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Thread: picking out zinc wheelweights?

  1. #1
    Boolit Master nvbirdman's Avatar
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    picking out zinc wheelweights?

    I don't know if this would work, but the thought wormed its way into my head.
    Would copper and zinc in some acid (vinegar?) produce a voltage that could be measured with a cheap voltmeter and enable you to separate them from lead wheelweights?

  2. #2
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    Such a thing is theoretically possible, but is far too involved for the benefit it provides and would be a bit finicky.
    Just test suspect wheels weights with a drop of hydrochloric (muriatic) acid, it's will produce bubble (of hydrogen gas!) on contact with zinc and is inexpensive and easily available.

    I've never bothered to do this however, I find zinc weights really easy to identify based on appearance and weight. I used to test weights I wasn't sure about by cutting into them but I quickly learned what to look for and don't even have to do that anymore.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master
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    I think that is way overthinking.I agree with Peregrine.i see mpst of the Zn weight before I ever pinch them with dykes.onec you havs sort a bucket full you will fins that you will see all the steel weight and 80 to 90% of the ZN.Every bucket goes a bit better.I dump the bucket on a table to sort.Much better than bending over a bucket to sort.Yo can see a lot of things that way and things go a lot faster.The fist thing I do it the simle things.Take out all the steel,junk and SOWW.then I pinch the rest with dykes till I can see again then repeat

  4. #4
    Boolit Grand Master

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    In theory it could work. It seems like lots of work to sort that way.

    I think the simplest and fastest way is to just sort them by hand. The Lead stick on weights have a distinctive look and are easy to pick out from the zinc and steel stick on weights. The steel and composite clip on weights are also very distinctive looking. After you sort for a while you get so you recognize the zinc weights. You can make a test cut with a pair of dykes on any suspicious weights. The zinc weights look and feel different than their lead brothers. I've sorted so many that I almost have a radar for the zinc ones! Like Mitch says, it gets easier and faster after you do a few buckets of weights.

    I've posted this before but this is how I sort. I dump the bucket out on a flat surface and start cheery picking. I start with the trash. The valve stems, lug nuts, tire stickers ect. Then I pick out the stick ons, sorting out the lead as I go. Then I pick out the steel weights. This leaves the lead and zinc. I pick up each weight and look at it. Any weights that I'm doubtful of get a test cut with a pair of electricians dykes. Basically I'm going from the most obvious to the least obvious.

    I smelt in batches of 350 to 400# and I seldom find a zinc or steel weight floating on top of the melt.
    Last edited by lightman; 03-03-2019 at 11:04 PM.

  5. #5
    Boolit Master Baltimoreed's Avatar
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    Do the zinc weights have any value? Bought lead off a guy sight unseen and 2/3 was zinc. He refunded some of my money but lesson learned.

  6. #6
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Baltimoreed View Post
    Do the zinc weights have any value? Bought lead off a guy sight unseen and 2/3 was zinc. He refunded some of my money but lesson learned.
    Usually scrap value is all you can expect. You often can sell the steel and zinc weights to the scrap yard. Some guys melt them down and pour them into ingots and sell them to the scrap yard as zinc. Some guys make cannon balls out of them but they are hard to sell except for scrap prices.

  7. #7
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    The zinc WW are generally easy to spot, most are clearly marked with a ZN I use a magnet when sorting WW. If I'm not sure by looking I'll tap it on the magnet; FE - steel will stick, ZN zinc will have a high ring sound to it and lead goes thud. The ultimate test is side cutters if it cuts its lead.

    Anyone ever tried making Zinc buckshot?

  8. #8
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    Very good suggestions here on how to separate. The following is just how I do it (there's no right or wrong way as long as it gets sorted!)

    I snatch all the stick-on ww and throw in one bucket as I'm sorting. I use a roofer's magnet to single out most of the steel weights (Fe). Steel weights usually have a flat edge on both ends. I know that the "clips" on any clip on weights will stick to magnet regardless but the steel weights are more obvious on magnet. Lead clip on weights will usually have gouges, distress marks and deformations. Best way to check though is like GRMPS said and use a side cutters or dikes. Another way is to just throw the whole mess in a big pot (providing you keep temp. at or close to 621 degrees) and melt away. Zinc and steel need higher temp's (787 and 2500) to melt. Been a little frustrating lately despite I get my weights for nothing that each 100 lb. bucket I get yields just 25 lbs. of usable lead.
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  9. #9
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    Beings zink tends to melt at a higher temperature then lead and will float for a while before it melts, this is what I do.

    Using a large pot and having melted lead in the pot, I toss in a hand full and watch it melt, anything left on top after fluxing gets skimmed off and disposed of. Repeat until the level of lead need to be reduced. Pour off into ingots.
    This is not something can throw in a bunch of W-W and walk away. This method is far faster than sorting by hand.
    Remember, anything that floats is not your friend.
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  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I just use an old pair of side cutters and give any suspicious looking wheelweight a quick squeeze. Its easy to tell the different since lead WW are so much softer. It is very obvious and quick to check.

    It does take sorting though. I think Hickory has it right with melting then skimming off anything that doesn't melt quickly. If it floats it isn't lead based.

  11. #11
    Boolit Master
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    In the end I guess there likely is no difference in time.weather you melt them slow and scimming the ZN off the top or hand sort.But hand sorting makes sure there is no ZN for sure.Rainy days or winter are for sorting.then on a good day fire the pot and get er done asap.But like said above there realy is no right and wrong way here just wat works for you.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy dimaprok's Avatar
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    I have a small powerful magnet stuck on the cutters side, it's like 2 in one tool Having said that I don't think I'll go through sorting again, it took hours and hours. There are more buckets in the shop but rather buy it from scrap yard for $1/lb. Just went through 3 full five gallon backets and once melted in to ingots ended up with 39lb of lead - way too much work for such small yield, I had to bribe my kids to do most of the work, I also had them separate zinc. 2 full buckets + 1 ice cream bucket was all steel with some plastic / rubber, Zinc was about same pile as lead. You guys in states whee lead wasn't banned have much better luck.

  13. #13
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by dimaprok View Post
    I have a small powerful magnet stuck on the cutters side, it's like 2 in one tool Having said that I don't think I'll go through sorting again, it took hours and hours. There are more buckets in the shop but rather buy it from scrap yard for $1/lb. Just went through 3 full five gallon backets and once melted in to ingots ended up with 39lb of lead - way too much work for such small yield, I had to bribe my kids to do most of the work, I also had them separate zinc. 2 full buckets + 1 ice cream bucket was all steel with some plastic / rubber, Zinc was about same pile as lead. You guys in states whee lead wasn't banned have much better luck.
    To me, sorting is not a hard job. Being retired, I actually enjoy it. But, I still get a 60-70% lead yield. Sorting 3 buckets for 30 something pounds would sure put a damper on my enthusiasm for sorting, thats for sure. I probably wouldn't unless I was completely out of lead and desperate.
    Last edited by lightman; 03-10-2019 at 08:37 AM.

  14. #14
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    Quote Originally Posted by dimaprok View Post
    I have a small powerful magnet stuck on the cutters side, it's like 2 in one tool Having said that I don't think I'll go through sorting again, it took hours and hours. There are more buckets in the shop but rather buy it from scrap yard for $1/lb. Just went through 3 full five gallon backets and once melted in to ingots ended up with 39lb of lead - way too much work for such small yield, I had to bribe my kids to do most of the work, I also had them separate zinc. 2 full buckets + 1 ice cream bucket was all steel with some plastic / rubber, Zinc was about same pile as lead. You guys in states whee lead wasn't banned have much better luck.
    If you're in a state where lead wheel weights have been banned then it's not worth the time to even pick up the buckets of discarded weights. I had a guy give me 12 buckets of weights. I figured out real quick they had come from a state with a ban. I sorted less than 1/4 of a bucket and took a look at the others. I just sold them for scrap. In that 1/4 bucket I sorted I picked out exactly six lead weights. Not worth the time. On the other hand I got some buckets from another guy and they were 90% lead, that 10% includes the clips.
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  15. #15
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    The following pics are for those not familiar with weights. Personally if I ever went blind (and I'm sure many of you with tons of WW experience would agree) I could bet any amount of money I could still accurately sort. Yes you can actually create a "feel".

    Below is a set of weights-different metals.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Below is "clip-on ww". I've seen these with AW, MC, P, FN marks.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Below is "stick-on ww". All kinds of marks on these, basically if you pick them up, they'll be stiff as opposed to flopping around like steel. The top "gray colored" strip is alloyed similar to lead clip-on ww's. The bottom "dull colored" strip is just lead (Pb)". If in doubt nip the corner with dikes.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Below is the aggravating "Zinc(Zn)" clip on ww. It's the one that disappoints me the most when I find a "fatty". (Not ALL Zinc weights will have Zn on it.) (FYI the current scrap price for Zn is approx. 1.27 per lb. as per this post).
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Below is "steel stick-on ww (Fe)". These will dangle around in your hand staying connected with adhesive on back.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    Below is another example of steel stick-on's.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    And then you have the steel (Fe) clip-on ww. I've learned that unless a weight has been altered, if it has totally flat ends or ends that look like a hammer, it's probably steel.
    Click image for larger version. 

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    After a few buckets, the novice will learn that all ww's are not created equal but will get faster with the sorting! If I missed anything, feel free to correct me or add something!
    Last edited by Dieselhorses; 03-06-2019 at 09:21 PM. Reason: addendum
    The unexamined life is not worth living....Socrates
    Pain, is just weakness leaving the body....USMC
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  16. #16
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    Nice write up Dieselhorses!

    I just fill a high sided tray that sits in my lap. Sort from there. Less hand motion and restful. Toss each in appropriate bucket in front of me. While I watch something on TV or listen to music. Sort the majority by sight, but nip all the Zn and Pb clip on WW's to confirm. Nip toss, nip toss and hand never leaves my lap. Yes I am bone deep lazy and darn good at it too!

    If you are buying WW's for anything over 40 cents a pound and your yield of Pb from a bucket is not greater than 50% then you are paying more than if you just bought COWW ingots already made from the Swapping and Selling vendors at around $1 per pound. Factor in time, searching, and propane etc. and the S&S forum is a much better deal. Soft lead from scrap yard is the most common, buy some linotype or other hard lead from the S&S forum to "sweeten" that soft lead is another good approach. Depending on how cheap you can get soft lead from the scrap yard for.

    I generally see abut 80# from a 5 gallon bucket that is a little over 100# of WW's. Enough that I figure it is worth it up to around 70 cents a pound cost. But just barely. I do about 150# in a batch a few times a year. Plenty of time to pre-test. I think if I was doing larger volumes I would probably switch to the if it floats on the melt to winnow out the zinc and steel WW's. I was not trying to accumulate more WW's for awhile but am getting to think maybe a "few" more wouldn't hurt.
    Scrap.... because all the really pithy and emphatic four letter words were taken and we had to describe this source of casting material somehow so we added an "S" to what non casters and wives call what we collect.

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  17. #17
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by Dieselhorses View Post
    The following pics are for those not familiar with weights. Personally if I ever went blind (and I'm sure many of you with tons of WW experience would agree) I could bet any amount of money I could still accurately sort. Yes you can actually create a "feel".

    Below is a set of weights-different metals.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2451.jpg 
Views:	27 
Size:	117.1 KB 
ID:	237355
    Below is "clip-on ww". I've seen these with AW, MC, P, FN marks.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2452.jpg 
Views:	27 
Size:	110.6 KB 
ID:	237356
    Below is "stick-on ww". All kinds of marks on these, basically if you pick them up, they'll be stiff as opposed to flopping around like steel. If in doubt nip the corner with dikes.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2453.jpg 
Views:	23 
Size:	103.4 KB 
ID:	237357
    Below is the aggravating "Zinc(Zn)" clip on ww. It's the one that disappoints me the most when I find a "fatty". (Not ALL Zinc weights will have Zn on it.)
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2454.jpg 
Views:	17 
Size:	108.9 KB 
ID:	237358
    Below is "steel stick-on ww (Fe)". These will dangle around in your hand staying connected with adhesive on back.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2455.jpg 
Views:	24 
Size:	104.3 KB 
ID:	237359
    Below is another example of steel stick-on's.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2456.jpg 
Views:	23 
Size:	94.6 KB 
ID:	237360
    And then you have the steel (Fe) clip-on ww. I've learned that unless a weight has been altered, if it has totally flat ends or ends that look like a hammer, it's probably steel.
    Click image for larger version. 

Name:	IMG_2457.jpg 
Views:	21 
Size:	81.8 KB 
ID:	237361

    After a few buckets, the novice will learn that all ww's are not created equal but will get faster with the sorting! If I missed anything, feel free to correct me or add something!
    Thats a nice set of pictures. Just to add a few things. On the 3rd picture of the stick on weights the top row of weights are a harder alloy consistent with clip on weights. There are also some lead clip on weights that look like the picture of that zinc weight. I usually make a test cut on those types. Thats a good job with the pictures Diesel.

    I've also said this before but, Roger's Wife is a Saint! She lets him sort weights in the house!

  18. #18
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    I've sorted about 200lb now and it's easy to spot the zinc. The handiest thing for my last lost was just screwing a magent to a 6" piece of dowe to pick up handfuls of the smaller steel bits. That shaved heaps of time off my sorting.

  19. #19
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    Quote Originally Posted by RogerDat View Post
    Nice write up Dieselhorses!

    I just fill a high sided tray that sits in my lap. Sort from there. Less hand motion and restful. Toss each in appropriate bucket in front of me. While I watch something on TV or listen to music. Sort the majority by sight, but nip all the Zn and Pb clip on WW's to confirm. Nip toss, nip toss and hand never leaves my lap. Yes I am bone deep lazy and darn good at it too!

    If you are buying WW's for anything over 40 cents a pound and your yield of Pb from a bucket is not greater than 50% then you are paying more than if you just bought COWW ingots already made from the Swapping and Selling vendors at around $1 per pound. Factor in time, searching, and propane etc. and the S&S forum is a much better deal. Soft lead from scrap yard is the most common, buy some linotype or other hard lead from the S&S forum to "sweeten" that soft lead is another good approach. Depending on how cheap you can get soft lead from the scrap yard for.

    I generally see abut 80# from a 5 gallon bucket that is a little over 100# of WW's. Enough that I figure it is worth it up to around 70 cents a pound cost. But just barely. I do about 150# in a batch a few times a year. Plenty of time to pre-test. I think if I was doing larger volumes I would probably switch to the if it floats on the melt to winnow out the zinc and steel WW's. I was not trying to accumulate more WW's for awhile but am getting to think maybe a "few" more wouldn't hurt.
    Thanks!
    80 out of a 100 is darn good! I'm lucky to see 50/50! But there again I get them free (well one shop makes me cast them some fishing weights but no biggy). 1 tire shop and 2 dealerships is enough to keep me busy.
    The unexamined life is not worth living....Socrates
    Pain, is just weakness leaving the body....USMC
    Fast is fine, but accuracy is FINAL!....Wyatt Earp

  20. #20
    Boolit Master



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    Quote Originally Posted by lightman View Post
    Thats a nice set of pictures. Just to add a few things. On the 3rd picture of the stick on weights the top row of weights are a harder alloy consistent with clip on weights. There are also some lead clip on weights that look like the picture of that zinc weight. I usually make a test cut on those types. Thats a good job with the pictures Diesel.

    I've also said this before but, Roger's Wife is a Saint! She lets him sort weights in the house!
    Thank you LightMan! I can't be that lucky as wife has warning signs all over the house especially kitchen I.E.-"Use of kitchen paraphernalia for other purposes other than it's designed purpose will lead to prosecution!".

    Yes I was wondering about that, so that stick on you were referring to is a hybrid? hmm. I may set just those aside for a BHN test.
    The unexamined life is not worth living....Socrates
    Pain, is just weakness leaving the body....USMC
    Fast is fine, but accuracy is FINAL!....Wyatt Earp

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