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Thread: Got some pure lead pipe today, old water lines.

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Got some pure lead pipe today, old water lines.

    I came across a bunch of lead-pipe a crew was digging out of the ground, water lines I'm guessing. They said I could take it and they will have plenty more later in the week. I cut it all up to small pieces and now have 2 buckets full. Total weight 178.6 pounds
    Or 1,250,000 grains
    That's 7,912 .357 bullets
    What is the best way to harden them to be used in 9mm up to .44 mag and in between.
    Say I do 20 pounds of this pure lead pipe how many pounds of tin or antimony do I use to get a good BHN? Did I hit a jackpot with this find? I think I did. Cant upload pictures for whatever reason but I'll keep trying. Like I said it just old water lines so I'm guessing pure lead.
    Last edited by usmc0811; 04-07-2020 at 05:56 PM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master

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    Nice find, especially if it was free!
    Options for 9mm/44 include blending with clip on wheel weights, linotype, or alloys purchased online from outfits such as Rotometals. You might be able to trade it for harder alloys in the swapping and selling section. Powder coating and water dropping (once you have blended with a suitable alloy) will also help you get by with a softer alloy.

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    Boolit Master
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    If you know any muzzleloaders who cast, they might have something to trade or, buy it outright and provide some funds for you to get what you want. Muzzleloaders around here love that stuff....me included.

    Lyman has two recipes in their books to make #2 or you can just cut it 50/50 with linotype. If that's too hard do a 60/40
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    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer View Post
    Nice find, especially if it was free!
    Options for 9mm/44 include blending with clip on wheel weights, linotype, or alloys purchased online from outfits such as Rotometals. You might be able to trade it for harder alloys in the swapping and selling section. Powder coating and water dropping (once you have blended with a suitable alloy) will also help you get by with a softer alloy.
    ok thanks. Yeah when I asked the guy if he was keeping it and he said no I could have it for free I was like
    I usually water quench and powder coat so that will be no different there just not sure how much I should add of tin or antimony to get a good BHN. How many ponds to how many pounds is what im looking for not percentages as im not good with percentages and will mess things up lol "KISS"
    Ive looked at rotometals and will most likely order from them. I also have some linotype I got from an old news paper press.

  5. #5
    Boolit Buddy
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    You may be good as is. The smaller diameter stuff ... Just over an inch OD. is toughened up with some amount of antimony. I'd gotten a hundred pounds of that type years ago. Try this, in your bullet casting pot. Add 4 ozs of pewter scrap for each ten pounds of lead pipe in there. Reduce & flux it well, cast some bullets..You may be very happy with that mixture for pistol bullets. Worth trying. uncle mike

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    Regardless of the BHn of that pipe - The price was right and every bit of it is useful.

    Good Find !

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    Boolit Master
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    Can you hardness test what you got?

    If you treat the pipe as pure and you have Linotype, you can get a nice general use pistol alloy of 96-3-1 (Pb-Sb-Sn) by mixing 5# of Lino with 15# pipe lead. If there is any antimony in the pipe or tin solder in the joints, the alloy will be a bit tougher.

    ETA: be a little cautious melting that pipe down: pockets of trapped moisture or air expanding rapidly under the surface of the melt can cause explosions of hot molten metal.

    I might also suggest processing the pipe in a separate pot from your casting pot prior to final use. Old buried pipe can have corrosion and adherent dirt outside and sediments and calcification inside, all junk you don't want in your final alloy.
    Last edited by kevin c; 04-07-2020 at 07:06 PM.

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    Boolit Buddy Went2kck's Avatar
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    Look in the forum section someone is selling hard lead.

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    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by unclemikeinct View Post
    You may be good as is. The smaller diameter stuff ... Just over an inch OD. is toughened up with some amount of antimony. I'd gotten a hundred pounds of that type years ago. Try this, in your bullet casting pot. Add 4 ozs of pewter scrap for each ten pounds of lead pipe in there. Reduce & flux it well, cast some bullets..You may be very happy with that mixture for pistol bullets. Worth trying. uncle mike
    Ok nice, I will have to find some pewter

  10. #10
    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Went2kck View Post
    Look in the forum section someone is selling hard lead.
    For me to buy and add to my stuff to harden it you mean?

  11. #11
    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by kevin c View Post
    Can you hardness test what you got?

    If you treat the pipe as pure and you have Linotype, you can get a nice general use pistol alloy of 96-3-1 (Pb-Sb-Sn) by mixing 5# of Lino with 15# pipe lead. If there is any antimony in the pipe or tin solder in the joints, the alloy will be a bit tougher.

    ETA: be a little cautious melting that pipe down: pockets of trapped moisture or air expanding rapidly under the surface of the melt can cause explosions of hot molten metal.

    I might also suggest processing the pipe in a separate pot from your casting pot prior to final use. Old buried pipe can have corrosion and adherent dirt outside and sediments and calcification inside, all junk you don't want in your final alloy.
    I do have a big cast iron pot used for melting dirty stuff then pour clean lead into ingot molds.
    I dont currently have a tester but have been looking at getting the one Lee offers.
    I will be cautious as there was water in the pipe still, I will let it sit for a few weeks in the hot sun to dry up and moisture.

  12. #12
    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Petrol & Powder View Post
    Regardless of the BHn of that pipe - The price was right and every bit of it is useful.

    Good Find !
    Yes sir free is for me!!!!! lol

  13. #13
    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by sharps4590 View Post
    If you know any muzzleloaders who cast, they might have something to trade or, buy it outright and provide some funds for you to get what you want. Muzzleloaders around here love that stuff....me included.

    Lyman has two recipes in their books to make #2 or you can just cut it 50/50 with linotype. If that's too hard do a 60/40
    I would need a lot of lino type to do a 50/50 mix and that would get costly. I have 178 pounds of the lead. What would be the cheapest mix recipe I could find?

  14. #14
    Boolit Master
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    Go here http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...oy-calculators and download a lead alloy calculator. It will tell you how much of various lead alloys to add to your pure lead to get you to a good alloy for your use.

    Don
    NRA Certified Metallic Cartridge Reloading Instructor
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    If those pipes are 2-3 inches or so in diameter---- they aren't water lines bro.

    Pure Lead pipes won't take the pressure, they're drain or sewer lines.
    They were commonly used to go from a sink and run until they could drop into a 3-4" cast Iron sewer line.

    Stay upwind as ya melt 'em down.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 04-07-2020 at 07:52 PM.
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    Boolit Buddy
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    Good one Ed. uncle mike

  17. #17
    Boolit Master
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    Pipe is (usually) pure lead. Pure lead is hard to find and often expensive, it's best used straight in BP firearms. The least costly source of hardening antimony is wheel weights (original type weights, not zinc alloy).

    Bullet metal needs a tad of tin to keep the molten antimony in solution as it cools so it won't harden out separately and leave dead soft lead exposed on the surface. Tin can most easily be found in solder (it's usually about 50:50 tin:lead, find it at Lowe's/H'depot, etc.); it's kinda expensive but we don't need to add a lot of tin to make up some very good bullet metal.

    I'm not saying what ratios to use because my memory is faulty but the percentages by weight of each should be fairly easy to find on the net.

  18. #18
    Boolit Master

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    50/50 clip on wheel weights/pure hardens up nicely when water dropped and should do anything you need to do when powder coated. You might even get away with less WW. Experiment and see what you come up with.

  19. #19
    Boolit Buddy usmc0811's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Winger Ed. View Post
    If those pipes are 2-3 inches or so in diameter---- they aren't water lines bro.

    Pure Lead pipes won't take the pressure, they're drain or sewer lines.
    They were commonly used to go from a sink and run until they could drop into a 3-4" cast Iron sewer line.

    Stay upwind as ya melt 'em down.
    HAHA good info man thanks. The outer dia. id say is 1.5"-2" inner .5"-1" Ill have to take a closer look tomorrow. Some looked like they still had some water in them, no smell.

  20. #20
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    Quote Originally Posted by usmc0811 View Post
    HAHA good info man thanks. The outer dia. id say is 1.5"-2" inner .5"-1" Ill have to take a closer look tomorrow. Some looked like they still had some water in them, no smell.
    Yeah, That's a sink drain line.
    They went away in the 40's/50's or so. Ya still see some in older houses or buildings.

    The drain pipe was around 1/8" thick on the walls.
    Ya see it here and there, but usually not more than 3-4' lengths.

    If yours has that thick of a wall dimension, I've never seen it, but it should hold city water pressure and
    was probably was indeed a water service line.

    Their other choice back then was galvanized steel pipe.
    It worked, but clogged with rust, or rotted out pretty fast depending on the PH of the water in it.
    Last edited by Winger Ed.; 04-07-2020 at 11:25 PM.
    In school: We learn lessons, and are given tests.
    In life: We are given tests, and learn lessons.


    OK People. Enough of this idle chit-chat.
    This ain't your Grandma's sewing circle.
    EVERYONE!
    Back to your oars. The Captain wants to waterski.

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

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
GC Gas Check