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Thread: Where did all the lead come from?

  1. #21
    Boolit Master


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    I'm sure that takes a big bite out of today's production figures./beagle

    Quote Originally Posted by idahoron View Post
    Are electric and hybred cars using more lead? If so that could raise the price. Ron
    diplomacy is being able to say, "nice doggie" until you find a big rock.....

  2. #22
    Boolit Buddy
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    Im not sure about other makes but in Ford hybrids the only lead battery in the car is the regular lead/acid starting battery. The storage batteries are either NiCad or lithium Ion,I resent the whole stupid idea and dont really keep up on the changes in battery technology.(Just make darn shure you DO NOT monkey with any orange cables in one)!!!!!!!!!!!!
    Also the guy that owns Missouri Bullet Company posted on his Facebook page last fall a link to a story explaining that some company in Europe owns a enormous seemingly borderline illegal amount of lead stocks/supply. Large enough to have some control on its price.

  3. #23
    Boolit Buddy
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    How It's made. Last week I watched how lead is mined and processed, in MO.

  4. #24
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by felix View Post
    That is all downhill in that article, and some of the hills to these river/rail towns are STEEP! Brakes are mostly the significant item for these wagons. I have no idea what would be reasonable back then besides Budweiser horses tied backwards. ... felix
    Probably a rope wrapped around a tree twice or 3 times was used as a brake.
    EDG

  5. #25
    Boolit Master


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    Quote Originally Posted by popper View Post
    ....PbS is fools gold....
    Sorry but PbS is Lead Sulfide (aka: Galena). Fools Gold is actually Iron Pyrite (FeS2).

    Maybe PbS is Fools Silver?

  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Beat me to it, Defcon-one, on the Fools gold formula

  7. #27

  8. #28
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    Quote Originally Posted by beagle View Post
    Discussing powder manufacturing during the civil war on another thread led my thought process to this question. Where did all of the lead come from during the civil war?

    Now, I know we have lead deposits in Illinois and also along the Mississippi River but the US wasn't industrialized that much at the time of the civil war to produce the quantities needed by both sides to accomodate the ammount of bullets fired and there wasn't any wheel weights. In fact, I'm kinda wondering what lead applications were in use in those days that required lead other than shooting.

    One thing about lead, it's always here. It's mined, processed, used and remains with us. Maybe scattered in the ground but still with us.

    I'm just wondering why us casters haven't been smart enough to figure out a source to insure a sure supply to our hobby without all the hoopjumps we go through to make boolits./beagle
    Lead had a great many applications during the 19th Century. Making pewter, roofing material, makeup, medicine, and many others.
    NRA Benefactor.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master
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    Check out a story of lead 1948 . In Missouri https://youtu.be/6HhdkkdsvTM it’s been mined since the 1600 in missouri .notice the narrator a young Paul Harvey

  10. #30
    Boolit Master
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    It’s only 50 miles from the house

  11. #31
    Boolit Buddy cas's Avatar
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    (Zombie thread)

    Possibly more uses of lead during the civil war than today. Remember before people knew the health issues, it was in all sorts of things.
    Former cylindersmith.

  12. #32
    Boolit Bub
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    Growing up a farm in New Diggings, WI a few miles from Leadmine, WI We had what was called mine tailings piles everywhere huge acre sized piles of mostly shale from the mining process. our pastures were very rolling as in every 20' there was a dip from strip mining. we had 2 such piles on our property didn't, dare try to climb in the summer TOO many snakes! the kind that make noise. also had one shaft that was app. 60' across both ways with the remnants of the elevator system left there. finding Galena was just a matter of looking at the ground for the shiny stuff it was literally everywhere. we would gather 1/4 loads in the wheel barrow start a big fire let It burn to coals put a few loads on top cover with more wood then gravel come back a couple days later after it burned out and dig out the solidified lead and sell to the bait shop in Cuba City, WI. 5 cents a lb. wish I had all that back now. filled in a lot of those dips from the strip mining and it actually would grow grass after that. always had to have our H2O tested we sold Grade A milk and of course beef and hogs. Not one time did we ever have a positive test in the 12 yrs. we were there.

  13. #33
    Boolit Master
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    Electric vehicles are going towards lithium ion batteries.

    Several years ago China bought up a lot of lead because 9f their expanding domestic auto market.
    QUIS CUSTODIET IPSOS CUSTODES?

  14. #34
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    Don't forget lead for pipes. Pb Plumbum, like for plumbing even in Roman Times.

    A while back I posted pictures of some 22 bullets I cast and I put a Galena crystal on the pile. I also have a bigger chunk of galena that is not such a pretty crystal.

    Tim
    Words are weapons sharper than knives - INXS

    The pen is mightier than the sword - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

    The tongue is mightier than the blade - Euripides

  15. #35
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Lead was used a lot simply do to the fact is was easily worked. It casts over easily attained temps with a good finish. Back in the day this was an important consideration. A lot of cups and glasses and bowls were made in the roman days along with spoons and forks. Bronze was available but took much higher temps fluxes that weren't as "friendly" and was much harder to work with. Lead was used for a lot of things. at one time even kids toys were made from it

  16. #36
    Boolit Master
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    The Romans even used lead to sweeten many of their wines and drinks. Wonder how many died from lead poisoning. Lead pipes in their baths and for carrying water from the aquaducts to redisdences. And lead balls for their slingers, which was nothing more than a sling that threw lead balls when launched by the sling. And lead based lubricants such as lead based greases used to lubricate the dead centers on lathes. Frank

  17. #37
    Boolit Grand Master

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    A friend of mine who was a rockhound , tracked down a rare deposit of Louisiana Opal . The songs, dances , permits , requirements , rules , regulations , paperwork and other massive red tape he had to go through to mine a small deposit of Opal was sheer Insanity . He told me there is another larger deposit there but it's not worth all the time money and effort required to get the permits .
    So I'm sure if you had a lead deposit...getting it mined would probably not be possible .
    He said the impact studies that everyone and their brother wanted done just eat up all your resources and the impact of mining lead would be horrific .
    My friend has written two books ...the first on Louisiana Opal and how it was formed and the second on the horror of bureaucratic red tape story it took to get it out of the ground !
    And gem opal isn't a health hazard like lead !
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
    Proud Member of The Basket of Deplorables
    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  18. #38
    Boolit Master
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    Don't know if it was mentioned in another reply, but not too long ago lead was used in auto body repair. Before we had that Bondo stuff. Lead was also used to smooth over the seams where body panels met on brand new cars.

  19. #39
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    Quote Originally Posted by Froogal View Post
    Don't know if it was mentioned in another reply, but not too long ago lead was used in auto body repair. Before we had that Bondo stuff. Lead was also used to smooth over the seams where body panels met on brand new cars.
    Have a modest stash of that same lead, including some that is stamped with Chrysler, as well as some Bell System seam solder.

    Like the poster said earlier, no shortage to speak of, commercial prices while variable have stayed within a fairly narrow range for many years. What is fading is cheap or free sources. Just not used as much so not as much ends up in the waste stream for us to scrounge for. Panic of a few years ago did drive up prices of lead where we purchase it but that was mostly due to people buying to build up a stash. Those purchases that were essentially reducing future purchases have probably acted to keep prices down a bit.

    Right now you can buy foundry bullet lead for between 3 and 4 dollars a pound. If you can scrounge even plain lead or range lead to mix in you can do a lot of casting for not a lot of money. Current spot price is less than 85 cents a pound. Down from a high of around $1.25 as I recall.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

    Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.

    Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat

  20. #40
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    Quote Originally Posted by Defcon-One View Post
    Sorry but PbS is Lead Sulfide (aka: Galena). Fools Gold is actually Iron Pyrite (FeS2).

    Maybe PbS is Fools Silver?
    No. I think he got it correct when they slip out of their lane into politics.
    PBS Public Broadcasting Service = Fools Gold

    Sorry for this brief interruption.
    Chill Wills

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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