Tin Tubes

[catmandu]

I found a box of tubes of epoxy. They are old and dried out.
They are in metal tubes, I was told this is tin ( or contains tin) not sure.
Is it worth it to skin them and add to the smelting pot to sweetn it?

I’m not putting epoxy in - I know that much so no need to go there.

Please let me know if you’ve done this.

Paul in WNY

[lwknight]

Sounds nasty. I would let it go.
You might get a few dollars worth of tin if you have a lot of tubes but is it really worth it?

[merlin101]

I'm not sure but I think they would be aluminum not tin, I know toothpaste and such hasn't been in tin tubes for decades.

[runfiverun]

since the 40's, maybe the early 50's anyway.
if the epoxy is all dried out find an air spot in a tube and hit it with a torch for about 10 seconds.
if it's tin it will start to sweat then crumble and melt quickly.

[bangerjim]

I seriously doubt it is Sn and not worth your time! Sn is not that hard to find and is not that expensive....compaired to all the mess and smell you would have to experience with those old tubes of gunk.

Look for some pewter on here!

Banger

[lightman]

I also doubt that they are tin and even if they are it sounds like a mess. But, Good Luck with this.

[RedRiver]

Heck, if they were tin I'd do it. It's about the fun of getting your metals.

Would it really stink any worse than stick ons?

[bangerjim]

Heck, if they were tin I'd do it. It's about the fun of getting your metals.

Would it really stink any worse than stick ons?

From a quick search on the net (your friend for EVERY question you may ever have!):

"When epoxy fumes are inhaled, they can affect the nose, throat, and lungs. Most symptoms from the inhalation of epoxy involve inflammation and therefore irritation of the nose, throat, and lungs. Repetitive and high amounts of exposure to these fumes can result in sensitization and asthma"

And do you get your Pb from re-melting old car batteries? There are some sources of metals that are NOT worth the trouble or health risks.

Not worth it in my book!

[runfiverun]

if they are tin, you could get the metal back like how I use acid solder.
I mush it al down in a pot run the pot out back with a 50' cord and plug the pot in and hang out watching it till everything settles down.

[vzerone]

Slit one open with a knife and see how dry the epoxy is. If real dry you may be able to scrap the major portion of it away. Evven hitting it with a hammer may dislodge a good bit of it. Yeah wear glove so ask not to get in on your finger, maybe goggles too.