I've been musing over ways to take advantage of the increasing amount of zinc in my wheel weight buckets. Obviously it's just a matter of cranking up the heat to melt the zinc and it can be poured into ingots.
Has anyone had luck selling zinc ingots on ebay or other sites? I'm thinking it might fetch a higher price than regular "wheel weight" prices at the scrap yard and make this whole hobby cheaper
I plan on making 4oz egg sinkers for my boys duck decoys and GETTING all my lead back from him....
Robert Abbott
"I don't save money reloading. I just get to shoot more."
" I'm thinking it might fetch a higher price than regular "wheel weight" prices at the scrap yard."
Let us know what you find out from the scrap dealer.
Be careful. Apparently Zinc can react badly with some stuff.
On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823
I actually meant i think it might fetch a higher price on ebay or something rather than the scrapyard, but I'll post up what happens all the same.Originally Posted by Dusty Bannister
Boolit_Head - wow that would suuuuuck. I wonder if that's just a Lee issue, I can't imagine zinc eating through an iron or steel pot, or my ingot molds. Love the avatar btw, Michelle Viscusi is the definition of eye candy.
I briefly watched through that since I can't stand his style. I gather it reacts badly with Steel and that is why Lee has a disclaimer.
On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823
"Where zinc comes into contact with another metal, the potential for corrosion through a bi-metallic couple exists."
https://www.galvanizeit.org/hot-dip-galvanizing/how-long-does-hdg-last/in-contact-with-other-metals
I am glad I only melt zinc in a cast Iron Pot.
Rather than Selling the Zinc, Make stuff out of it.
I have made several Trigger Guards, Grip Caps and Butt Plates for rifles out of it.
With the lead bans going on like in California, there is a market for fishing gear made from Zinc.
Dont settle for Pennies, when there are Dollars to be made.
I cast my zinc ww into my angle iron ingot mold. It melts in my stainless pot and pours into the moulds beautifully, it actually makes nicer looking ingots than pb. I have never had a problem with the metals reacting. I actually look forward to finding zincs (gasp) in my ww bucket.
I have been using my ingots as dive weights and adding my replaced lead ones to my stash. The ingots fit into my integrated ditchable weight bags perfectly. I told my dive buddies about it, and they wanted to switch too (for environmental/health/safety reasons). They give me their old lead weights and I give them an equal amount of zinc ones plus a small fuel surcharge.
I talked to the local dive shop owner and he is interested in offering them for sale. I only dive fresh water so there is no/minimal corrosion, I doubt they would work as well in a salt water environment. I just need to find a dive weight mold for weight belts. If anyone has one they want to part with, PM me and we will work something out.
Speaking of salt water, people use "zincs" as a sacrificial anode on their boats to keep from having props rudders electronics etc corroded away. These are continuously being dissolved in the salt water, and need to be replaced often (depending on level of electrolysis, usually yearly). I can tell you from experience that they are not cheap, maybe another good way to get rid of your zn for a profit.
Last edited by Ateam; 04-21-2017 at 11:36 AM.
I think as an anode it may require a connection for current to pass from the cathode for the corrosion to occur. Used as a weight there may not be any corrosion?
On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823
Being immersed in electrolyte solution (salt water) is the connection, though better results are had if the zinc is bolted directly to the prop shaft, keel, etc. I have toyed with the idea of powder coating the dive weights.
Oh yeah I didn't think of that route.
On every question of construction let us carry ourselves back to the time when the Constitution was adopted, recollect the spirit manifested in the debates, and instead of trying what meaning may be squeezed out of the text or invented against it, conform to the probable one in which it was passed.
Thomas Jefferson, letter to William Johnson, June 12, 1823
I've been thinking of making zinc strips to lay on the shady part of my roof that grows moss to kill it.
"Masculine republics give way to feminine democracies, and feminine democracies give way to tyrannies.” Aristotle
I have used the zinc for fishing sinkers, Jigs and spinner heads, and weights for spotting scope stands. It casts and pours well but at a higher temp than lead. A old club member used to make freeland style stands from aluminum beer cans in a sand pot. He made the forms and would get aluminum cans from everybody. make a run of castings and then drill and tap the holes and assemble them. He did some brass ones also.
countrygent, what is a freeland style stand? just curious,
An armed man in a citizen.
An unarmed man is a subject.
A disarmed man is a slave.
I saw an ad on CraigsList, looking for zinc ww. Got some money back towards lead purchases.
Micah 6:8
He hath shewed thee, O man, what is good; and what doth the LORD require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?
"I don't have hobbies - I'm developing a robust post-apocalyptic skill set"
I may be discharged and retired but I'm sure I did not renounce the oath that I solemnly swore!
Look at these.
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_nkw=...ng+scope+stand
Scrap yard will pay more for zinc ingots than zinc WW's since the zinc WW's would go in the dirty or mixed lead bin. But they will generally buy either one. Not surprised the pot melted through. Not only will the temperature be hotter for melting zinc but the overall amount of heat will be greater. 10# of dense metal @ a 100* higher temp delivers a whole lot more heat for transfer to the pot or base. Fact that it went right through aluminum may well be because of that, lead dumps heat when it hits, zinc dumps (transfers) way more.
Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.
Kind of hard to claim to love America while one is hating half the Americans that disagree with you. One nation indivisible requires work.
Feedback page http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...light=RogerDat
I trade my zinc for lead to a local guy who makes cannon balls and other large caliper muzzle loaders.
He says they are loading the cannons on the weak side and generally find and reuse the balls several times.
Ohhhh My Goodness. So my Scope, Stand and rod are worth FARRRRRRR More than the $15.00 I paid for them at a Garage Sale 20 years ago!!!
Mustang
"In the beginning... the patriot is a scarce man, and brave and hated and scorned. When his cause succeeds, the timid join him, for then it costs nothing to be a patriot." - Mark Twain.
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