Wheel Weights and EPA

[dtknowles]

Point taken. Apologies to all.

Way to go. I hope you continue to have luck finding lead, it seems to be working for you.

Tim

[dtknowles]

We're all in different situations & usually I have to work so much overtime that I have little time on my hands & have to try to make best use of my time. I applaud scottfire1957 & other's hard work put into scrounging wheel weights, just as I respect those like myself that other options are best. Hey, it's all good here!

Agreed, I often have to choose between casting bullets, loading ammo or shooting with my spare time. If I can go shooting, that is my first choice, second is loading ammo but if I don't have any bullets cast, I cast some. I have some lead stock piled, ingots, uncleaned range scrap, salvaged shot, Mono, lino, and solder. I also have a lot of cast bullets on the shelf but for the rifles I have been shooting a lot lately, I have only what I cast two weeks ago. I went to the range today, almost no scrap to be had, shot a couple boxes of reloads and some .22 LR. I have not finished cleaning up from the range trip and did not cast anything this weekend. I have not sized and lube half of the bullets I cast two weeks ago or was it three.

Tim

[RogerDat]

Point taken. Apologies to all.

A public apology is something I think is worthy of respect. Goes a long way toward uphold the high standards of this community.

Happy Scrounging - since we don't hit the same tire stores.

[fredj338]

Oh, I heard a lot of those "we sell, trade, recycle" statements. Keep digging. It's out there.

It can be difficult, it's work. But it can be done.

As noted, it just depends. Out here, precious few shops sell, trade or give way what few lead ww are left. So you can spend countless hours driving around & searching, gas $$, wear & tear on the truck, it just becomes a losing proposition. If I spend 2hrs a week & $20 in gas to get 20# of useful weights, not really saving me anything over buying them for $1/#. If you have access to tire shops still willing, you are blessed & I can only say get as much as you can, its going away sooner than later.

[Schrag4]

I don't get to shoot as often as I like, so if I want to get my gun fix, I usually have to reload, cast, powder coat, clean guns, etc. I enjoy all of these things, for the most part. I totally understand those that would pay to skip steps that they hate doing.

[konsole]

Yesterday I stopped at a couple places for wheel weights and I did well. 80-lbs total weight for $5, with 75% lead weights, 18% steel, 7% zinc, minus a few % from each for the clips on them. Today I did a few more places and got probably a little more then 150# of total weight for $7 and it appears to be mostly lead. However, this is after not checking out these places since atleast last October, and also initially checking out literally dozens and dozens of places and being turned down by 95% of them.

One place I stopped at today, one of the guys in the shop was so convinced that all(most?) weights now are steel and aluminum. After quickly glancing into his bucket I just couldnt convince him that what he had in the bucket was mostly lead, and that the aluminum weights that he was thinking of was probably describing the application the weights are used for (aluminum wheels). Some of the weights saying "AL" probably contributed to his confusion. I didnt notice much zinc in his bucket, at first glance, so its possible he just hasnt seen much zinc. Its not the first time I have gotten into a conversation with someone at a shop and tried to set them straight about whats in the wheel weights now. Lead > Steel > Zinc > 3M synthetic > Plastic, is the order of popularity that I see, but even the guys running the tire balancer are often not aware of whats in the weights they deal with.

[coffeeguy]

Konsole (and others), that's certainly encouraging to hear that some places still have a good percentage of lead wheel weights. It's a little frustrating to spend an hour sorting a bucket of weights only to find most of them are zinc/steel, but it could be they've already been picked through as well...60 pounds' worth of lead for 5 bucks would be a nice haul for my area, and it helps to see that in some places the pickin's are still good..

[konsole]

I don't recall ever getting a really low lead percentage in a bucket. I think probably around 50% is the lowest I have seen. My 75%/18/7 (lead/steel/zinc) was one of the best I have gotten and normally steel and zinc comprise closer to 35% of the bucket. I should also mention that my 75%/18/7 numbers are the percentages of the total weight, not how much they actually fill the bucket. In terms of total volume of the bucket in this most recent sort, its probably about 65%/25/10 (lead/steel/zinc). So in this sort, lead made up 75% of the total weight, and about 65% of the total volume.

[RogerDat]

The lead/steel/zinc ratios are really regional and even shop specific. Auto dealer would probably have less than 5% lead. Some bigger up market tire shops have consistently been sort of a 50/50 lead to scrap. Others are at least 75% lead.

My own feeling is that in the states that still allow lead WW's it is only the tire stores that use them, not the car manufactures. A shop that does mostly newer cars is removing zinc/steel weights from new cars, probably take another 4 years before that customer comes back and the lead WW used last time will be in the bucket. Older cars have already had that zinc WW from the manufacturer replaced. Shops that service them will have more lead.

Also possible factor in general availability and price is the surrounding states policy on lead WW's. Having lead used in all directions probably reduces price and increases availability over being the only state in the area with any lead ones. Lot of major metropolitan areas are at borders and will get customers from across the state line. If that state is lead free I expect it would reduce yields, at least in the border area near cities. Less available with high demand tends to make scrap yards charge more too.

[konsole]

Yes I had some luck with auto dealerships in the beginning just walking in and asking some guys in the shop, but going back resulted in a different answer and it wasnt simply because they didnt want to give it to me again. Usually I had to talk to a supervisor/manager the second time I stopped there and I got reasons relating to "company policy" or an agreement with a recycler. Definately don't bother with high-end dealerships because, like Rogerdat said, they deal with little or no lead. Large chain shops always are no good in my experience, but small-medium shops that have 1 location or only a couple locations are good. The small-medium shops are unlikely to have a recycling program and usually sell them to whoever or the shop owner gives them to a buddy that uses the lead for sinkers/bullets. Believe it or not I've had moderate success at gas station service bays, even if they only had a couple pounds, and they have mostly given me their weights free.

[coffeeguy]

Yeah, lots of larger chains and dealerships seem to have that policy, whether it be for 'environmental compliance', a 'contract with a recycler', or whatever. I found a place tucked away today, offered the manager .20 cents/lb (scrapyard pays .15) for a bucket. He asked if I was local and why I wanted them, so we talked a bit...He asked if I was doing this for my own personal use, I told him yes (which I am), and he just gave me half a bucket for free... Anyway, out of 68 lbs, I got 47 lbs before smelting that were lead, so figure maybe 40-45 lbs of clean casting alloy. Woohoo..there's still hope! And they had quite a bit more, so as long as those ratios hold up I think I can talk them into selling to me, unless they want to keep giving them away...Hey, at least I offered! And made out pretty good for 10 mins of schmoozing.

[RogerDat]

^^^ Way to go coffeeguy ^^^
Go back and show them an ingot or two, most folks think they are pretty neat.

[sw282]

l get a few pounds from where l get my oil changed for free..l also got quite a bit of range scrap a few years back from l guy who cleaned a ''pistol only'' range. l averaged paying $20 for a 3 gal bucket that usually weighed around 110 pounds.. Recently l have started casting with some of the scrap..lt goes strait into my little pot and l simply skim off the jackets. l have not calculated the lead/jacket ratio for a bucket yet, but the scrap does cast up some nice looking boolits for my H&G#503

[RogerDat]

.... l have not calculated the lead/jacket ratio for a bucket yet, but the scrap does cast up some nice looking boolits for my H&G#503

You might be able to sell those jackets to a scrap yard for a little cash. I have two neighbors with ranges come spring I'm going to ask about mining the berm. Even if I don't use it right away a bucket or two for someday won't hurt. Seems like folks using berm lead are pretty happy with how it casts.

[boho]

I'm trying to cover all the bases when I have time. The range master let's me mine the pistol berm once a month. I've got one small shop that barters with me for a small amount of brass or beer. I've got one shop that won't deal with me at all, but I stop in and ask so I can see his bucket. If its empty I go to the one local scrapyard and its there. I sort out what I want and pay 40¢/lb. Who cares how you do it, to each his own! Get it before it gets away whenever its convenient or affordable.

[milrifle]

Guess I'm lucky in one sense. I get a very large percentage of lead ones. I get very few zinc. I mean VERY few. Steel ones are getting more common, but few zinc and the vast majority are lead. For the last 4-5 five gallon buckets full of WW, I have gotten a total of about a 1/2 a coffee can of zinc ones. However, I am having to pay $50 a five gallon bucket. I probably should shop around for another supply, but this guy always has a bucket full when I stop in. Yesterday I traded him some fishing sinkers, but it cost me more fishing sinkers than I thought it ought to. 20 lbs worth for a 5 gallon bucket that would probably go 130-150 lbs. It was packed pretty tight. I took out the top 1/4 of his bucket to put in one of my buckets to lighten the load and it filled my bucket 2/3 full with his 1/4, so yeah they were packed pretty tight. But 20 lbs of of sinkers? I still thought that was a little steep.

[beezapilot]

I got bit by all this on the 1st of the year- my tire stores got a corporate directive that WW were to be kept internal, provided shipping boxes to be picked up by the tire delivery guys, and are on strict warning NOT to release ANY to the public.
From there I contacted some friends that work in large dealerships, and they too have to provide a paper trail on WW's. I was given the name of the vendor that picks them up and had a very educational chat- he is responsible for providing a chain of custody on the WW, and they have to go to an approved scrap yard. The problem- the "approved" scrap yards are not under obligation to take them- mixed metal is a problem apparently. He told me that he picks up about 800#'s a week, and has a yard that will take them- unless I was willing to take ALL the weight ALL the time- he did not want to jeopardize his relationship with the yard. Get it while you can....

[RogerDat]

I'm seeing the same pattern of more steel than zinc scrap in the bucket. Last batch I sorted approx. 150 lbs. of lead, 20 lbs. of steel, only about 10 lbs. of zinc. Little less than 1/2 a red Folgers coffee can of zinc to almost 3.5 cans of steel. Less than coffee can of SOWW's in that batch too.

Don't know how much your sinkers are worth but the lead is at the least 25 cents to 1 dollar a lb. If you can melt the zinc WW's you sort out into sinkers that might cover any future trades without using your lead.

[Beesdad]

One angle that I tried that proved effective was to find out what company is picking up these WWs from the corporate tire stores. After asking a few questions I found out that Interstate Battery Corp. was making the pickups at both the corporate tire stores and the scrape dealer..

I made a call at the Interstate location and they offered to resell me all the WWs I wanted for $.35/ lb.... The only stipulation was that I had to take full 5 gallon buckets and no sorting..

[1911KY]

I have been lucky with the local shops and they are yielding about 85-90% lead. I have about 3 or 4 shops and a scrap yard where I can find supply.

My brother in law works for an electric co-op in the eastern part of the state and he brought me 50 lbs of these beasts for Christmas!! They do all their own tire work onsite.