Divers Waits?

[Just1Mor]

Any one know if I could use old diver's weights to melt down? anyone used them before?

[Rocky Raab]

They take too long to melt. With two in the pot, you wait and wait.

[Just1Mor]

They take too long to melt. With two in the pot, you wait and wait.

thanks, i have 100+ pounds of the stuff that my parent had would i be worth the wait?

[ghh3rd]

Any lead is worth the weight [I mean wait], as long as it casts good boolits. You may have good lead, or a combination of any lead, zinc WW, etc. that they found to make the diver sinkers, including zinc. The composition may vary between all of them.

Since you seem to have quite a few, I would avoid melting them all together, at first. Perhaps melt 25 lbs, see if it looks Ok when melted, perhaps make a few boolits. Once you feel that none of it's contaminated, mix it all up. Just a thought...

[mooman76]

They would be worth it but most of the time you won't know exactly what they are. It has been discussed here and some divers will tell you they mak them from whatever they can get at the time. Anything from pure to WWs and probubly other stuff too.

[AZ-Stew]

A new term for Cast Boolits: The time it takes for the smelt melt is the weight wait.

Regards,

Stew

[Adk Mike]

I melted some down they seem to be OK. I keep them in a seperate Ammo can and I use them for mild rifle loads mixed with what else I have wheel weights extra. They work fine. Mike

[Bloodman14]

Give them the drop test; if they 'ring', they are some alloy. If they 'thud', they are close to pure. The 'ringers' you can throw some sulfur on, and that will take care of any zinc.

[Just1Mor]

right on, thanks guys. i quess you can tell that i'm just getting into this casting stuff and it would take a long time to compile what one of you guys know. this is a great resource and i am glad to have found you all.

I also found some solid bricks that were my great grand fathers, he was a pipe fitter in the days of using lead pipe in the houses and an old lead pot and what looks to be a very beefy coleman camp stove looking thing. I guess you put in the ignition fluid pump it up and then there is some kind of a heat coil/heat exchange type deal. Anyway my dad is a pipe fitter as well and was telling me that thing melts lead REALLY fast but there super dangerous.

[fredj338]

Give them the drop test; if they 'ring', they are some alloy. If they 'thud', they are close to pure. The 'ringers' you can throw some sulfur on, and that will take care of any zinc.

Exactly, if yo ucan dent it w/ a hammer, scratch it w/ a screwdriveer, it's likely not got much if any zinc in it. I melted down abotu 20# my neigbhor gave me when he moved away, worked fine.

[home in oz]

I have a five gal bucket in the garage-have to give them a try.