USAF Veteran - NRA Certified Pistol Instructor - 1911 Junky
Nice Score. I would guess 140# or so in each bucket. Hoping the yield is good for you. If you don't know about sorting weights check out the stickies. Separate the stick ons from the clip ons and remove the trash, zinc and steel. If you miss a steel weight it won't hurt as steel won't melt at lead temps. If you miss a zinc weight or two it won't hurt either but the less zinc the better. Good Going!
Some of the older weights I have with a little steel zinc in them average about 70% lead. Hopefully you have the same ratio.
I'll be sorting this weekend...
Anyone interested in a start to finish thread? pictures and weights of the sorting, and smelting? I'm sure someone has already done it.. but it may provide good info... ???
Jesse
Last edited by Hotrod99; 07-31-2018 at 08:34 AM.
USAF Veteran - NRA Certified Pistol Instructor - 1911 Junky
Keep it on this thread. Once the new thread is started, there is no connection. It is all the same event so keep it simple.
Bring a case of cold beer next time you go.....those boy's will be calling you when they get a bucket loaded.
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Ok... started the sort. Have to work slow... I'm rehabbing a broken back...
First weigh in came out like this:
71lbs total
49% - 35lbs lead COWW
20% - 14lbs lead stick-ons
31% - 22lbs trash (zinc, steel, ect)
Do these numbers line up with what others are seeing around the US?
USAF Veteran - NRA Certified Pistol Instructor - 1911 Junky
Was that for one full 5 gallon bucket?
Just wondering, I’m sorting 4 buckets, started this evening, that is back breaking work. You got a good deal at $40 for 2 buckets. I paid $30 per and with the amount of zinc, steel and junk I’m finding this my be my last.
Looking at the original post it looks like $60 for 2 buckets. Still pretty good if the yield continues as it started.
When I sort weights I dump them out on a flat surface and sit down by them. Then I'll start "cherry picking". I'll start looking for the trash first. Then the stick-ons. Then the steel weights. Then I have the zinc and lead left to separate out. After a few buckets you kind of get the feel for it and it goes faster. I sorted 60 something buckets last winter and spring. Take your time, you don't have to do it all at once.
You are correct, I paid $60 for 2 very full buckets. I used your sort method today... wow... so much more easy! Right now it is looking like about 50% lead COWW's 10-15% stick-ons and the rest junk. I'll post the final number soon.
When i melt them down should I mix in the stick-ons or keep them apart?
Thanks!!
USAF Veteran - NRA Certified Pistol Instructor - 1911 Junky
That’s what i did at first in my big shop then it got too hot. Now in tack room with fan and a/c much better. Just a few hours each day bout all i can stand. One of these buckets must be very old cause there’s a lot of long weights and few zinc. Next one has a lot of stick on weights. After a few buckets you can pick out lead ones pretty quick by shape, and zinc pretty good also.
I gave up on buying and sorting wheel weights. Far more time involved than just buying lead from my local scrap yard and mixing it with type metal from my inventory plus some tin to get ww alloy. Half of what I got from tire shops was not useful. Good, clean but soft lead is less than $.50 per pound.
I keep the clip ones separate from the stick ons. Because the stick ons are supposed to be like pure lead. You can mix it later to adjust hardness of your alloy. Mark the ingots as such, i stamp (L) on stick ons and WW on regular wheel weights.
some places will refund the weight of the steel and zinc after you sort them then your just paying for lead
return the non lead
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 |
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