Lead and Tin score!...i think

[mtguy]

I just found a place where i can get lead for .30 a pound. I loaded up a bucket of mostly ingots and bars of lead plus some wheel weights. In the container with all the lead was stuff i think is tin and i threw a bag of that in my bucket, it's about 8-1/2 pounds. Here are a couple pics of the stuff, looks like it's the tear-off tops to maybe some medical stuff: (sorry about the cell-phone quality pics)




Is this indeed tin? If so, it only cost me .30 a pounds and will probably scoop more up next time i get a bucket of lead.

Some of the lead ingots i got are marked No.4 Babbit...what exactly is babbit?
Also got some bars of linotype, some misc. bars of lead. Overall quite a little assortment of lead pieces, 125 lbs total.

What would the consensus be on smelting this stuff? Throw it all together or separate it out. It's going to be used for handgun loads in .45 and .38.

[cabezaverde]

It looks like dental xray lead.

[AZ-Stew]

I doubt it. Most pharmacutical packaging of this nature is aluminum. If it has a yellowish cast to it, it might be tin, but this appears more white or slightly bluish, likely indicating aluminum.

Put some on top of your alloy in your casting pot and see if it melts. If it does, it's probably tin, if it continues to float, it's aluminum.

Regards,

Stew

[mtguy]

It looks like dental xray lead.

You're right...i thought they looked familiar.
I wonder what the composition of this foil is? From what i can find, it looks to be almost pure lead 99%+

[randyrat]

You find it to be at least 2% Tin...I use this for making 45 acp or to add a little more tin to some WWs...
Using this stuff in a 200 grain .452 lee mold i end with a 206 grain bullet....

[richbug]

#4 babbit

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/alloy_4_babbitt.htm

[BoolitBill]

The bottom pic is Dental X-ray film lead foil liners for sure. Take it from me, I am a Dentist and use the film everyday. The pattern of dots or little squares at the bottom of the foil was put there by the manufacturer to let us know that we put the film in the patients mouth backwards. Should be close to pure lead.

[mtguy]

#4 babbit

http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/alloy_4_babbitt.htm

Thanks...looks like i got a good deal on the babbit, should be good for alloying with some pure lead i got.

[mtgrs737]

You hit the jackpot on that babbit and linotype! Go back and get the rest before someone else beats you to it. You can always sell it to the guys here at enough of a profit to make yours free!

[mtguy]

You hit the jackpot on that babbit and linotype! Go back and get the rest before someone else beats you to it. You can always sell it to the guys here at enough of a profit to make yours free!

Interesting...i'm new to casting so not very educated in the types of lead alloys. I think i'll go back tomorrow and clean up on that lino and babbitt. I began just digging into the wheel weights, then saw all the different ingots so i started grabbing some of each. I think i got probably 50+ pounds of babbitt and linotype, maybe more, there was only one bar that was stamped linotype but there were others that looked the same without the stamp - for the same thirty-cents a pound.

[mtguy]

Here's todays hual, 125 lbs total. The square ingot bars just to the right of the can of wheel wieghts is the babbit, then the lino bar and a couple in the same shape as the lino stamped "sold mold", then the other bars which may also be lino, then just some misc. ingots.

[Ole]

I got 2 4lb rolls of 63/37 solder today for $10 + $10 shipping (ebaY)

That's as cheap as i've seen for new solder, shipped. ($5.36/lb for the tin and the lead is free)

[454PB]

I get the dental foil from my daughter, she's a dental assistant.

I cast a bunch of Lee 255 FN .45's from it and hardness tested them. 8.7 BHN....so it's not pure lead. However, it casts nicely.