dentists off and by the time she saves enought for me , even if true, those disease cannot survive without a host.

DLCTEX
02-11-2010, 08:43 PM
Just don't lick your fingers before washing.:-)

2shot
02-11-2010, 09:08 PM
even if true, those disease cannot survive without a host.[/QUOTE]

Not true. a virus needs a host, bacteria can survive for aeons without a host. Hepititus B ( a virus) has been found living under the fingernails of hygienist 15 days after exposure to it and other strong viruses can servive as long or longer. Maybe not all are life threatening but you sure can get sick from them and end up having an illness that can be life long if your careless.

I'm in the dental profesion also and ANYTHING that is exposed to the oral cavity is considered a bio-hazard and should be disposed of properly which means no garbage can or waste basket. That's why the doc's save them, not for the scrap return but because they can't through them out with the garbage. Thankfully some Dr's are happy to give it away to those that can use it.

Just be careful handleing it.

kyle623
02-11-2010, 10:48 PM
to my knowledge they were throwing them out with the garbage till i told her i wanted them. as for the hygenist with the hep b under her nails, why is she sticking bare hands in someones mouth? hell, most truckstop shops are throwing the ww's in the trash in southern states, at least thats what they are telling me when i ask, thats a shame there.

lwknight
02-12-2010, 01:33 AM
Whatever, all I know is that when I had my xrays and asked about the film lead , the tech warned me that they were bio-waste cause they had been in the mouths.
Just go ask your own dentist and believe whatever he says.
I only know what I was told.
I do not know squat about any laws that dictate procedure. I do know that my dentist is a hospital board member so he had free dump rights at the local hospital where he dumps the xray lead.
He did say that he would save them for me and advised to wear protection when handling till they were smelted and sterilized.

Maybe you should call a hazmat tean if you find chewing gum on the sidewalk.

2shot
02-12-2010, 09:26 AM
kyle623;

Sorry I din't mean to turn this into a OHSA discussion so please except my apologies for that.

The hygenist in question had a glove tear while doing a cleaning on a hemodyalisis pateint with hep B. She double gloved and the gloves snaged and tore open. No she didn't have her bare hands in someones mouth, it was an accident that could happen to anyone.

My point being that while it's great that we can get and use these X-ray films we just have to use some caution while handling them before they are melted down. The docs that I know remove the paper and other non lead parts from the X-ray films and through the lead into a box so that the biohazard materials are disposed of properly seperate from the lead. The lead I get goes straight to the melting pot and I don't have to handle any part of these with my hands.

Something to remember. 1/2 of the doc's out there graduated on the bottom half of their class. Just because they have DR or DDS in their name doesn't mean they have common scents. With mother nature if we don't play by the rules we find out fast that she's a heartless muther ******.

2shot

Jeffery8mm
02-12-2010, 10:16 AM
Will exercise caution as it goes in the pot!! Also will treat as pure lead or same as a stick on.
Thanks
Jeff

trooperdan
02-12-2010, 10:52 AM
Silly me! I assumed the lead foil came off before the film was used! Glad to be made aware of this!

2shot
02-12-2010, 11:27 AM
The lead foil is used on the inside of the film and is the part next to your tounge, not your cheek. It's used to stop the X-ray waves from penetrating all the way through to your tounge and the other side of your mouth stopping unnecessary exposure.


Just wash your hands well after handling these things and wearing disposable gloves wouldn't be a bad idea either. If you touch them and don't wash your hands and then rub your mouth, eat something or smoke a cigarette you could be kissing someone by proxy that you don't want to do a lip lock with.

It's nice soft lead that I use for all of my muzzle loading balls and minie's. Great lead although as sqlbullet pointed out you will get a lot of dross.

2shot

lwknight
02-12-2010, 01:42 PM
Thanks for the rescue guys, I thought that I was about to get flamed.

montana_charlie
02-12-2010, 01:50 PM
It tests at a very consistent 7.8 BHN, and is an alloy that casts beautifully at 700 to 725 degrees.
The hardness also seems very stable over time, so I wonder if it contains equal amounts of tin and antimony. I would very much like to see the results of an analysis, but I might guess that it is something like 98/1/1.

CM

BoolitBill
02-12-2010, 07:14 PM
I cannot remember the post it was in but someone got the info on the composition of the lead foil from the manufacturer. It did have a small amount of tin and antimony in it so the lead foil is not pure lead. I like to mix it with WW to make a softer alloy for my lower power practice loads.

odoh
02-12-2010, 07:44 PM
Two different dentists in the last 6mos ~ one of which 'went digital 3yrs ago' and no longer using stuff that had lead (thats what he said) and had 14lbs in 3 boxes that he knew not how to disposal of it. I suggested that I could take it off his hands ~ and I did so. He's been holding that stuff for 3 yrs!

Last week was the root canal and was referred to a rooter. Same thing but using the old system still ~ gave me about 20lbs in lieu of the lolly pop. He has one of the old fashioned single shot Buffalo rifles being built (Quiggly?) but just doesn't have the time to smelt and cast. The first batch hardness test was pure the 2nd was nearly pure and both packed a lot of dirt like >10%. I sharpy marked the ingots as dental lead.

randyrat
02-12-2010, 08:51 PM
Your mouth dosen't touch the lead at all. Dosen't mean they couldn't be contaminated with someones germs, but unlikely. I believe they are 1% Antimony and 1%Tin and the balance lead.
My dentist saves all their lead Extray waste for me, once a month i go in and they hand me a box full of nice lead. They are very happy to give it to me rather than pay to get rid of it.
I use them to cut WWs or for the front stuffer. I've cast them for the 45 acp also and they make GREAT bullets. FREE

2shot
02-12-2010, 09:40 PM
Mouth doesn't touch the lead but there are a lot of guys that get the whole film carrier, lead, paper and cardboard included and that's where someone could get contaminated. Also, most dentist I know that save the lead wear rubber gloves when stripping the paper from the lead. If they touch the lead with a contaminated glove guess what, the lead is now contaminated. They are safe because they had gloves on but anybody that may happen to touch the contaminated lead could contract whatever is on the lead.

In the dental office there is always that "dirty little inch", meaning that there is no way to keep a steril operatory. With the spray and mist that is used with the high speed handpieces it can contaminate the whole room. That is why when a known infectious patient comes for teatment the whole room including counters, lights, etc must be covered and the doctor and assistant must gown up and wear face shields and breathing mask. The danger is when a patient is infectious and doesn't know it or doesn't tell the doctor. The mist from the high speed handpieces flyes into the air and gets everywhere, there is no avoiding it if work or cleanings are going to be performed.

Not trying to scare anyone here, just telling it like it is. Be safe and wear gloves when handling dental lead and wash your hands several times. Once melted down there is no danger from infectious illnesses.

idahoron
02-13-2010, 12:44 PM
I am going to disagree. The dental lead I get from my dentist is NOT soft in any way. In fact every batch I have melted ends up being 12 to 13 BHN. This is almost exactly the same as wheel weights. A lot of guys claim it is pure lead but I have never seen the BHN softer than 12 BHN. I am using a cabin tree tester. If a guy drops an ingot on the cement it will ring. Pure lead makes a thud. Ron

lwknight
02-13-2010, 12:50 PM
Evidently the stuff comes from different suppliers. Maybe everyone is correct.

fecmech
02-13-2010, 04:15 PM
I am going to disagree. The dental lead I get from my dentist is NOT soft in any way. In fact every batch I have melted ends up being 12 to 13 BHN. This is almost exactly the same as wheel weights. A lot of guys claim it is pure lead but I have never seen the BHN softer than 12 BHN. I am using a cabin tree tester. If a guy drops an ingot on the cement it will ring. Pure lead makes a thud. Ron

I just got some a while back from my dentist and it age hardens to 14 bhn by my testing. My ingots also "ring" when dropped.

zomby woof
02-13-2010, 04:49 PM
I used to work for Kodak Dental X-Ray. I e-mailed some friends a while back for their alloy composition.

I just got this from Kodak Dental X-ray. The lead they use is Lead >96%, Tin 1.5% +/- 0.1%, Antimony 1.5% +/- 0.1%.

There are other suppliers of Dental X-Ray packets, who knows what they use. Kodak is the largest supplier (now Carestream)

Hitman
02-13-2010, 05:02 PM
Allot of this is just due to policy procedures of all the tree hugger types. Just practice clean living and the liklyhood of catching something dramatically is reduced. You still have just as much chance to catch anything mentiond from pushing a cart at walmart or you local grocery store.

BoolitBill
02-13-2010, 11:18 PM
Zomby woof--- The question of the composition of this lead foil comes up over and over. Is there anyway to sticky your post so that if this question comes up again there is a place to find the answer?