Get what you think you can use then get some more, don't make the mistake I did. A couple of years ago I had all the WW I could use and then some, as a local garage gave me about 15lbs a month. Then the guy I dealt with left and I now find I'm unable to get ANY WW at all. I have a couple hundred pounds of lead and about 40lbs WW and that's it. It's impossible to find any WW up here now. Do yourself a favour, GET SOME MORE.
I've got about 600# of wheel weights and 200# of reclaimed range scrap. It's enough for quite a while, but it isn't stopping me from looking for more.
Due to market fluctuations I am no longer buying range scrap jackets.
Sic gorgiamus allos subjectatos nunc
how much do i have, about 150 pounds, how much do i think is enough? 2-3000 pounds. my excuse for this? i am just getting started, and i am on a fixed income, so, if i am lucky, i get to buy 1 or 2 5 gallon buckets a month. as far as storage goes, i like to store the ingots in the 5 gallon bucket that they came from. this might have to change as i get more lead ingots.
Xwrench - Milk crates make good storage for lead ingots. I read on another thread that a milk crate would hold over 700 lbs of lead. Better put it where you want it before loading.And a five gallon bucket would hold more!
I think i've got enough.
About 1400lbs of WW type alloy.
About 700lbs of pure lead
40lbs of 6% antimony type lead
35lbs of linotype
Even though this should last me the rest of my life, I still won't turn it down if I see a good deal for more.
P.S. I've also got a big stash of solder. About 100lbs of 63/37.
Ole, I ran the numbers on the alloy calculator in Reloaders Reference. If you mixed all of it together you have less than 1% tin. You need more solder. You are not out of the hunt yet.
That would be one BIG pot of alloy though. I am envious of having that large a stash. I'll just have to keep looking.
Yeah I took the bull by the horns with the WW/California situation coming up. I even sold my stash of 3000 rounds of SKS ammo to help pay for my lead hoard.Originally Posted by SciFiJim
somewheres in the general vicinity of 1500-3000 lbs, it changes periodically, as I reclaim lead from berms (contractually that is), and then sell a lot of it.
I store the lead on 3 metal shelving units, can fit about 300lbs/shelf, units are 5 shelves high, so only have room for about 4500lbs but..... might have to go to the milk crates.
SON OF A GUN!!!!
Before reading this thread I was unaware of the CA activity against WW lead/freedom. Last week I traded off 1200# of WW, although it was a good trade at the time. Now after reading the thread, I realize I may have let go of a safety cushion/peace of mind.
I'll just have to keep on keeping on.........AND REPLENISH THE STOCK!
That, fortunately, was NOT all I had.
For those of you out there looking for another source of Pb....... If you live in an oil producing area, check into the oil well service businesses and the "oil rats" for BABBIT. Babbit is a lead alloy with some copper in it. The copper can be removed from the alloy and the remaining melt is castable.
Earlier this year when asking a tire shop's neighboring business how I could contact the tire shop's owner (they were closed for the day), they asked why I wanted to get in touch with him. I told them I was looking to get any unwanted WW for casting "objects for artistic purposes".
The man said, "Hell! If you're looking for lead, follow me!"
He took me around back behind the shop and showed me a humongous stalagmite pile of babbit under the edge of the workbench. It weighed, I'm guessing 700+ #. They loaded it into the back of my truck with their forklift. I also, got almost another 100# of pieces and clumps just scattered here and there on the ground behind their building.
The man said he did not have a clue what he was going to do with all of that scrap. He was hoping that some wandering fool would come by and take it off his hands. He thanked me for stopping by and I in turn thanked him as well.
Several months later, I went back and got another 80# or so.
If I remember correctly, the Lyman Cast "Boolit" Handbook-Third Edition, tells how to make the allow useable by removing most of the copper. This is found on page 50 in the paragraph titled, "Copper".
I'm just hoping what I have is the TIN-based babbit as described in THE book.
HOPE THIS HELPS!!
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