MidSouth Shooters SupplyLoad DataRotoMetals2Titan Reloading
WidenersInline FabricationReloading EverythingRepackbox
Snyders Jerky Lee Precision
Results 1 to 15 of 15

Thread: Plumber lead

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub kd5exp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Lawton, Fort Sill area
    Posts
    50

    Plumber lead

    I had a friend bring me a bunch of lead from where they tore a bunch of old buildings down. He said this was all under the toilets and he brought maybe 100 # of this stuff. I assume this is pure lead because it is very soft. Where can I find a formula to make this good for bullets. Is this any good for this or is it just sinker weight ? He is supposed to bring me a lot more.

  2. #2
    Boolit Buddy Phlier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    St. George, Utah
    Posts
    492
    Best lead alloy calculator I've found. Put in the weight of whatever alloys you have, and read the percent of lead, antimony, and tin at the bottom.

    Edit: Removed incorrect link.
    Last edited by Phlier; 02-22-2017 at 09:46 PM.
    "Things sure are a lot more like the way they are now than they used to be." --Yogi Berra

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy jessdigs's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jan 2017
    Location
    The people's republic of Commifornia, in Somerset
    Posts
    233
    I was browsing this thread. Clicked on the link and it said I needed access. I requested access.

    Sent from my Pixel XL using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master

    Beagle333's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2012
    Location
    Back in the woods a piece, just outside Auburn, AL.
    Posts
    5,499
    http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...oy-calculators

    I use this calculator. (link at bottom of first post).

    But if you got soft lead, you can always sell that or trade it for COWW or even mixed alloy. Pure is harder to get than COWW lead.
    Anyway, that's one option if you want harder lead for your boolits.

    Happy shooting!
    Chuck.
    KE4GWE - - - - - - Colt 1860, it just feels right.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy Phlier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    St. George, Utah
    Posts
    492
    Quote Originally Posted by Phlier View Post
    Best lead alloy calculator I've found. Put in the weight of whatever alloys you have, and read the percent of lead, antimony, and tin at the bottom.

    https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets...#gid=808458930
    Hmm.. apparently, when you open the public version, it'll copy that version to your own private gmail/google account as a private document. I'll see if I can find the link to the public document, but I'm not sure I can... I did find it here on the forums, though.
    "Things sure are a lot more like the way they are now than they used to be." --Yogi Berra

  6. #6
    Boolit Master


    Soundguy's Avatar
    Join Date
    Oct 2016
    Location
    N Central Florida
    Posts
    2,837
    Pure lead is always best, you can always alloy to Lyman #2 and shoot pistol thru mid magnum rifle.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
    rintinglen's Avatar
    Join Date
    Jul 2007
    Location
    Orange, VA NOW
    Posts
    6,524
    A pound of tin added to 40 pounds of your pure will give a good alloy for standard velocity revolver boolits. a 50-50 split with wheel weight metal and 2% tin will also give a good pistol alloy. For Magnum loads or rifles, one part pure to one part Monotype works well.
    _________________________________________________It's not that I can't spell: it is that I can't type.

  8. #8
    Boolit Master




    TexasGrunt's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2016
    Location
    Kaufman, Texas!
    Posts
    1,049
    Quote Originally Posted by Beagle333 View Post
    But if you got soft lead, you can always sell that or trade it for COWW or even mixed alloy. Pure is harder to get than COWW lead.
    Anyway, that's one option if you want harder lead for your boolits.

    Happy shooting!
    Chuck.
    I find the opposite is true. I can hit the scrap yards and pick up pure lead almost any day. Finding COWW is much harder around here. I hit five shops last week and got less than a gallon of mixed weights. I did receive 3.5 buckets in a trade. I have a line on maybe three more buckets. I could have almost 2 tons of pure lead tomorrow.
    Semper Fi!


    Currently casting for .223, .308, .30-06, .30-40 Krag, 9mm, .38/.357, 10mm, 44 Mag and 45 ACP.

    I like strange looking boolits!

    NRA Patriot Life Endowment member.

  9. #9
    Banned

    Join Date
    Dec 2007
    Location
    soda springs Id.
    Posts
    28,088
    look up a post by Bumpo and use his alloy calculator.
    it isn't perfect since lead has a bhn number of 8 to begin with but the end numbers come out.

    if I had pure lead to deal with I'd be clicking on the sponsor link above to rotometals and purchasing some of their super hard.
    it mixes in super easy and you get a known alloy without any hassle or guess work.

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy Phlier's Avatar
    Join Date
    Nov 2016
    Location
    St. George, Utah
    Posts
    492
    I'm getting a ton of requests for access to the lead alloy spreadsheet... I don't have enough experience with Google docs to know how it works. Apparently, the link I had given above (which I have since removed) was to a copy of it that ended up in my private files.

    I'll see if I can chase down the proper link and re-post it.
    "Things sure are a lot more like the way they are now than they used to be." --Yogi Berra

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy

    kmrra's Avatar
    Join Date
    Apr 2016
    Location
    Graham, Texas
    Posts
    433
    I had to down load Open Office 4 got get it to work with Google , Its free and Microsoft wants to charge you for Microsoft Office , The Open Office works great , and its a great tool to have
    I like 1911's and Wheel Guns , Wood Stocks and Blue Metal , Dislike Black on Black and Magazines on Rifles whats this country coming to.
    Amateur Radio Station -KB5SMG- since 1994 Call sign change as of 8-15-17 WB5MG *** My Station now consist of a new * Icom 7300 * along with a new * Ameritron AL-80B Amp * and various other goodies. * Alinco DX70T * HF radio in my truck I can Be emailed at rockinpmanager@gmail.com

  12. #12
    Boolit Master BNE's Avatar
    Join Date
    Mar 2013
    Location
    SC
    Posts
    1,210
    Quote Originally Posted by kd5exp View Post
    I had a friend bring me a bunch of lead from where they tore a bunch of old buildings down. He said this was all under the toilets and he brought maybe 100 # of this stuff. I assume this is pure lead because it is very soft. Where can I find a formula to make this good for bullets. Is this any good for this or is it just sinker weight ? He is supposed to bring me a lot more.

    YES THIS IS GOOD STUFF. This may be pure or it may have a little Tin. I suspect pure.
    I'm a Happy Clinger.

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    stl mo
    Posts
    139
    if it is lead pipe or rings of lead from the joining of cast iron pipes then it is almost pure lead. Any place that has a wiped joint, that portion is 60-40 solder. I usually melt those separate to use the tin as i need it.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
    Join Date
    Jan 2011
    Location
    NE Kansas
    Posts
    2,435
    Must be a regional thing with wiped solder. I have had samples scanned and they are 30/70
    (30% tin/ 70% lead)

  15. #15
    Boolit Bub kd5exp's Avatar
    Join Date
    Dec 2012
    Location
    Lawton, Fort Sill area
    Posts
    50
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	20170227_172358_resized.jpg 
Views:	26 
Size:	72.3 KB 
ID:	189247

    This is part of it if you can see it. I melted a little of it down but need to get some propane.

Posting Permissions

  • You may not post new threads
  • You may not post replies
  • You may not post attachments
  • You may not edit your posts
  •  
Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check