My Jury On Wheel Weights Has Returned Its Verdict

[Foto Joe]

A few weeks ago I picked up a bucket of WW from a local tire shop. Although I didn't weigh the bucket when I picked it up they claimed it held approximately 150 lbs of weights and happily took my $60 in return for me carting it off. After spending four hours sorting out the zincs and steels as well as keeping the tape weights separate (for casting round balls) I fired up my brandy new Lyman Big Dipper and set about casting ingots in anticipation of someday receiving my molds from MidwayUSA.

Many hours later I'm left with 93 lbs of hard lead and 9 lbs of soft for RB's which brings the price to roughly .60 per lb. Given the fact that I've got at least 12 hours total invested in the ingots I can say that "I'm not impressed" with the overall cost of using wheel weights. But on the other hand it has been a great learning experience. Now if the Brown Truck would please deliver my molds I'll someday actually get to cast some boolits and quit having to sacrifice a valuable body part just to lay my hands on some .452's to feed my 1911's.

I realize that a lot of you use WW's for casting but for me I'm afraid that it just doesn't make sense either financially or time wise. After I go through the 100 or so pounds of lead that I've got stacked on my shop floor I'd like to just buy ingots either off eBay or from some other supplier. So far I've found several places/people that sell for around $1 per pound.

[tuckerdog]

I dont like to buy ww for just that reason. I am lucky enough to work in a shop working on semi trucks and get all the used ww both clipon and stick on free. I get enough to feed my addiction and have a little extra for saving

[44man]

All of mine have been free so the work does not count.
Your are not breaking even.

[RayinNH]

Joe part of your problem is the Lyman pot to smelt. Get a real pot and turkey frier or Coleman stove and cut your time way down. Put the word out amongst your friends and work acquaintances that you are looking for lead (for making a really big paper weight or door stop of course). You may find some free lead that way

[Shiloh]

The guy at the scrap yard let me hand pick my own weights. I told him I just wanted the leas ones and no zinc. Said he had never seen zinc weights.
after sorting through and picking 50#'s out I showed him. Said he never knew!! Charged me $45 for 50 plus pounds. I mix with range scrap and add a bit of tin and linotype if the melt needs adjustment. I cast slightly hard boolits that can be scratched if you push hard with your thumbnail.

Shiloh

[BBQJOE]

If you put a value on your time when it comes to casting and reloading, you should quit.

[Pat I.]

If you put a value on your time when it comes to casting and reloading, you should quit.

Ain't that the truth.

[Foto Joe]

Since we're on the subject of WW's....

Can somebody give me a "Starting Temperature" for casting? I really haven't found a definitive answer in the stickies other than too hot will cause oxidation on the top of the melt (which I did find when I was casting ingots). And too cold will result in rejects.

[Shedhunter]

When I first started doing this I also used my pot and it took a long time also. I then saw the light and use a turkey cookin setup and melt ww quickly. I'm lucky to have one dependable source for ww and I pay $20 a pail. This is a fun hobby that pays for itself when you finally use boolits that you made and reload. In times like this it's even better to kick back and watch everyone else run around looking for ammo knowing you don't have to worry.

[lka]

If you put a value on your time when it comes to casting and reloading, you should quit.

Lol, no kidding, I just like being able to have bullets when I need them

[slim1836]

If you are starting out, read this first, it will steer you in the right direction. "http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm"

If you have more questions, feel free to ask.

Best not to try casting if you don't have the knowledge first, it may come back to haunt you.

Casting should be a pleasurable experience, not a frustration.

Have fun and enjoy, remember, it's supposed to be a hobby, but turns into an addiction quickly.

Slim

[Foto Joe]

If you put a value on your time when it comes to casting and reloading, you should quit.

Not a fair statement to make. Each one of us values his time differently. Personally I can sit for hours loading and shooting Black Powder revolvers and be extremely content, that's not something most smokeless shooters would have the patience for. It's just that I like to get the most bang for my buck, or in the case of Black Powder the most BOOM!!

I'm not sorry that I spent my hard earned dollars on a bucket of scrap and then expended more hours than I would have liked to smelt it, I learned a LOT just from doing that. Before disparaging someone for trying to optimize their methods keep in mind that "my" methods may or may not line up with yours, there's nothing wrong with that. These forums exist so that those with experience can attempt to help those with less experience, making flip or insulting comments towards an OP who shared an observation does nothing to entice new people to join in learn and eventually teach others about what we do.

[Foto Joe]

Slim1836,

Thanks for the link, I've seen it mentioned but now I know where to find it, I'll take some time to sit down and read before I get going. I've already read quite a bit by Mike Venturino and spoken to Steve Garbe at Wyoming Armory but there's nothing like actually making your own mistakes is there? On the other hand those two are way out of my league when it comes to shooting let alone casting.

[RickinTN]

Since we're on the subject of WW's....

Can somebody give me a "Starting Temperature" for casting? I really haven't found a definitive answer in the stickies other than too hot will cause oxidation on the top of the melt (which I did find when I was casting ingots). And too cold will result in rejects.

I'm a fairly new caster and the temperature will depend on the alloy. I use mostly clip-on wheel weights and I have found that around 700 degrees works pretty well. You may need to adjust the temperature a little. Tin oxidation begins to really occur heavily at around 750. I try to keep my mix below 750 for this reason.
Good Luck with your first bullets!
Rick

[lka]

Since we're on the subject of WW's....

Can somebody give me a "Starting Temperature" for casting? I really haven't found a definitive answer in the stickies other than too hot will cause oxidation on the top of the melt (which I did find when I was casting ingots). And too cold will result in rejects.

I turn the pot on and set the mould on top, wait for it to melt then turn the lee to 3ish, then do something for about 10-15 mins then start to cast, doing this has stopped me from having rejects at the start of casting, when pouring the lead into the mould I like it to look "thick" I don't know how else to explain it, the temp seems to very to get this "thick look" depending on the mix, I could be crazy but I do Believe theirs a sweet spot that can be seen.

I cast into a deep cookie type of pan with a rag soaked in water at the bottom, when the bullets start to look fogy I set the mould on the wet rag for a few seconds until the noise gets less violent sounding then cast again and the shinny comes back. I will also set the mould on the rag when the slag on the spruce takes too long to harden.

The temp of the lead and mould for me can be controlled this way and make great bullets even with my HP moulds this seems to give great fill and shinny color.

When I size them I do a quick inspection when putting into the 4500, I will always throw a few back into the pot that got a Wrinkle or two. I would assume it's normal to have a few rejects.

As far as the lead being too cold as long as it flows out of the pot and you're moulds are hot it shouldn't be an issue, or it isn't for me anyways, my biggest issue with cooler melt is that it clogs the spout.

I'll be casting some today, I'll get a temp reading of WW sweat spot (just my opinion I'm sure some will say I'm doing it wrong) I stopped taking temp readings when I noticed the flow and color.

[BBQJOE]

Not a fair statement to make. Each one of us values his time differently. Personally I can sit for hours loading and shooting Black Powder revolvers and be extremely content, that's not something most smokeless shooters would have the patience for. It's just that I like to get the most bang for my buck, or in the case of Black Powder the most BOOM!!

I'm not sorry that I spent my hard earned dollars on a bucket of scrap and then expended more hours than I would have liked to smelt it, I learned a LOT just from doing that. Before disparaging someone for trying to optimize their methods keep in mind that "my" methods may or may not line up with yours, there's nothing wrong with that. These forums exist so that those with experience can attempt to help those with less experience, making flip or insulting comments towards an OP who shared an observation does nothing to entice new people to join in learn and eventually teach others about what we do.

Simmer down man. I wasn't out to hurt your feelings.
The fact of the matter is collecting lead, smelting it, pouring it, and lubing it takes a great deal of time.
Then for those of us who chase down range to dig it back out of the berm, there is even more time involved. There is nothing fast, nor anything that doesn't involve a great amount time in this hobby.
If I tried to equate the value of my time spent doing this, my bullets would be worth way more than what I saw at a gun show yesterday.
There are ways to cut your time, as previously mentioned.

[mannyCA]

Lol, no kidding, I just like being able to have bullets when I need them

And that, in a nutshell, is what its all about. Being able to control your own shooting destiny is as mastercard puts it, priceless.

[Hamish]

Foto Joe, as has been said, a turkey fryer set up and an dutch oven is the difference between Heaven and Hell.

With this set up you can smelt that much in an hour, including set up and clean up. A big factor is keeping the temp. low enough to melt the lead yet ladle the zink out when it floats to the top, eliminating the sorting before going into the pot.

[silverjay]

How long does it take to smelt a 5 gallon bucket with a fish fryer setup?

[jmort]

What BBQJOE said is true. Also, you were smelting, so you need a smelting set up as suggested. I'd pay $.60 a pound for COWW any day. Smelting, casting, reloading, if you don't enjoy the process, and zero out your time, it's not worth it. You like to shoot BP which is not productive per se. You zero out your time there. Even hunting, lead or animals, has a cost/benefit analysis. New members are often so thin skinned. Everyone here is trying to help. Don't go over 700 to be safe when smelting. The zinc/krud rises, get much hotter, around 787 and the zinc melts.