Solder Drips? BIG Tin Find?

I periodically drop by my local scrap yard to peek into their lead drums. I primarily look for tin or pure Pb as I use range lead for the bulk of casting. Today, aside from about half a roll of solder, everything else looked uninteresting. Then a ingot caught my eye. It was made with a soup can, and the top looked.....weird. As if the can had been filled by slowly dripping the lead into it instead of poured. There were at least 5-6 other similar ingots, each weighing 2-3 lbs. I took one home with me. I melted down a small corner, and I'm pretty darn sure it's 50/50. It melts easy, is extra shiny, and when a cooled stream is bent, it has that beautiful crackle. At $.60 a lb, I plan to scarf up the rest tomorrow. Has anyone else encountered solder like this?

No, but if I did I would buy all of it! Nice Score!

This is the second time I've found solder at this spot. Last time it was a variety, still in wire form. Some was 50/50, some had a rosin core, and I believe some was 20/80 or some lower content tin. I ended up with around 5-6 lbs of clean. If this one pans out I will be in the tin for life! Can't believe I was paying $20 a lb from Rotometals.

Sounds like maybe drips from a hobbyist/small shop stained glass maker, or maybe a small electronics shop wave solder machine...

Never found tin in any form at the local junk yard but did luck out and find some plumbers lead in either bars bigger than what you would expect from our own smelting about 5 pounds each. Also round like hockey pucks and once in a great while octagon form. Had a buddy who taught at the splicers school. Did get the drippings from him. Great score. Frank

Watch out for those octagional bars! they are more typically some low temp melting alloy made by Cerro, typically containing a lot of Cadmium, but also containing Bismuth and Indium.

I once scored 20 of the little octagional ingots, I still have most of them they were actually Cerro-Bend Alloy

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Originally Posted by samari46

Never found tin in any form at the local junk yard but did luck out and find some plumbers lead in either bars bigger than what you would expect from our own smelting about 5 pounds each. Also round like hockey pucks and once in a great while octagon form. Had a buddy who taught at the splicers school. Did get the drippings from him. Great score. Frank

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I grabbed something similar a few years ago. These were squares, about 7"x7" with unusual melted out centers. They had a very low melt temp, so being inexperienced I immediately assumed they were high tin. Did some research and I found the same as you. Likely a cerro type with high Cadmium. NASTY stuff. Took it all back at a loss. Live and learn.

Went back today and filled a small bucket. A hair over 50 lbs. I'm guessing it at around 40 lbs when cleaned.

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Originally Posted by MaryB

Sounds like maybe drips from a hobbyist/small shop stained glass maker, or maybe a small electronics shop wave solder machine...

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Besides what Mary mentions, the 'can' ingots may be from a auto/truck Radiator shop, even though most are plastic, collector cars still have the old soldered radiators...and speaking of collector cars, the real old stuff had body panels soldered together and/or solder filling (instead of Bondo). Maybe those ingots are from a autobody shop that does collectors?
I do know for a fact that as recent as 1971 some cars had solder filling from the factory. When I was a kid, I inherited a 71 Olds delta88, I had it repainted and the bodyman said it had solder filled roof panel.

That could very well be. The yard owner usually can give me a hint or two depending on who brings the alloy in. This instance he said it had been there at least a month and he had no idea. I have it all smelted down into Lee 1/2 lb a 1 lb. ingots. I ended up with 43 lbs of clean 50/50 out of 50 lbs of drippings. They're the prettiest ingots you ever did see! Shiny as polished silver. I might have to go grab the other 30+ lbs. I'll have tin till rapture.