Scored some freebies!

[fishingsetx]

We were piddling around at work in our scrap area, and I came across a pallet of this. They were originally rings before I cut them up. Im guessing they are pure Pb, but not 100% sure on that. They are from some old equipment we used to use (sulfuric acid plant). I grabbed 6 of the rings and im guessing they weighed in at about 10 lbs each. There are at least 30-40 more with a bunch of other scrap so probably 500 or so lbs! Dont have any way to test them to determine content though. They sure melt pretty with very little dross despite not fluxing at all. The pic with the dross is after casting 30+ lbs of ingots.



Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians!

[fishingsetx]

They scratch pretty easy with a fingernail. I dont have a hardness tester, so no way to test the hardness. They make a metallic clink when tapped together. Any ideas on determining what the heck they are?

Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians!

[RogerDat]

Contact member BNE he will test a small sample with an XRF machine. He charges 1# of lead per sample to be tested. Might be sort of busy around the holidays but send him a PM. An XRF test is the only way to know exactly what you have.

With all that weight being the same metal I would think it would be worth it to know what it is with certainty. Also some scrap yards have an XRF gun and will test for you but that is a little iffy. Guns cost a lot of money, like more than most cars so scrap yards don't always have them.

[lightman]

The example you are holding looks like pure but your ingots really don't. There is a member here that can test it for you. It could be some type of babbit. That pallet, with 500# on it, would be worrying me until I found a way to get it home!

[runfiverun]

it for sure has some tin in it.
get it tested and get it all from the scrap pile.

[CASTER OF LEAD]

it for sure has some tin in it.
get it tested and get it all from the scrap pile.

+1 For getting it tested and getting it all from the scrap heap. Nice score. I can't trip over a deal like this. Kinda jealous. - CASTER

[fishingsetx]

Thanks guys, If I cant get our metal guy to run some tests on it (he has one of those guns), ill sure send it out to be tested.

When they finally decide to demolish a piece of equipment we have that hasnt been used in several years and has been replaced with something new, Im going to do my best to get my hands on as much lead as I can. Im guestimating, but my estimate is that there is at least 10-20 tons of lead in it. Each vessel is about 15' in diameter and 25-30' tall. Inside, it is filled with 6"diameter tubes that run top to bottom and are about 1/2-3/4" thick. In the center of each tube is a 1" thick wire that runs top to bottom. The entire contraption is built out of lead! Hopefully I can scavenge at least part of it.

Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians!

[fishingsetx]

Some more pics of ingots

Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians!

[RedRiver]

Not pure. Color of the ingots shows that. My guess would be 1/2% tin. I'm not an expert, but I have melted several tons of lead and know what to look for.

[jdfoxinc]

Share?

[fishingsetx]

Share?

If anyone is close enough to pick up and I can get my hands on the whole batch, id be happy to! I use about 10-15 lbs a year at the moment and my dad uses about the same, but that may change when I finally buy a die for my .45 so I shoyld have plenty to trade/give away.

Guns have only two enemies: rust and politicians!

[Geezer in NH]

Get it all , smelt it then get x-ray. then not what you want trade or make it into what you want.

When scrap is offered it is time to take it away and then worry about it unless it is being paid for.

Scavengers do not hesitate. Hesitate you lose.

Separates the want to be from the real ones.