WW identification help.

[wvmedic]

I looked in the above sticky and was unable to determine the question bellow, it notes that zinc will deform with enough force. I'm just not sure how much force that is.

I had a almost full bucket of WW gave to me, while sorting them I have ran into a few steel and two so far marked as Zn (zinc).

I have used a pair of side cutters to help sort them, the ones marked as zinc the cutters barley made an indention and that was a two handed hard squeeze. You can see the small mark just bellow the z of the Zn. Some would almost cut in half with minimal force, others will dent with some mild force one hand with a firm grip. I am attaching a picture the top is zinc, the bottom two are the questionable ones. I hope that by the pictures someone can tell if the bottom two are lead or zinc.

Jeff

[odfairfaxsub]

id hate to steer you wrong but if you get to the point where this is ultra difficult to determine the bottom two id tap them on a piece of steel and see if i hear a harmonic sound or a thud or shallow thud sound, or throw em in and watch for the floaters , either way is effective

[Roosters]

Bottom two most likely lead. I have noticed some clip on are a little harder than others. The steel are marked Fe . And your right about the top one being zinc. The sick on are not always marked but the lead ones are really soft. Hope this helps.

[NHGrumpyGramps]

I have found some lead WW seems harder than others so a direct cut into the WW is not always easy using sidecutters. Instead of trying to cut into it in the middle, try it on a corner. If it is lead you can usually take a small piece off as cutters will bite into the WW, but if zinc the cutters will just slide off

[wvmedic]

If all else fails I will watch my melt close. The 3/4 of a five gallon bucket I have is mostly the bottom two style, there is a few that are almost as soft as the stick-on weights.

Jeff

[Roosters]

The steel don’t really mater they will float. The zinc will melt if you don’t watch the temp. I usually keep temp low to start with and stir if they are all starting to melt but one or two those need to come out.

[letsmeltlead2693]

All three of those WW look like zinc because the weights listed on them and there sizes are proportional to each other. Try melting them separate with a plumbing torch and once the metal cools, you could find out if it is zinc or not but trying to bend a piece, acid test, and the noise it makes when you tap a piece on concrete or steel.

[captaint]

I still go through a bucket of WW's with a wire cutter. After a little bit you can tell easily if a weight is not lead, and I'm no expert. Tedious work and nasty, but I don't like sweating zink when I'm smelting. enjoy Mike

[thompsonm1a1]

i just got melting a bunch that had mc on the ww and they were lead. they look different because they put a tough coating on them to keep them from weathering.

[MGySgt]

When I am sorting WW and find one I question I use an old pocket knife to try and cut the WW. It will skid on anything but lead.

Quick and easy.

However I just went through 600 pounds of WW that I havd a few years and just never smelted.

I kept my temp around 600-625 and I found more zink ones that looking at had no markings but didn't melt. Tried to cut them after they cooled and the knife just skidded on them.

There were quit a number of these along with some new steel ones I hadn't seen before.

Drew

[wvmedic]

Well I will start my melt on low and try to stay in the 600 range, I melted about 4 gallons worth on my first try at melting. I'm not sure about that melt and don't trust that I didn't get some zinc in it. I guess I'm just a bit nervous and don't want to ruin what WW's I have.

I hope this melt goes better and I get some good alloy for the old 30-30's.

Jeff

[w5pv]

When I am sorting WW and find one I question I use an old pocket knife to try and cut the WW. It will skid on anything but lead.

Quick and easy.

However I just went through 600 pounds of WW that I havd a few years and just never smelted.

I kept my temp around 600-625 and I found more zink ones that looking at had no markings but didn't melt. Tried to cut them after they cooled and the knife just skidded on them.

There were quit a number of these along with some new steel ones I hadn't seen before.

Drew

I use a scratch awl to determine lead from zinc and iron it just slides across either but marks the lead easily.

[MGySgt]

w5pv - my old dull pocket knife is right there on my casting bench, I can reach it from the door 3 steps to the door of the casting shed or about 20 yards to the garage where my tool box is and I MIGHT be able to find an awl.

[Matt_G]

I use a thermometer and don't let the melt get above 650 degrees Fahrenheit.
Don't have to worry about zinc...

[wvmedic]

Thanks for the suggestions, I'm off tomorrow so I will check them further and might melt them down.

Jeff

[Pb Burner]

The first one is zinc. I think the last two are lead. I'm sorting through a few buckets myself and am finding a lot like the last two. Mabee it's a local thing. Lol
They are painted or coated but I can cut and bend them. They do seem to be some of the harder ones but I believe they are lead.
Burner

[gbrown]

I use several types of testing. Most of the time, I scrape them on concrete. The zinc and iron do not mark, but a very little. They also make a "Zinggg" sound. The lead based do not make a sound, except a dull one (don't know how to describe, zuhhhh??). They also mark really easy. By marking, I mean a considerable part (1/16 to 1/8 in.) of them come off. I also use diagonal pliers and the lead base mark (1/16 to 1/8 inch depression) really well with about 4 or 5 # of pressure. The same pressure does not mark zinc or iron, you just see a line where the pliers bit in.

[John Boy]

The bottom 2 are lead with the polymer coating to protect the wheel rims
It's my understand that all zinc weights are marked Zn. The steel ones? Well, they will never melt so no worries but are marked Fe
Zinc melts at 787.2° F ... so keep the pot temperature below this temperature

[ssnow]

Obviously the top one is zinc, the bottom two appear to be lead. But you do have the tool needed, to be certain. Try this, try to actually cut that zinc weight in two. You would find it very difficult. Then try the bottom two.


The point is, until you are better able to identify them, don't try to "make a mark", instead, crank down on it as if you wish to cut it in two. You will be able to cut the lead fairly easily. You are not going to cut the zinc or steel.


Most of the newer zinc weights I have seen are marked as such. However, not all are marked, particularly the older ones.

[bumpo628]

The bottom two look like lead to me.