Originally Posted by
KYCaster
Welllllll....this discussion is kinda goin off the rails.
The OP didn't ask for the easiest way to make his alloy. He didn't ask for the cheapest way to make his alloy. He didn't ask for the most convenient way to make his alloy. He asked for A way to make his alloy.
So far, most of the negative replies have come from people who have never tried to make an alloy from pure metals and are just repeating negative comments they've heard from others. Even those who have the experience, the knowledge, the material and the means to do this are trying to discourage him because it can be done "easier" or "cheaper". I have to disagree.
A few facts that may surprise you and you may not agree with....
100 lbs. of bullet casting alloy (92-6-2) from RotoMetals is $18.62 per lb. (shipped to central KY)
Pure Pb, pure Sn and Super Hard from RotoMetals to make 100 lbs. of 94-3-3 is about the same price.
All that pure Pb you scrounge is not pure. Most of it is 2 to 5% Sb.
A local wheel weight manufacturer uses scrap WW and doesn't separate the Pb from Zn, so all his product contains ever increasing amounts of Zn.
Nuclear medicine containers are not all created equal. I've had them from 5 BHN pure lead to 22 BHN. And the lids are not always the same.
Bottom line is, if you want to start with pure metals, you don't have many options and the only way to reduce the price per pound is to buy in larger quantities.
I'm sure many of you disagree with me, but I will be grateful if you can tell me where to get certified pure metals cheaper than the sources I posted earlier.
Jerry