Tin acquiring considerations

[CeeHoo]

Gentlemen, I think I've been lucky in scrounging free lead but now it seems tin is about to cause setback. I've not been able to find cheap pewter or solder so I've considered just to buy pure tin to get that out of the way. What I'm looking at is 99.9% tin that is in form of 0.177" thick sticks weighing about 55.6 lbs in total. Price of the pile is about $620 so that's about $11.15 per pound. Sounds like a lot but that's about half of the tin "nuggets" on Midway.

Buying just a few sticks is not an option, I'm afraid, so it's 55.6 lbs minimum. That's probably all the tin I'll ever need so I'm wondering if that would make any sense?

[sealer]

Depends on how much you shoot. Or you could sell some of it.
Dennis

[Ring3]

No expert on tin price but I would say $11.15/ pound is cheap. 50/50 solder retails for more than that at local hardware stores. Sounds like a lot of tin though.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

I cast a LOT of boolits with no added tin, including pure lead. If the mold doesn't fill out, I turn up the heat until it does. Tin is good, but can be done without. If you have more pressing needs, I'd address them first, but if money is no issue, $11/lb is a good price.

[dimaprok]

I cast a LOT of boolits with no added tin, including pure lead. If the mold doesn't fill out, I turn up the heat until it does. Tin is good, but can be done without. If you have more pressing needs, I'd address them first, but if money is no issue, $11/lb is a good price.

My understanding tin breaks the surface tension and turning up heat is not the same and causes other issues to deal with.

To the OP, unless you do a lot of shooting 55lb of Tin is A LOT! At 2% you'll alloy almost 2500lb of lead.

[RogerDat]

Put a wanted to buy in the swapping and selling forum. I sold 6 pounds of pewter for around $8 a pound not too long ago. XRF tested at 90% tin or better + antimony, would have to check my old notes on what that batch was. Just start a thread in S & S forum with title WTB - tin solder or pewter Should take about one day to have a few offers.

I also recently swapped 10# of 40% tin for some primers so I can tell you members will beat the snot out of foundry prices. Unless you absolutely must have foundry pure tin source I would just post in the swapping and selling. Far as I know paper or berm never seems to know I'm shooting WW's and scrap yard solder.

I will say $11 is good price for foundry pure tin. If not from a foundry or known supplier the price should reflect the confidence you have in the material being what you are paying for. If source is Ebay I personally get nervous.

[Rcmaveric]

At the ammount in use tin. 55 pounds would last me the rest of my life and I am on 32. I mostly use more heat to solve problemd but there are times. Doesnt sound like too bad of a deal though. Whats the difference between hording any other precious medal?

Sent from my SM-G950U using Tapatalk

[RogerDat]

I should correct myself pewter I sold was listed as less than 90%

Pb = 7.8%
Sb = 5.7%
Sn = 85.2%
Cu = 1.3%

Price was pretty typical at $8 a pound. Main difference is on the forum you can buy a smaller amount than 55# at one shot. Not that I would fault you for having that much tin on hand. I think a lot of members have built up a stash of solder and pewter for tin that is at least that large and I recall a member or two that bought several hundred pounds of solder or a pallet load of pewter ice buckets. Like I tell my wife, if I die with some tin left sell it and use the proceeds to pay for yard work.

Heat will solve a lot but tin makes lead less inclined to break apart, more ductile. In combination with antimony the two alloy with each other and provide more hardness than the sum of their individual tin and antimony hardness.

[BNE]

Hello CeeHoo,

$11/pound is a good price for 99.9% Sn. The small diameter wire would be handy also.

What is the cost of shipping to and from the USA? I guess it boils down to whether or not you think that amount will last you a life time? If yes, and you have the money, then go for it. If it is too much, can you sell it in Finland to other casters?

Good luck, let us know what you decide to do.

BNE

[Minerat]

PM Orisolo, he had tin for a while but has not listed it since 11-23-2017. Still worth a try.

[Grmps]

Did you check second-hand stores, maybe run and add for damaged pewter?

[Land Owner]

Finland eh? Most likely very different than what we're used to in the USA, but then necessity is the mother of invention isn't it? No flea markets on Saturdays and Sundays I suppose where a purchaser can haggle with a seller for their pewter goblets, plates, salt and pepper shakers, etc.? Not forgetting that Europe was the bastion of pewter in the first place so it should be prevalent there...I say with zero knowledge of your circumstances.

As many have previously posted, use this site's Classified ads in a request to purchase tin and negotiate for an amount that is suitable, a price that is palatable, and shipping to Finland that is not too abusive. It might take a while, but it will come to you.

You are currently poised to purchase 55# of 99.9% tin. Divide 55#'s by 2% (0.02) to find it equals 2750#'s of lead alloy containing 2% tin.

If you are casting 158 grain x 357 Mag "Keith" boolets (for example, not a European caliber I know), 2750#'s of lead will make on the order of 121,835 boolets!!!!

You can "Get Real Happy" shooting 121K rounds. It is going to cost you though....

[RogerDat]

And 2% is the high side unless making home brew Lyman #2 alloy or 94/3/3 or some other specific premium alloy. Lot of folks use even less than 2% as an amount of tin. Might also want to look into some of the other Rotometals alloys. Some of those make an excellent sweetener for plain lead. Doesn't take much Lyman #2 or Linotype to bring up a pot of plain lead. Both of those give you tin and antimony. At a lower price than straight tin.

[6mm win lee]

Gentlemen, I think I've been lucky in scrounging free lead but now it seems tin is about to cause setback. I've not been able to find cheap pewter or solder so I've considered just to buy pure tin to get that out of the way. What I'm looking at is 99.9% tin that is in form of 0.177" thick sticks weighing about 55.6 lbs in total. Price of the pile is about $620 so that's about $11.15 per pound. Sounds like a lot but that's about half of the tin "nuggets" on Midway.

Buying just a few sticks is not an option, I'm afraid, so it's 55.6 lbs minimum. That's probably all the tin I'll ever need so I'm wondering if that would make any sense?

The london metals exchange shows tin at 19475 a ton which is 9.7375 a pound, cash. That is a difference of $1.41. We can not get tin from Rotometals for the price you mentioned. It's your money however, one thing is certain, the tin will not go bad sitting in a corner of your house.

https://www.lme.com/en-GB/Metals/Non-ferrous/Tin

[CeeHoo]

Thanks for the help. I haven't decided yet what to do.

At the moment, I'd probably ignore the idea of buying tin overseas. We have 24% VAT plus 3.5% tariff in Finland. The parcel could be labeled as gift with very low value though. Only then it might slither toll-free. Shipping costs can vary a lot but for parcels coming from the U.S. they can be anything between $30-$100.

I go to flea markets once in a while but not that actively. You may see random pot metals in those but usually with price tag you don't feel like to start bargaining. Maybe it's just me.

As to caliber selection, European or not, .357 Magnum and .45-70 are two of my favorites. Down here, .45s look a bit different though. LOL.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Is that rifle chambered in 357 mag? If so, I want one!

[CeeHoo]

Is that rifle chambered in 357 mag? If so, I want one!

The smaller one is a standard m/39 in 7.62x53R. The other one is my moose gun in .45-70.

[dondiego]

If you know any other casters in your area, try to get together and split the costs amongst your friends.

[Land Owner]

Shipping costs can vary a lot but for parcels coming from the U.S. they can be anything between $30-$100.

Perhaps hook up with someone in England or on the European mainland that is also a CastBoolet Member? Seller ships to them and they then ship to you? Would that circumvent some of the shipping cost abuse?

[fredj338]

Gentlemen, I think I've been lucky in scrounging free lead but now it seems tin is about to cause setback. I've not been able to find cheap pewter or solder so I've considered just to buy pure tin to get that out of the way. What I'm looking at is 99.9% tin that is in form of 0.177" thick sticks weighing about 55.6 lbs in total. Price of the pile is about $620 so that's about $11.15 per pound. Sounds like a lot but that's about half of the tin "nuggets" on Midway.

Buying just a few sticks is not an option, I'm afraid, so it's 55.6 lbs minimum. That's probably all the tin I'll ever need so I'm wondering if that would make any sense?

Midway is a bad place to buy alloy. Go to Rotometals, wait for a sale & buy tin there if needed.
Personally, I get good results casting with just range scrap for handgun. I rarely add tin. The only reason I have it is for making HP for hunting; 20-1 ratio.
In Finland, check stain glass shops & radiator repair places for cheap tin local.