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Thread: how many pounds in a 5gal bucket?

  1. #81
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Get um while you can. WWs are an endangered species.

  2. #82
    Boolit Master
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    5 gallons of shot

    Looks like to many variables to come up with weight of five gallons of wheel weights but lead shot might be easier. FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T INTERESTED IN THE MATH, THE ANSWER (I THINK) IS 240.22 POUNDS

    visualize a basketball in a cube shaped box that is diameter of the ball. the volume of the basketball is V = 4/3 pi ( radius cubed) = 1.333 times 3.14159 ( r x r x r) ; with r being diameter divided by 2. say the basketball is ten inches in diameter; then r = 5" and 5 x 5 x 5 = 125 and volume of the ball is 1.333 x 3.14159 x 125 = 523.598 inches cubed. now the box contains 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000 inches cubed so the ball takes up 523.6 divided by 1000 or 52.36 % of the volume of the box it sets in. ( LOOKS LIKE IT IS MORE THAN THAT, BUT THATS WHAT IT FIGURES).

    ANYWAY, THERE ARE 231 CUBIC INCHES IN A GALLON (TAKE MY WORD FOR IT) SO FIVE GALLONS = 1155 CUBIC INCHES

    NOW I'M GONNA CHICKEN OUT AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCES THAT DIFFERENT SHAPES OF BUCKETS ARE GOING TO MAKE. THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LEAD IS ABOUT 11.0 , SO 11 X 62.4 LB / CUBIC FOOT OF WATER = 686.4 LB / CF ; WHICH IS ABOUT THE DENSITY OF LEAD. WE HAVE 1155 CUBIC INCHES ( FIVE GALLONS) OF LEAD WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONLY 52.36 %LEAD AND THE REST AIR. SO, 1155 C.I. DIVIDED BY 1728 C.I. = .6684 CUBIC FT TIMES 686.4 LB/CF = 458.79 LB TIMES .5236 = 240.22 LBS

    SOMEONE CHECK ME ON THIS... I CAN SEE A PROBLEM AS THE SHOT SIZE GETS LARGER AND LARGER, BUT i THINK THIS SHOULD BE CLOSE.

  3. #83
    Boolit Master
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    Wheel weights have been hard to come by in the past, but I was fortunate enough to get about 6.5 pails worth last friday for free!
    Sometimes I get lucky!

    Seems to be allot of zinc & Fe(iron) in the mix.

  4. #84
    Boolit Bub
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    I got real lucky last week when I stopped in at a local fountain tire! They had 5 full buckets out back they wanted to get rid of, the guy showed em to me and I saw it was mostly steel and zinc with lots of rust (stored outside) I told him I probably wouldn't get much lead of it so I'd only give him $40 for the lot. I pulled around and one of the guys from the shop loaded me up (I have a broken back right now) I got home and dumped them out the back onto the garage floor. I was shocked to discover the only zinc and steel were the ones on the very top! I've now processed 3.5 buckets on the turkey cooker and have 2 full buckets of "muffins" and 1 bucket of scrap.
    Considering most places in town want $40/bucket I think I got a great deal... I think I'll keep them supplied in doughnuts for a while!

  5. #85
    Boolit Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by wmitty View Post
    Looks like to many variables to come up with weight of five gallons of wheel weights but lead shot might be easier. FOR THOSE WHO AREN'T INTERESTED IN THE MATH, THE ANSWER (I THINK) IS 240.22 POUNDS

    visualize a basketball in a cube shaped box that is diameter of the ball. the volume of the basketball is V = 4/3 pi ( radius cubed) = 1.333 times 3.14159 ( r x r x r) ; with r being diameter divided by 2. say the basketball is ten inches in diameter; then r = 5" and 5 x 5 x 5 = 125 and volume of the ball is 1.333 x 3.14159 x 125 = 523.598 inches cubed. now the box contains 10 x 10 x 10 = 1000 inches cubed so the ball takes up 523.6 divided by 1000 or 52.36 % of the volume of the box it sets in. ( LOOKS LIKE IT IS MORE THAN THAT, BUT THATS WHAT IT FIGURES).

    ANYWAY, THERE ARE 231 CUBIC INCHES IN A GALLON (TAKE MY WORD FOR IT) SO FIVE GALLONS = 1155 CUBIC INCHES

    NOW I'M GONNA CHICKEN OUT AND LET SOMEONE ELSE DESCRIBE THE DIFFERENCES THAT DIFFERENT SHAPES OF BUCKETS ARE GOING TO MAKE. THE SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF LEAD IS ABOUT 11.0 , SO 11 X 62.4 LB / CUBIC FOOT OF WATER = 686.4 LB / CF ; WHICH IS ABOUT THE DENSITY OF LEAD. WE HAVE 1155 CUBIC INCHES ( FIVE GALLONS) OF LEAD WHICH IS ACTUALLY ONLY 52.36 %LEAD AND THE REST AIR. SO, 1155 C.I. DIVIDED BY 1728 C.I. = .6684 CUBIC FT TIMES 686.4 LB/CF = 458.79 LB TIMES .5236 = 240.22 LBS

    SOMEONE CHECK ME ON THIS... I CAN SEE A PROBLEM AS THE SHOT SIZE GETS LARGER AND LARGER, BUT i THINK THIS SHOULD BE CLOSE.
    I'M DIZZY!
    Jon

  6. #86
    Boolit Grand Master

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    All I can say for sure is, that if you were to give me a solid 5gal bucket of lead, I'd have to say no thanks.
    At 70, my back is more valuable than lead. I do however have a crane on the back of the truck that is supposed to lift up to 1000lbs. It is really only good for about 550lbs. The mouting to the floor is the weak link. Next is the knuckle beater crank.
    I once collected 3 5gal buckets of range lead. By the time I got it unloaded, I was completely spent.
    BTW, Plastic buckets wont handle the weight they can contain. I always carry several empties to split up a big find.

  7. #87
    Boolit Mold

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    I am just getting started with this but I can still find them for 35-40 per bucket and they have weighed in at about 140-150 per. I am hoping to find a better source but for now it is cheaper than buying them precast.

  8. #88
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    You guys seem to have the theory down, but as it has been said “In theory, theory and practice are the same. In practice, they are not.”

    You need to consider the clips and trash. I get a large USPS box full of clips out of every 5 gallons.

    The "trash" in the bucket (from paper and valve cores/stems to zincs) adds up too.
    85 - 100 pounds is a realistic amount of lead from a 5 gallon bucket

  9. #89
    Boolit Master Tokarev's Avatar
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    I get rather close to 200 lb in a 5gal bucket. 100lb is too little.

  10. #90
    Boolit Buddy
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    Waaaaay too many variables...to come up with an average number...

    I sort at my tablesaw... I sort by sight, but they're adding variations to what zinc ww's look like.

    A quick test is to drop the ww onto the cast iron tablesaw top. Zinc pings and WW alloy thunks.

    I have taken to sorting into boolit casting alloy, zinc and pure lead stickons.

    I smelt on in a cast iron pot in turkey cooker. I run it cool and I've never (yet) melted a zinc WW into the mix. They all float on top when I am scooping clips and dirt off.

    I've got a metric buttload of steel clips left over and probably 100 lbs of zinc to recycle when it becomes important to do so.
    CARPE DIEM!.......

  11. #91
    Boolit Master at Heavens Range

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    Re: how many pounds in a 5gal bucket

    About 100 lbs if you're buying and 125 lbs if you're selling.

  12. #92
    Boolit Master

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    Junior has the best answer so far. It's like getting paid what you're worth instead of what you think you're worth.

  13. #93
    Boolit Master
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    Well, I'm no athlete or weight lifter but... (I'm 6'2", 215#, just under 40, and in fair shape). I can get a 5 gallon bucket of wheel weights lifted in the back of a pickup w/o issue. Lots of steel clips and air bewteen the weights. Now I do have a 5 gallon bucket of ignots stacked neatly in a 5 gallon bucket and it's all 2 men can do to scoot it across a concrete floor. Neither have ever been weighed at my house. But I'm tellin ya it would take a brutis to pick up that bucket of ignots much less get it lifted anywhere useful. I durn near busted my gizzard trying.

    Ebner

  14. #94
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I used to be 6'3" and 285, bullit proof, and could lift my weight, to chest high. It was fun to shame the other guys, but that was a long time ago. Now about 90-100 lbs is all I can lift, and thats not on to a truck. I have since wised up and installed a crain on the back of the truck.
    You'll pay for the grunt work you do. Pain and injury are the results of lifting more than you absolutely have to.
    Be smart and take a couple empty buckets, to split up the weight. They are standard equipment on my truck.[/B]

  15. #95
    Boolit Buddy
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    amen to that. just ask my PERMENANTELY hurtin back that now has 2 titanium rods, bolts, screws in it. 24/7, it hurts. no more 8' 4x4's around a construction site for me. what a dumb-***!
    ROF....Retired Old Fart
    Lincoln freed the slaves, obama freed the terrorists
    the wishbone will never replace the backbone

  16. #96
    Boolit Bub
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    Useful and interesting info.

  17. #97
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    Quote Originally Posted by mold maker View Post
    I used to be 6'3" and 285, bullit proof, and could lift my weight, to chest high. It was fun to shame the other guys, but that was a long time ago. Now about 90-100 lbs is all I can lift, and thats not on to a truck. I have since wised up and installed a crain on the back of the truck.
    You'll pay for the grunt work you do. Pain and injury are the results of lifting more than you absolutely have to.
    Be smart and take a couple empty buckets, to split up the weight. They are standard equipment on my truck.[/B]
    Straight on that .. I was foolish too.. if anyone could do something I could do it better and faster
    paying greatly for it now .. knees hurt , back hurts , 150 Lbs is about all I can lift before the back starts screaming

  18. #98
    Boolit Mold
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    when buying from my local recycler i usually get just a shade under 150lbs in a 5lb bucket if it is completely full. Usually a well filled bucket nets 135lbs.

  19. #99
    Boolit Man
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    After smelt, 80-120lbs of lead per.bucket depending on how many cigarette butts and valve stems are in the bucket. I could only find one shop to sell to me and they have 3 buckets every 6 momths for me. I set the price at 30 a bucket. Beats 1$ a pound from ebay and they love the price.

  20. #100
    Boolit Bub ShinyPartsUp's Avatar
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    Bad back here from a guy they used to call "The human crane". Getting a second opinion in 2 weeks on surgery for the 5 disks that are screwed up. Save your back.

    Last week I drove around and every shop seems to have a high value for a bucket of WW. Only one shop would sell to me -- but at $75 a bucket! I passed. But somebody is buying it, evidently. He called me a jerk when I was shocked at the price after I said, "No way at that price!"and walked away . I was honestly just very very surprised at the price.

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