Lead prices must have gone up. Why some don't melt?

[hunter64]

I went on my annual lead roundup yesterday and man o man the prices have sure jumped. For the last couple of years I could get a 5 gallon bucket of used wheel weights for about 10-15 bucks if I had to pay at all. Yesterday things sure have changed, now they want 30-35 bucks for a bucket. What I do is grab a 1 gallon bucket and say I just need a few and they will give me about 1/2 gallon full and one place gave me 4 5 gallon buckets full for free. So after all was said and done and everything was melted and cleaned, I have another 500 pounds of lead to go into the coffers.

Another question concerning wheel weights, I noticed that quite a few of them didn't melt. They were a different color of weight and no doubt they were made of something else but what is it? Is somebody trying to get "Environmentally Friendly" on us and starting to use a different material than lead?

[klausg]

hunter64-the ones that didn't melt were probably zinc; search around the site as there have been quite a few threads on this subject in the not so distant past. luckily I don't get too many of them up here in AK, though I am starting to see some, IIRC about 5 in my last bucketful. Take care.

-Klaus

[LET-CA]

I went on my annual lead roundup yesterday and man o man the prices have sure jumped. For the last couple of years I could get a 5 gallon bucket of used wheel weights for about 10-15 bucks if I had to pay at all. Yesterday things sure have changed, now they want 30-35 bucks for a bucket. What I do is grab a 1 gallon bucket and say I just need a few and they will give me about 1/2 gallon full and one place gave me 4 5 gallon buckets full for free. So after all was said and done and everything was melted and cleaned, I have another 500 pounds of lead to go into the coffers.

Another question concerning wheel weights, I noticed that quite a few of them didn't melt. They were a different color of weight and no doubt they were made of something else but what is it? Is somebody trying to get "Environmentally Friendly" on us and starting to use a different material than lead?

Sounds like you got some Zinc wheelweights in the mix too. They melt at a higher temperature. You want to get them out of the pot before they melt or they'll mess us your entire pot.

[hunter64]

Zinc, well no wonder they don't melt. I am getting a few here and there, about 1 in every 40 or so. I keep my melting temp low so there is no chance of them melting. Thanks for the info guys.

[sundog]

Hunter, I had this posted in another thread awhile back, but I'll put it up again just for grins. These are what I call NO-GO WWs. sundog

http://home.valornet.com/corkyconnell/photos/nogo_wws.jpg

[doc25]

CGN might have some good reloaders but if you're looking for info on casting this is the place ;)

[PGBsuperior]

The price of lead has indeed gone up, The last time I got a ton of foundry alloy it was 87 cents a pound, just called today, it's 92 cents a pound. I don't use WW, I don't feel I can get away with that with my customers, and WW is just about impossible to find here anyway.

Amy