Percentages in lino/mono spacers?

[boatswainsmate]

Hello all,
I was able to pick 235 pounds of these spacers for 65 cents a pound. Looking for percentages for mixing with other alloys. Thanks in advance. Boats

[h8dirt]

Hello all,
I was able to pick 235 pounds of these spacers for 65 cents a pound. Looking for percentages for mixing with other alloys. Thanks in advance. Boats

I have about 250# of similar spacer material. I melted down a representative sample and sent it off for testing. My lot tested as 7.1% tin 9.4% antimony with the remainder lead. Yours is probably similar but may vary somewhat. I'd be interested in other folks' data.

[leadbutt]

Just a side note..... Good stashes. Both of yous.

[runfiverun]

well.....
I got a big pile of these straight form a buddy that owned the printing presses he used them on.
I had to ask what he thought the alloy was, and he said 'I dunno they just held the type apart' some seemed soft and some seemed hard it never really mattered.
I just melted it all together and mixed it with some ww's [3-1] and run with it.
the alloy made a real good batch of boolits so I didn't worry about it too much.

[leadbutt]

well.....
I got a big pile of these straight form a buddy that owned the printing presses he used them on.
I had to ask what he thought the alloy was, and he said 'I dunno they just held the type apart' some seemed soft and some seemed hard it never really mattered.
I just melted it all together and mixed it with some ww's [3-1] and run with it.
the alloy made a real good batch of boolits so I didn't worry about it too much.

Pics or it never happened....

Jk. Im sure you've casted more lead then ill ever see.

L. Bottoms

[lightman]

My expierence with spacers is that they can vary between nearly pure to very hard, like linotype. You can probably tell a little by bending each one. I would probably do as Runfiverun said and melt them into one batch and cast with them. I never felt the need to know the exact alloy that I cast with. If it cast well and shot well I was happy. Nice Score, by the way! It looks really clean.

[boatswainsmate]

Thanks for all the reply's

[454PB]

Any of those spacers that you can bend without breaking are low in antimony content. True linotype can't be bent without breaking, it's too brittle.

That doesn't mean they aren't good for casting, they are usually higher in tin content than the willy wheel weight, and about the same hardness.

[runfiverun]

heck Larry we didn't even have cell phones back then.

if I had Pic's of it somewhere it would be on 35mm negatives, but I'm sure I don't.
lead was easy to get you just had to ask in enough places.

[cainttype]

I've used a lot of identical lino spacers, it is hard and high in both tin and antimony content.
You could easily start with 5-1 scrap soft lead/ spacers. You should have a decent all-around alloy for most handguns and rifles, easily adjustable for harder or softer as needed... Heatreating is also an option for hardening.

If possible, I'd melt batches as large as possible, trying to include similar ratios of the spacers you have, into useable ingots... THEN contact typz2slo here and ask him to analyze an ingot sample from each batch.
You'll find out exactly what you have very quickly for a very reasonable (1 lb alloy per sample) fee. He is a great guy, and a total professional... That is a fantastic option that was not available just a few years ago, and the ONLY way to really know exactly what your scrap scores are.

[boatswainsmate]

I've used a lot of identical lino spacers, it is hard and high in both tin and antimony content.
You could easily start with 5-1 scrap soft lead/ spacers. You should have a decent all-around alloy for most handguns and rifles, easily adjustable for harder or softer as needed... Heatreating is also an option for hardening.

If possible, I'd melt batches as large as possible, trying to include similar ratios of the spacers you have, into useable ingots... THEN contact typz2slo here and ask him to analyze an ingot sample from each batch.
You'll find out exactly what you have very quickly for a very reasonable (1 lb alloy per sample) fee. He is a great guy, and a total professional... That is a fantastic option that was not available just a few years ago, and the ONLY way to really know exactly what your scrap scores are.

Thanks

[scottfire1957]

I've used a lot of identical lino spacers, it is hard and high in both tin and antimony content.
You could easily start with 5-1 scrap soft lead/ spacers. You should have a decent all-around alloy for most handguns and rifles, easily adjustable for harder or softer as needed... Heatreating is also an option for hardening.

If possible, I'd melt batches as large as possible, trying to include similar ratios of the spacers you have, into useable ingots... THEN contact typz2slo here and ask him to analyze an ingot sample from each batch.
You'll find out exactly what you have very quickly for a very reasonable (1 lb alloy per sample) fee. He is a great guy, and a total professional... That is a fantastic option that was not available just a few years ago, and the ONLY way to really know exactly what your scrap scores are.

Where is "depoloni?" I suggest analysis, he jumps my *** NOW he's silent?

You are sir, correct for suggesting analysis. NOBODYcan look at that bucket and do anything but guess.



Edit: His last little rant: Please just post your usual... "It doesn't matter what you think or what you've got unless you had it XRF tested" - then "don't bore me/us with your questions unless you've had your material professionally analyzed"

Edit 2: He "suspects," EDIT: Based on what this gentleman's casting results are, I would suspect that perhaps the range lead he recovered had a bit more antimony and (especially) tin than he may have predicted. Thus better fillout at cooler temps. To the OP... you got good boolits, I consider that a good find! Congrats!

[depoloni]

Didn't feel like arguing. My point seems to have been missed, and I didn't want to veer the thread off topic. Continue on, sheriff.

[scottfire1957]

Didn't feel like arguing. My point seems to have been missed, and I didn't want to veer the thread off topic. Continue on, sheriff.

So, what is his content? How much Pb to Sb content? Surely you can tell from the pics. If not, admit I am correct.

[Lloyd Smale]

used to be that printers made there own out of depleted linotype. Anymore there just bought and are usually made from lineotype that's the same as print. In all my years of scrouging ive never found spacers that didn't at least test 18bhn and most of it is around 20-22.

[RogerDat]

I think you will find the hollow ones with three holes are different alloy than the thin metal ones. The flat hollow ones may be something different.

My suggestion is sort by physical type, make sample ingot that is representative of each bucket from your sort. Then take the suggestion already made to have types2slo test it. He will do so for 1# of any lead per sample tested.

The other option is melt it all in two or three big batches then take equal amount of the ingots from each batch and cross mix them into a fully mixed and consistent alloy of the entire batch. Then have that tested. You will then have a single known alloy from the whole batch.

You have 235# of what looks like at least three types of spacers. Being able to plug real numbers into the alloy calculator for each type or a single cross mixed alloy will allow you to maximize the value of this lead in your casting, as well as help maintain the consistency of your different bullet alloy's made from this material. Alloy calculator + known alloy equal repeatable casting for any caliber or size you cast.

All that said you could just do the cross mixing to get a consistent alloy from spacers and work off of hardness, which is the underlying reason for caring about alloy. Keep trying in different ratios with plain or COWW's until you find the hardness you need for rifle or pistol. Thing is it may well not be very well balanced, I find making Lyman #2 out of printers lead of mixed spacers (6 Sn 18 Sb in my case) I have to add a good bit of tin to get balance at 5% of each for Lyman #2. On the other hand Hardball is 1 part this to 2 parts plain. Use COWW lead and it changes things so that I have to adjust.

Just for the record I would generally cut the Lyman #2 with some plain to make it less rich, more like 2.5/2.5/95 which works well for many uses.