Linotype + pure Lead

[shell70634]

Picked up 100 pounds of linotype with some monotype in it. I have 100 pounds of soft lead. Using the lead alloy calculator I think if I mix the two together I should get an alloy in the neighborhood of BHN 15. Does that sound right?

[Rcmaveric]

You just have to get the ratio right i like to use the mixing cross. Looks like the # sign. There is a video on youtube how to do it.

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[rwadley]

You just have to get the ratio right i like to use the mixing cross. Looks like the # sign. There is a video on youtube how to do it.

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Do you have a link?

[Rcmaveric]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y0raK6_Vbk

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[tds]

I have shot thousands of 5 lead to 1 lino in my 45 acp. Don't use any more be lino than needed

[rwadley]

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=7Y0raK6_Vbk

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Thanks. I will have to watch that.

[centershot]

Lino is precious today. I mix lino & pure at 1:3 and then add 2% tin. The 1:3 mix is 96-3-1, virtually the same as the average composition of COWW ( see here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...eight-XrF-Data). After adding the tin I end up with 94-3-3, makes really nice boolits!

[RogerDat]

There are two ways to look at it. One is make large batch so you have a bunch of consistent alloy. However if you do it this way it just makes sense to have it be something that can be cut with plain or WW's to make an alloy for lower velocity. 95/3/3 can be cut 50/50 with WW's and have 95.5/3/1.5 which is entirely suitable for many pistol rounds and a good assortment of rifle plinking rounds too.

The other approach is make smaller batches so you can keep some of your rich printing alloy in its original form to mix up something else. The thinking is you can't get it back out of the mix once it is melted in so don't use it all in one alloy but save and use smaller batches of just what you need for the bullets you want to cast.

Myself I go with a large batch of Lyman #2 at 90/5/5 which you can make from printing lead, pewter, and WW or plain. Essentially put enough tin into the printing lead to get the tin and antimony balanced then dilute down to 5% of each. Cut with WW's which have antimony it is a little less straight forward but I play with alloy calculator until I hit 90/5/5 and try to make about 100 pounds.

[Larry Gibson]

Lyman's formula for making #2 alloy (BHN 15 - 16) has always worked excellently for me using Linotype. It make an excellent alloy and since the antimony and tin are balanced (5% each) softer alloys can easily be made, especially 95/2.5/2.5 by simply mixing the #2 with lead at 50/50/

4 pounds of linotype
5 1/2 pounds of lead
1/2 pound of tin

[Petander]

I did lots of WW cleaning 15-20 years ago. I also made rather big ingots with 10% and 30% and even 50% lino.

Today I'd rather have all that lino and WW separated because my "lino" was actually monotype and I used way too much in the mix. Crazy tin content.

Another thing,if you want to trade one day your lino will be more valuable the way it is now. I still have some monotype,WW and pure, people want them,not a "mystery mix".

[dimaprok]

There are two ways to look at it. One is make large batch so you have a bunch of consistent alloy. However if you do it this way it just makes sense to have it be something that can be cut with plain or WW's to make an alloy for lower velocity. 95/3/3 can be cut 50/50 with WW's and have 95.5/3/1.5 which is entirely suitable for many pistol rounds and a good assortment of rifle plinking rounds too.
....

I cut Lino with COWW to make rifle rounds or I should say cut COWW with Lino. It actually produces harder alloy if you water quench it compare to straight Lino or Lino diluted with pure lead.
Straight COWW water quenched produces BHN 26 for me (450 degrees for 20 min), 50 pure / 50 COWW produces BHN 21 with WQ the magical ingredient is arsenic in COWW, it makes the alloy super hard, linotype doesn't have that so it relies on antimony and tin for hardness. For pistol rounds pure mixed with Lino will produce softer alloy that won't harden so much as COWW mix, now if you you don't water quench it's a whole different game. I pushed them hard lead bullets to full jacketed velocities with no leading.

[fredj338]

When I used to get cheap lino, I mixed 4-1 & it was good for most handgun apps. Want it a bit harder, water drop that.

[Outpost75]

Linotype-plumber's lead blends are ideal for most bullet casting and enable excellent fillout with good strength and predictable repeatability using simple weight ratios which can be produced at moderate cost.

You can estimate the hardness of your blend easily:

LinoPounds(22)+LeadPounds(5) / TotalPounds = EstBHN

A 50-50 linotype-lead blend at 13.5 BHN is slightly softer than commercial hardball or Lyman No.2 alloy. (22)+(5) /2 = 13.5

A 1:2 linotype-lead blend at "about 10.5 BHN" approximates 1:20 alloy and is well suited for revolver and black powder cartridge "smokeless" applications. (22)+2(5) /3 = 10.6 BHN

A 1:4 linotype-lead blend at 8.5 BHN approximates the hardness of 1:30 alloy and is best for black powder cartridges, in subsonic, smokeless revolver loads, or with plain based rifle bullets below 1300 fps and is satisfactory up to 1700 fps with gas checks in rifles for hollow-point hunting applications. (22)+4(5) /5 = 8.5 BHN

A 1:5 linotype-lead blend at 8 BHN approximates 1:40 alloy and is the frugal shooters best bang for the buck to make your alloy go far as possible in revolver, cowboy loads, black powder cartridge, and subsonic hollow-point hunting applications. (22)+5(5) / 6 = 8 BHN

The above expressions are based on "new" linotype and plumber's lead known to be 99% pure.

If using salvaged linotype which has been remelted numerous times and not reconstituted, make a good hardness measurement and substitute the value in the expression.

Similarly if your "soft" lead isn't pure and runs a wee bit harder than the expected 5 BHN for pure lead, make a measurement and substitute in the expression.

[Mr_Sheesh]

Outpost75 - I'd slightly change this formula:

LinoPounds(22)+LeadPounds(5) / TotalPounds = EstBHN

to this:

(LinoPounds(22)+LeadPounds(5)) / TotalPounds = EstBHN

(for clarity - Add then divide.)

[Petrol & Powder]

I have shot thousands of 5 lead to 1 lino in my 45 acp. Don't use any more be lino than needed

/\ Likewise for many handgun calibers /\

[Lloyd Smale]

heres what ive found. 5050 lino pure is probably 15bhn or in the neighborhood if your talking 22bhn linotype. Anymore most of the linotype I find is closer to 19bhn. To get #2 hardness anymore I usually mix 2/3s lino and 1/3 pure. your lino with some mono mixed in might be closer to 22 bhn. Like was said just mix big batches so its consistant and a bhn number a bit higher or lower really wont effect much. I value my linotype today because its just getting tough to find cheap. So most of my #2 or what I call #2 is 2/3s ww 1/3 linotype. used to use a lot of 5050 ww/lino but my lino pile was disappearing to fast. That is my favorite alloy for magnum level handgun loads. Lately ive been using mostly water dropped clip on ww. It gets you in the same ball park a lot cheaper.