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Thread: Testing for Zinc

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy memtb's Avatar
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    Testing for Zinc

    I haven't done any casting in a little over twenty years, but continued to stock pile WWs. I'm finally getting back into casting! I'm concerned about the zinc weights. Much has be written on how to test for zinc in WW, and I think that I've read most, but have a question. Would a dull hacksaw blade give good results as a testing tool. It seemed to go much easier and faster than using pliers. I used a hacksaw blade yesterday, but culled nothing. So..... Now I'm concerned that I was cutting the zinc as well as the lead weights. Would the zinc cut rather easily, or just scratch the surface?

    Thanks for any and all help! And your patience, if this has already been covered. memtb

  2. #2
    Boolit Bub Pawpaw757's Avatar
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    From my very limited experience, I find that a pair of cutters work just fine and usually the zinc WW"s will have Zn stamped on it. They will also float in molten lead.

  3. #3
    Boolit Buddy
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    It will become much easier for you to discriminate once you actually see a few pieces of zinc, once you see what you're looking for it's pretty easy to distinguish. Zinc is hard enough you'll be able to tell something is different.

    For tools any sort of blade does work, you'll be able to gouge lead and peel a sliver from it but zinc will be very difficult to mar and impossible to cut a sliver from. Once more, with a little bit of practice the difference is unmistakable. However I find the best tool, like Pawpaw757, said is any pair of cutters. Either try to cut into the WW or just grab one end with the cutters and twist/bend the WW in half. Lead will deform readily, zinc will not.

    The most relevant other points are;

    -Markings. Almost all the Zinc COWW I find is marked "Zn" or "P-Zn".

    -Weight. Zinc WW are much lighter than lead or steel, you'll be able to tell instantly upon picking one up with enough exposure.

    -Sound. Lead will make a thud when you drop it on a hard surface, zinc (and steel) will ring. This is a very effective method but don't let the steel clip on the WW throw you off.

    -Reactivity with HCl. Hydrochloric (Muriatic) Acid is inexpensive and available at hardware/pool store. Upon contact with zinc it will fizz substantially. Consider keeping some in a small eye dropper type bottle and testing suspect pieces with a drop for conclusive results. Do be careful about getting it on you, especially in your eyes as extended contact with skin will cause burns. Dilute/rinse with a lot of water if you spill any, it's only hazardous when highly concentrated and otherwise quite safe.

    -Melting point. Zinc melts approximately 100 degrees (Celsius ) above lead and lead alloys, it's possible to exclude zinc from your melt by keeping temp low enough initially to skim the Zinc WW from the top but this requires some care.

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

    rancher1913's Avatar
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    the hacksaw will cut the zinc, not as tough as the steel but tougher than the lead. stick to side cutters, they are pretty foolproof.

  5. #5
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    I think the blade will work.
    I just drag the in doubt ones on the cement you will feel the difference.
    lead will easily grab and zinc will scrape right over the top.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master daloper's Avatar
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    I have not tried it but someone here posted that they drag them across a piece of threaded rod. They said that it worked well for them.

  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master fredj338's Avatar
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    Just drop them on concrete, zinc rings like a bell. Not an issue if you keep your melt temp below 725deg, they just float up.
    EVERY GOOD SHOOTER NEEDS TO BE A HANDLOADER.
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  8. #8
    Boolit Master
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    I use a pocket knife to cut a shaving off suspect lead /zinc seems to work ok

  9. #9
    Boolit Buddy Ateam's Avatar
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    I use the side cutter method, though to be honest I look at the markings as I sort and catch most of the zinc that way. I also had my first zinc slip through my sorting (that I am aware of), and it floated to the top of the melt. I use a method mentioned by someone on the board here where you add weights to keep the melt in a sort of semi molten paste consistency, the zincs will not melt at that low a temp, and no thermometer required.

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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