Kirksite

[Hardcast416taylor]

Got a phone call from a friend in Pa asking me what I knew about this stuff. He said the ingot is square with the work "Kirk" stamped in it in large letters, he said the ingot weighs about 5 lbs. I said that I thought it was a form of tin to be added to lino lead for printing purposes. How far off am I in telling him that, also what is it used for. The ingot came to him free so he is not any money for it.Robert

[30Carbine]

kirksite is zinc and aluminium more zinc than al. my wifes company uses it for injection molding dies of plastic bottles. it is also used in some other industries as well like sheet metal dies. I get a lot of it when there done her boss sends it home I make fishing sinkers out of it, i give some to her boss for letting me have it it works out ok.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Thanks for the reply about what this stuff is. I`ve relayed this info on to my friend.Robert

[Bent Ramrod]

Sharpe's handloading book has some mention of casting boolits with Kirksite "A". As 30carbine said, it is a zinc alloy. It was used in diecasting applications for refrigerator and automobile nameplates and badges and small parts.

Sharpe said that some people used it with success for boolits, but that the lead melting pots needed to be cleaned thoroughly before Kirksite was melted, and ideally, not used for anything but Kirksite thereafter.

[flounderman]

An old reloading book lists a kirksite load in the swift as I remember at 7000. The was in the pet loads. I found one old Lyman book, so old it is falling apart but the book I saw it in is older than that one. I had the book in the 50s and it might have been used when I got it. I remember the Kirksite load because of the speed and figured it was a light weight material. It could have been a 28 grain bullet.

[CHeatermk3]

And here I thought this was gonna be a thread about the Enterprise...

[bangerjim]

A doorstop mabe? Not something you should be interested in for casting, unless making lighter weight fishing weights. I have seen it in the yards....and walked on by.

Also known as Zamak2:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zamak

banger

[Hardcast416taylor]

And here I thought this was gonna be a thread about the Enterprise...

No, if it were I would have also asked about using Vulcanite or Scottyarium for use in a .45 Colt.Robert