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Thread: Lead alloy calculators

  1. #21
    Boolit Buddy Bulltipper's Avatar
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    Nice, Thank you! Looks like you spent a lot of time on it, I saved a copy.
    "These are not hi-capacity magazines, these are standard capacity magazines. High capacity is belt fed from the can."

  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by bumpo628 View Post
    I added more alloys and updated the notes.

    Here is the 3/15/11 version: Attachment 30441
    I am confused -- not unusual. does the formula:

    Brinell = 8.60 + ( 0.29 * Tin ) + ( 0.92 * Antimony )

    suggest that the BHN for pure lead is 8.6? The spreadsheet says pure lead is 5. As it is if one puts in pounds for just pure lead and leaves all others 0 one gets an estimated BHN of 8.6. While that matches the formula it would seem suspiciously high.
    ph4570

  3. #23
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee W View Post
    The plan is to use the magnum shot to bring up the arsenic to wheel weight level. The goal is to water drop to 15-17 BHN. With the mixture in our club's range, they water drop at 10-11 BHN. Good for 45 and 38s, but not for 9mm and 40. With the addition of the shot, the hardness is where we want it. When my casting buddy and I smelt, we try to do 1,000 pounds. That might last the year. If we did 10:1 we would need 100 pounds of tin at $17-18 per pound. Too much.
    You only need about 0.5% Tin for proper mold fillout. WW has 0.5% Tin, 2-3% Antimony, 0.25% Arsenic.
    So it would take much less tin then you estimated to get what you want.

    If you mixed the following:
    200 lbs Magnum shot
    800 lbs pure lead
    5 lbs pure Tin
    = 1005 lbs of a mixed alloy with 0.50% Tin, 0.80% Antimony, 0.25% Arsenic, 98.5% Lead and an @ Brinell hardness of 9.5
    (assuming 3% Antimony)

    The link from LASC that you gave me yesterday said that WW lead has 3-4% antimony. I have always seen it posted as 2-3%. So, on my next revision of the calculator where I add the column for Arsenic I will use 3% for Antimony for WW.
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    Quote Originally Posted by white eagle View Post
    no the calculator. so you can use the thing for what ? I can't seem to figure this out. does it just tell you what certain BHN values are or can you figure out mixes and alloys
    You can mix different alloys by weight to find the properties of the new alloy. The calculator tells you the %Tin, %Antimony, %Lead, total weight, and @ hardness.

    The example that I left in the calculator is mixing the following:
    1 oz of 50/50 solder (.0625 lbs)
    5 lbs pure lead
    5 lbs clip on WW lead
    = 10.1 lbs of a mixed alloy with 0.56% Tin, 0.99% Antimony, 98.4% Lead and an @ Brinell hardness of 9.7
    (assuming 2% antimony)

    Another example would be if you wanted to mix Linotype and pure lead:
    5 lbs Lino + 5 lbs Pure = 10 lbs alloy with 2.00% Tin, 6.00% Antimony, Hardness @ 14.7 (same specs as Hardball)
    5 lbs Lino + 25 lbs Pure = 30 lbs alloy with 0.67% Tin, 2.00% Antimony, Hardness @ 10.6 (close approx. of clip-on WW)

    Let me know if you have any questions.
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    Quote Originally Posted by Bulltipper View Post
    Nice, Thank you! Looks like you spent a lot of time on it, I saved a copy.
    No problem. Use it and if you come up with any suggestions, let me know.
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by ph4570 View Post
    I am confused -- not unusual. does the formula:

    Brinell = 8.60 + ( 0.29 * Tin ) + ( 0.92 * Antimony )

    suggest that the BHN for pure lead is 8.6? The spreadsheet says pure lead is 5. As it is if one puts in pounds for just pure lead and leaves all others 0 one gets an estimated BHN of 8.6. While that matches the formula it would seem suspiciously high.
    That formula came from Rotometals and you are correct - it does not make sense.
    I have found that it works pretty well for alloys that have higher %'s of tin AND antimony (maybe 1% and up). Lower than that on either and it kinda breaks down. However, it is the only formula I could find so I'll use it until I find something better.
    Last edited by bumpo628; 03-16-2011 at 02:15 PM.
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  5. #25
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Lee W View Post
    I have a request. With my state banning wheel weights, I would like to create an alloy that mimics wheel weights, when water dropped, using range lead and magnum shot. The critical part is the amount of arsenic. Could you add a column for arsenic?
    Here is the updated calculator with a column for Arsenic, as you requested.

    I added two lines for your own custom alloys too. They can be used to put the results of your mixed alloy for future use. Just enter the data in the yellow boxes.

    I also updated the specs for:
    Magnum shot, Range lead, Clip on WW, and Stick on WW.
    The changes were made according to some new information that I read on lasc.us. The articles are linked in the reference area.

    Here is the 3/16/11 version: Lead Alloy Calculators 031611.zip
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  6. #26
    Boolit Buddy
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    Thanks for the new version. I will put it to work this weekend.

  7. #27
    Boolit Buddy beladran's Avatar
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    i love the excell sheet!

  8. #28
    Boolit Bub Mossy Nugget's Avatar
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    Most excellent tool! could you add a column for pewter? ASTM B560 standard alloy 90-98% tin, 1-8% antimony, .25-3% copper. even a ballpark guesstimate would help. http://www.astm.org/Standards/B560.htm

  9. #29
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mossy Nugget View Post
    Most excellent tool! could you add a column for pewter? ASTM B560 standard alloy 90-98% tin, 1-8% antimony, .25-3% copper. even a ballpark guesstimate would help. http://www.astm.org/Standards/B560.htm
    Thanks for the feedback, I'll try to post an updated calculator tomorrow.
    Btw, any idea what the copper does to the alloy?

    It looks like common pewter has 92.5% Tin, 6% Antimony, 1.5% Copper and has a hardness of 23.
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by Mossy Nugget View Post
    Most excellent tool! could you add a column for pewter?
    Here is the updated alloy calculator with Pewter added. I also added a column for Copper %.
    From what I can tell, the copper acts like a hardening agent.

    Here is the 3/25/11 version: Lead Alloy Calculators 032511.zip
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  11. #31
    Boolit Grand Master
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    whats up
    when you want 10 # of 16/1 the bhn changes from 11 to 10.4
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  12. #32
    Boolit Bub Mossy Nugget's Avatar
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    Question

    All I know about copper is if you alloy lots of it with tin, you get bronze. Hardest stuff around before iron was discovered.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by white eagle View Post
    whats up
    when you want 10 # of 16/1 the bhn changes from 11 to 10.4
    The hardness values to the right of the alloys in the table are the published values for that alloy.

    The "est. hardness" in the mixed alloy calculator stands for estimated hardness. I use the rotometals formula to calculate the mixed hardness. It is not 100% accurate, but it is the best tool I can find and it is better than nothing.
    Last edited by bumpo628; 03-26-2011 at 12:50 PM.
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  14. #34
    Boolit Master
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    I added two kinds of lead-free 95/5 solder (Sn-Cu & Sn-Sb).

    Here is the 3/26/11 version: Lead Alloy Calculators 032611.zip
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  15. #35
    Boolit Bub
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    finally got it to work nice nice...

  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    I made it easier to read the weights and added a link to Glen Fryxell's online book on casting "From Ingot to Target: A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners".

    Here is the 3/29/11 version: Lead Alloy Calculators 032911.zip
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  17. #37
    Boolit Bub
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    Very Useful.

    Thank you sir,

    Joe

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
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    Here is the latest update to the alloy calculator - the 6/28/11 version.
    Lead Alloy Calculators 062811.zip

    I separated magnum shot into two categories by pellet size - 4% & 6% antimony.
    Thanks to Canuck Bob for the source for the info.

    It seems that Lawrence makes their shot in different hardnesses according to pellet size. Bob does a pretty good job explaining the reasoning for that in his thread, so I'll leave it to him.

    In any case, it might help people who want to mix up a particular batch using shot as a base or hardener. You can measure the shot and get a pretty good idea of the antimony content of your lead.

    Sources:
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=120593
    http://www.ballisticproducts.com/Lea...d/products/68/
    Last edited by bumpo628; 07-02-2011 at 09:29 PM.
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  19. #39
    Boolit Master
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    Here is the latest version of the alloy calculator (8/23/11)
    Lead Alloy Calculators 082311.zip

    I recently got some 40/60 solder and I realized that I didn't have a spot for that one.
    I also added a link for information on solder.
    Last edited by bumpo628; 10-21-2011 at 02:09 AM.
    Ronald Reagan once said that the most terrifying words in the English language are: "I'm from the government and I'm here to help".
    Download my alloy calculator here: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=105952

  20. #40
    Boolit Mold halx's Avatar
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    Something is very wrong in all of these calculators. The pure lead BHN is 5. Try to make a pure lead alloy (0 Anti, 0 tin) its BHN will be 8.6

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