Phone trunk line lead questions

[beroen]

I might have a line on some phone trunk line lead.
I am pretty sure it's 99% pure it's very soft.

What is it worth a pound if it's melted down into fairly clean ingots?

My father in law installed a new fiber optic line in 1989 and there was a old trunk line from the 30's that was pulled to the surface in many spots. Before I got back into shooting and hunting he was going up in the woods and pulling it out of the ground to recycle and sell.

I just asked him about it because I was going to start exploring the possibility of trying.
to get my hands on lead and trying to strike a deal with a caster in trade. Anyone interested?
I also think I can get beeswax also for lube if that's the kind of lube you like.

Before everyone starts telling me to cast it myself I have to say I am just getting into reloading now. I work a lot with #2 baby on the way so time to make boolets and rounds probably won't happen soon that and all the reloading stuff has me almost broke 😂

[nixpap]

are you kidding? get that lead and hang on to it.

[C. Latch]

Before everyone starts telling me to cast it myself I have to say I am just getting into reloading now. I work a lot with #2 baby on the way

On the weekends when babies are napping, you can't shoot around the house without waking them up, so I do a lot of casting when they are asleep, then I do a lot of my loading at night after they go to bed.

[beroen]

On the weekends when babies are napping, you can't shoot around the house without waking them up, so I do a lot of casting when they are asleep, then I do a lot of my loading at night after they go to bed.

#1 is actually 7 years now I can't seem to get her to nap... so about that lead 😉

[imashooter2]

Bell Telephone cable sheath is arsenical lead. My father was a lineman in the 50's and 60's and we shot literally tons of it. When he had an addition built on the house in 90's, the builder piled tons more of it into a dumpster and carried it off. I took about 600 pounds at that time and still have a couple hundred pounds down the basement. I cry about that cable sheath these days, but back then, COWW were available at every gas station in town free for the asking. Sure wish I piled up a bunch more of those too...

Folks are paying a buck a pound for clean ingots in our swappin and sellin section and have been for some time. Some sellers are trying to push the price up a few cents a pound with varying success. Good luck in your endeavor.

[nixpap]

are you kidding? get that lead and hang on to it.

Just to add a point, casting is fun and rewarding. You WILL shoot a lot more for less. And scrounge up all the brass you can too. In all calibers whether you shoot it or not(you may someday). Great trade material. nixpap

[beroen]

Imashooter.

Is there risks to using that lead because of the arisnic?
You say you cry about it so it's good lead?
Is it true it's 99% pure?
what other properties does it have you can tell me about it?

[imashooter2]

There is no danger to the user melting arsenical lead. It is soft lead and about as "pure" as scrap lead gets. We sweetened it with Bell wiping solder and cast many, many thousands of .38 wadcutters and .45 ACP semiwadcutters with complete satisfaction. If you decide to sell it, call it exactly what it is and our users that need soft lead will likely snap it up.

[carbine]

Be sure to cut off and segregate any soldered/wiped joints. They could be harder lead

[merlin101]

My father in law installed a new fiber optic line in 1989 and there was a old trunk line from the 30's that was pulled to the surface in many spots. Before I got back into shooting and hunting he was going up in the woods and pulling it out of the ground to recycle and sell. 

I wish I had my very own lead mine! Get as much of as you can and hang onto it, ya never know what the future will bring.
What part of the country are you in?

[KCSO]

I must have stipped a coup;e tons of this stuff for a buddy with the phone company, I got the lead he got the copper. It's pure soft lead and is perfect for muzzleloaders. I use to trade it to fellow M/L 2 for one for linotype.

[beroen]

I wish I had my very own lead mine! Get as much of as you can and hang onto it, ya never know what the future will bring.
What part of the country are you in?

Do I have to answer that

Far Far northern
Komiefornia

[lightman]

Cable sheathing and splice covers are good soft lead. One of the older Lyman books states that it is 98.5 percent pure, which is plenty soft for black powder use. I would get all that I could get and hoard it, as it will only get harder to get. A dollar a pound seems to be the going price for most types of lead. It can be traded even up for other lead alloys, like wheel weights. Congrats on #2!