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Thread: Really big isotope containers

  1. #1
    Boolit Master
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    Really big isotope containers

    I have managed (I hope) to cultivate a long term source of clean lead from a radiopharmacy. 50 cents a pound, which may not be free but is still cheaper than any other local source I can find in the San Francisco Bay Area and will also be a reliable and steady supply.

    What caught me off guard was the owner's telling me that most of these containers, which were for isotopes of iodine, are fifty or a hundred pounds each. I assume he knows since he was selling them to a recycler before I made him a better offer.

    The biggest containers I've heard of are those 32 pound grenade shaped technetium 99 generators. I guess I will see myself next week, but if these are really that big, ima hafta rethink my melting rig and ingot molds.

    Any one here seen isotope containers that size?
    Last edited by kevin c; 11-21-2017 at 02:55 AM. Reason: Owner, not manager, which may reflect on observations made in post #21

  2. #2
    Boolit Grand Master



    M-Tecs's Avatar
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    My BIL got me some from the hospital he worked at. This was in the late 70's but per a bathroom scale 4 of them together weighed 120 pounds.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    Pictures would be very cool! Thanks

    Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

  4. #4
    Boolit Master

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    Do they look like these?Click image for larger version. 

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    They weight about 31.5 pounds and make good pistol bullets.
    I use a cutoff Freon tank and can only fit one at a time in it.
    Last edited by LenH; 10-13-2017 at 10:33 AM. Reason: add conyent

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Those 31.5# ones are the biggest that I have seen. Maybe you can post up some pictures when you start getting them. By the way, Congratulations on the new source. Those are usually nice clean lead and make great bullets.

  6. #6
    Boolit Master
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    It sounds like you have an agreement, but have not seen what you have agreed to buy. I hope this works out for you. Check the following link for images of the various containers usually encountered.

    http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
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    Double post
    Last edited by wwmartin; 10-13-2017 at 12:00 PM.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
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    Google isotope lead, Felling family.net. list of weight and hardness.
    Bill
    Some are clean enough (no paint ) 20oz just add to the pot.
    Bill

  9. #9
    Boolit Master
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    I have had the pleasure of one small one, great stuff.

    Sent from my SM-N920V using Tapatalk

  10. #10
    Boolit Master
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    Thanks all! I had already pm'd sqlbullet, the owner of the felling family container page, and my description doesn't match what he has encountered. I will find out for sure in a week or so and will report back, with pics (if this old pretechnologic dinosaur can figure out how).

  11. #11
    In Remembrance


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    Quote Originally Posted by LenH View Post
    Do they look like these?Click image for larger version. 

Name:	core.jpg 
Views:	75 
Size:	17.9 KB 
ID:	205771
    They weight about 31.5 pounds and make good pistol bullets.
    I use a cutoff Freon tank and can only fit one at a time in it.
    I still have 12 of these out in my casting barn that were given to me by a friend that was a maintence man in a local hospital. I have small pieces that fit into the larger ones and sleeves that hols them together which brings the weight to about 700 lbs. These were free to hospital staff after the lead sat for a year in a lead lined chamber for the nuclear half life to pass (6 months I was told). Anyhow, mine were all free from a shooting friend, after he put a `few` aside for himself.Robert

  12. #12
    Boolit Grand Master
    white eagle's Avatar
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    those make some mighty fine boolits
    no matter where they came from
    Hit em'hard
    hit em'often

  13. #13
    Boolit Master Oklahoma Rebel's Avatar
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    WHAT ALLOY ARE THOSE USUALLY? sorry for the caps.. and are places like CVS allowed to sell theirs, or is that a store to store differs kind of thing?
    An armed man in a citizen.
    An unarmed man is a subject.
    A disarmed man is a slave.

  14. #14
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Oklahoma Rebel View Post
    WHAT ALLOY ARE THOSE USUALLY? sorry for the caps.. and are places like CVS allowed to sell theirs, or is that a store to store differs kind of thing?
    The large isotope cores are 96/3/1. And you wont be getting them from a pharmacy like CVS. They're now reusing them and the supply has dwindled. There are specific procedures that have to be followed beige they can be scrapped, such as cool down time. It's s great alloy for bullets. To bad a family member sold over a ton of mine for pennies on the dollar

  15. #15
    Boolit Master 308Jeff's Avatar
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    I have a few of the 31.5 lb ones. They melt well in my 6 quart cast iron dutch oven.

  16. #16
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by LenH View Post
    Do they look like these?Click image for larger version. 

Name:	core.jpg 
Views:	75 
Size:	17.9 KB 
ID:	205771
    They weight about 31.5 pounds and make good pistol bullets.
    I use a cutoff Freon tank and can only fit one at a time in it.
    These "Heat Treat" to a nice hard boolit when water dropped because of the 3% antimony content (96/3/1 alloy).
    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.

  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

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  18. #18
    Boolit Master Oklahoma Rebel's Avatar
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    dang,the chances of me scoring some of these don't look so good!
    An armed man in a citizen.
    An unarmed man is a subject.
    A disarmed man is a slave.

  19. #19
    Boolit Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by MUSTANG View Post
    These "Heat Treat" to a nice hard boolit when water dropped because of the 3% antimony content (96/3/1 alloy).
    Mustang, I sure wish I could WD my casts, but I use HiTek. The impression I get from the HiTek threads is that I will need to count on the intrinsic properties of the alloy rather than the heat treat or water drop, but I've also read that the the iso containers are good as is for what I need (9mm slugs moving between 900 and 1000 fps from an auto).
    Last edited by kevin c; 10-27-2017 at 02:19 PM.

  20. #20
    Boolit Master
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    Dragon that's a really nice pot there. I especially like the handles and the spouts. Just how big across is it that it can take two of the 32 #ers side by side? Can you tell me its capacity, and where I might buy one?

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