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Thread: Guide to Hand Sorting Wheel Weights

  1. #101
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    Quote Originally Posted by pathdoc View Post
    Awesome post, and thank you. I have been sitting on my WW afraid to wonder what was in them, but did the snipper test tonight on a new acquisition and most of it cuts or deforms neatly.

    Observations from a newbie:

    1) The hard plastic coating on some COWW distorts the ease of the cut test.
    2) Even aside from this, some COWW that can be cut, are harder than others.
    3) Following on from #2 above, I wonder what would happen if you went to the trouble of sorting out WW by appearance and then did a hardness test (even as simple as with a Lee hardness tester) on the resultant ingots? Has anyone tried this? Ultimately I'm not sure i care; if some of the WW have a higher antimony content, this will help the whole batch be harder, which is not a bad thing.

    As a last resort, I can always go to Rotometals or one of the other companies. But for now, I am content to scrounge.
    There is probably some variation in alloy composition in WW's but shape can influence ease of cutting too. The ones with more of a block shape are harder to cut than the ones that are more tapered but I think that is mostly because the dikes are open wider when cutting the block shaped ones and you get less leverage at that part of the cutting stroke.

    Larger the batch you melt the less deviation there will be from the individual weights. If you melted a 100 lbs of WW's in 5 lb. batches there would be more potential variation between each batch then if you did 2 50 lb. batches.

    If you really wanted your WW's ingots to be consistent it would be easier than pre-sorting WW's if you re-melt and re-cast into ingots by selecting equal amounts from each batch. E.G if you did 5 batches at 50 lbs. into 10 lb. ingots then selected 1 ingot from each batch to melt into a 50 lb. batch and re-cast into smaller ingots for use. By taking same amount from each initial batch your final ingots should come out to be pretty consistent. Then you could test for specific hardness. Seems like a lot of work for plinking ammo, if it mattered that much probably better off selling the WW's and buying known alloys.

    But then I tend to be getting lazy as I get older (or efficient depending on who you ask).

  2. #102
    Boolit Mold
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    Like I said, in the end it's more of a theoretical question. For now I don't care; lead alloy is lead alloy, and everything I can get is going into the pot.

    Your comment about the shape of the COWW is well made.

  3. #103
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    Great threar with lots of useful info! Thanks!

  4. #104
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I just finished sorting between 1000&1200# of wheel weights. This thread was very helpful. After a while it gets easier, and faster, as you get familiar with the looks, shapes and sizes. Iron weights have a distinctive shape and the clips are usually riveted on. Zinc weights are harder to tell apart. They are usually a dull gray color, are hard to cut, and usually, but not always have a Z on Zn on them. Stick-ons are mostly soft lead except for the painted ones that have a ridge around them and look like little bricks. I put these in with the clip-ons.

    Out of this batch, I had about 1000-1050# lead. I had about half of a 5 gallon bucket of iron, 1/3 or so of a bucket of stick-ons and a coffee can of valve stems, composite/plastic weights. All in all, pretty tired of sorting, but happy!

    Here is the batch that I sorted out.


  5. #105
    Boolit Bub johnc486's Avatar
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    Now that you have the hang of it, come over and do mine. I have been at it for 5 hrs today and probably have that much longer for tomorrow before I start smelting, a true labor of love.

  6. #106
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    I have 12 5 gallon buckets to do. I keep putting it off.

  7. #107
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    Yeah, its boring and easy to put off. It goes better if you have a shooting buddy to help.

  8. #108
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    I found a few that haven't been covered in the information here. Namely those weights that are marked "T"

    I had some that were AL, AL and a #, AL and letters (I think somethingW) and a couple FN. But those seem to have been discussed.

    From what I have read here, all the AL stuff would be lead. At least I would melt them with lead, but I'd do it last and just under 700 degrees to be safe.

    OF

  9. #109
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    Thats right the AL is lead, They are meant to go on Aluminum alloy wheels. They are usually lead. The stick-on's are perfect for round balls in my muzzle loaders and cap/ball revolvers.
    You always think you have enough Boolets, until the Zombies come.

  10. #110
    Boolit Buddy OnceFired's Avatar
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    What about the "T" ones?

    OF

  11. #111
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    [QUOTE=OnceFired;3006937]What about the "T" ones?

    I'm wondering about this also. I am just getting into casting myself, but so far just to the point of separating WWs. I've been tossing the ones with a T on them into a separate bucket. I've scratched and cut a few and they seem to be lead that has been painted or coated with something but am unsure. If they are in fact coated lead can you toss them in the pot with coating in tact?
    A bumble bee is considerable faster than a John Deere tractor

  12. #112
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    I don't know what the marking signifies but just about anything that isn't liquid can go in the pot. Paint, valve stems, dip remnants, acorns, and cigarette butts will all just burn off or float to be skimmed off with the dross. Stay up wind, but it won't hurt anything if you miss something.

    I have tried sorting my wheel weights visually, with snips, and by controlling the pot temp to skim off the zinc. Visual takes to long and I just don't want the risk of contaminating a large batch with Zn. I've ended up hand sorting everything with a pair of side cutters. I don't even pay much attention to what is marked on them except to make sure they aren't stick-ons.

    - If I can put a good mark in them, they go in the COWW bucket.
    - If I can't mark them, Zn's get separated out and Fe's go in the recycling bin.
    - SOWW that feel harder than sheet lead go with the COWW's, the soft ones go in the pure-ish lead bucket with pipe scraps and sheet lead.

  13. #113
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    I'm with Rich. My eyesight's not, what it used to be, and seeing through all the grime is a PIA. I just use the old timer household pliers, and only have to see the bite mark they leave. I have a small bucket for zinc, and a scrap metal bucket for the Fe weights. There is also a bucket for jackets from range scrap.
    My last trip tp the scrap yard yielded 290 lbs XRay of lead, four more empty buckets, an empty trailer, and $176.

  14. #114
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    Markings other than Zn or Fe are pretty much useless for determining the metal composition. The different letters are generally to indicate the suitability for different rims. Alloy rims, and attachment to rim styles. Just lets the mechanic or manufacturer know what fits what. Much like a battery group size, a group 27 battery is a certain size, but can be many types of battery with many types of cable attachment.

    I sort sitting with a tray in my lap watching TV. I do nip test everything I keep, but after awhile one can spot the iron and many of the obvious zinc and toss them into their own buckets without bothering to nip. Scrap yard here pays for zinc (and steel) but more for the zinc. My purpose in sorting is to only store "good" material and have it ready to go when I have time to smelt them. Others melt it all at controlled temps and skim the scrap which floats in lead and does not melt at the temps that lead does. Either one works but I don't have the "extra" space to store 20% scrap (works out to 1 out of 5 buckets is wasted space)

    The thermometer is critical tool for casting and melting WW's, get one if you don't have one. Tell Tru makes a good one at a good price. Keeping the melt at or below 700 degrees is the best way to avoid zinc contamination. It also is why you don't put a pot of WW's on to melt and "do something else" while it melts. Aside from safety of not keeping an eye on a pot of molten lead, the possibility of temp going high and melting a few missed zinc WW's is worth avoiding by being on hand to monitor temperature.

    http://www.amazon.com/Tel-Tru-LT225R.../dp/B0055777EU

  15. #115
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    I have a question and I hope some one can help me here I had some diver weights and ww's as well I cast so many bullets now I have this problem after I so some shooting lean builds up in side rifling I did not use lube just plain cast and wax coat on bullets
    I assume I did not do this right way and looks like I have to melt all the bullets and start over again
    Any suggestions for me ? I really appreciated THX.

  16. #116
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    Very useful indeed. Helped me sort about 130# of wheelweights.

  17. #117
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    Tried something last time around to differentiate the few odd zinc weights that try to slip past me. I had been using side cutters, but after sorting enough, I was visually able to sort the majority with only the occasional nipping... then I tried a spring loaded center punch. Those 'questionable ones' were set aside on my sorting tray (a large piece of plastic sheet about 1/2" thick) and when I had amassed enough to need to clear them out, I just spread em all out in a single layer and took the punch and punched each one. It's quick, you don't have to use two hands and there is a distinct difference when punching lead versus zinc. It was much quicker for me than using side cutters and I am confident that I got all the zinc/irons that way.

    Just another option..

  18. #118
    Boolit Master ballistim's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Sticky View Post
    Tried something last time around to differentiate the few odd zinc weights that try to slip past me. I had been using side cutters, but after sorting enough, I was visually able to sort the majority with only the occasional nipping... then I tried a spring loaded center punch. Those 'questionable ones' were set aside on my sorting tray (a large piece of plastic sheet about 1/2" thick) and when I had amassed enough to need to clear them out, I just spread em all out in a single layer and took the punch and punched each one. It's quick, you don't have to use two hands and there is a distinct difference when punching lead versus zinc. It was much quicker for me than using side cutters and I am confident that I got all the zinc/irons that way.

    Just another option..
    Good idea, I have a spring loaded punch & weights to sort, will give it a try. I've learned to be pretty good at visually sorting most of them but have found some are hard to tell for sure, and this might help with those. HF often has the spring loaded punches in sale for cheap.
    “Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing ever happened."

    Winston S. Churchill


  19. #119
    Boolit Buddy borg's Avatar
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    I found something different today, a COWW labeled T-Zn.
    I did a muratic acid test on it and it didn't bubble.
    I have also found some SOWW that didn't deform with side cutters, and no reaction to acid.

  20. #120
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    A lot of the Zinc that I've seen had a coat of paint on them. Your acid may not be getting through it.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check