Wheel weight idenification

[pmoore]

I intend to start casting and have done alot of reading, it seems from what I read zinc contamination is a big problem, how do you tell the zinc from lead, I understand it is easy to idenify steel but I don't know how to recognize zinc. Can someone expain to me their technique for keeping their lead pure?
thanks
pmoore

[MtGun44]

Hit it with a hammer. Lead will dent easily.

Bill

[82nd airborne]

if you are using a lee pot set it on 6 or 7 and the zinc weights will float up. just pick them out. many zinc ww's are also labeled zn. but the easiest way is just to not overheat the pb in the first place. ive never screwed up a batch with zn contamination. you can also squeeze a suspicious ww with wire cutters. pb ww's will either cut in half or cut deeply, whereas zinc will barely mar. this method may sound like you coul mess it up but as soon as you try it once you will be very confident. using all three methods (or others) makes for a pretty fail safe method if there is a such thing.
good luck, aaron

[82nd airborne]

also, there is a sticky on the subject matter with mass amounts of knowlege within, but i dont think you will find the task of separating them too arduous.

[pmoore]

Thanks, I see by what you say lead is very soft zinc is hard. I was just cautious because I want no boo-boos, and with a little experience all will work out. Thanks again, this is a great forum.
pmoore

[WHITETAIL]

pmoore, Welcome to the forum![smilie=p:
And do not be afraid to ask here
the guy, and gals here are great.

[randyrat]

Here is what some of them look like.....Just load em up, crimping is a challange. You can leave the clip on if you have a sloppy chamber.

[qajaq59]

Take a pair of diagonal cutters and try cutting them. You'll will see the difference between the hard zinc and the soft lead right away. And if you keep the temp correct the zinc wont melt and you can just scoop them off the top. I forget the exact temp at the moment but someone will add it I'm sure.

[hansumtoad]

620 odd degrees for lead.... 780 or so for zinc.

I am usinf the "drop test" to separate. If it goes "thud" softly and fall over when dropped on concrete - its lead. If it goes "ping" and bounces off the parts unknown... its not lead.

I'm just watching the heat very carefully when smelting a 100 lbs + pf weights. At 620 - 650, just skim off the clips and mich **** after melting and before fluxing, that gets the nasties out of the pot.

I then flux twice and ladle the ingots. Once cool, I steel stamp them with WW and a date code, i.e. "WW 510" on the back. That way I know its from wheel weights and was born in May of 2010. The ingots are "PB" or "#2" or "WW" or "20/1" or whatever.

When I reuse them, the melt is done below 700 and fluxed twice.

No more angst over bad lead... and pretty boolits.

[qajaq59]

One thing I've done now for a couple of years is I have 4 different molds for ingots. One for soft lead, and 3 others others for WW, Lino and my own alloy. It's not necessary, but for me it's easier.

[82nd airborne]

Here is what some of them look like.....Just load em up, crimping is a challange. You can leave the clip on if you have a sloppy chamber.

nice.... .00012 moa im sure?

[Ed Gallop]

Take a pair of diagonal cutters and try cutting them. You'll will see the difference between the hard zinc and the soft lead right away. And if you keep the temp correct the zinc wont melt and you can just scoop them off the top. I forget the exact temp at the moment but someone will add it I'm sure.

I'm curious... If the weights were melted too hot, and the zinc mixes with the lead, would it separate from the lead when remelting the lead? If so, it could be scooped off before use.

[Doby45]

No, it will not seperate.

[qajaq59]

Once it is alloyed into the lead the little the average caster can do to get it back out. Best not to get it in there at the beginning. Just take your time and you'll get used to sorting it.