Wheel Weights and EPA

[ballistim]

Well, you went to a recycler, instead of hitting the local tire shops yourself and making offers yourself. If you are lazy, you pay more. Simple as that.

I went today to a very small tire shop I've been to before. Not much at all. Today though 15 lbs of wheel weights. Not much in the larger view, but it's 15lbs (after sorting) I didn't have before.

I got it cheap, 30 cents a pound, because I made a contact and followed up.

15lbs here, 15lbs there. It adds up. Get off your ***, and you could do even better.

Maybe where you live it's like this, not everywhere is this true. I have gone to tire stores large & small and they do not sell weights. I drive all day & when I pass places I stop in and get one of a few often repeated answers; 1.) we already have someone, 2.) we're not allowed to sell to the public, 3.) we trade them to someone for new weights, 4.) we make our own new weights. On the rare occasion that I get buckets it is a waste of time with often over 50% zinc and has been picked through already so I end up paying more to get less & have to take the time to sort them. Be thankful if you've had good luck instead of being critical of others since you don't not know what it's like everywhere else.

[scottfire1957]

Oh, I heard a lot of those "we sell, trade, recycle" statements. Keep digging. It's out there.

It can be difficult, it's work. But it can be done.

[mold maker]

Aint nothing like it used to be, and It Will Get Worse. Better quit your belly aching and get what ya can now. If politics has anything to do with it, all lead will be off limits soon, and what ya have will have to last.
I've preached to the choir for years about laying in a supply. My supply is in tonnage, and if I never find another WW, I'll have enough to supply my family for their life time. However I still look out the window and stop for weights at intersections, and approach tire dealers.
No mine aren't for sale.
If ya think it's hard now, just wait a few years and listen to the cry. Without the free and cheap supplies, guess where the price at alloy dealers will go.
What will your molds be worth when they are only collector items? That's what they will be without lead.

[Beesdad]

Aint nothing like it used to be, and It Will Get Worse. Better quit your belly aching and get what ya can now. If politics has anything to do with it, all lead will be off limits soon, and what ya have will have to last.
I've preached to the choir for years about laying in a supply. My supply is in tonnage, and if I never find another WW, I'll have enough to supply my family for their life time. However I still look out the window and stop for weights at intersections, and approach tire dealers.
No mine aren't for sale.
If ya think it's hard now, just wait a few years and listen to the cry. Without the free and cheap supplies, guess where the price at alloy dealers will go.
What will your molds be worth when they are only collector items? That's what they will be without lead.

Mold Maker... Outstanding advice... Be assured that some of the choir hears your..

[Beesdad]

Maybe where you live it's like this, not everywhere is this true. I have gone to tire stores large & small and they do not sell weights. I drive all day & when I pass places I stop in and get one of a few often repeated answers; 1.) we already have someone, 2.) we're not allowed to sell to the public, 3.) we trade them to someone for new weights, 4.) we make our own new weights. On the rare occasion that I get buckets it is a waste of time with often over 50% zinc and has been picked through already so I end up paying more to get less & have to take the time to sort them. Be thankful if you've had good luck instead of being critical of others since you don't not know what it's like everywhere else.

I have been scrounging for wheel weights for more that 30 years... Thought that I had heard every justification for not sell their weights...

I have never heard "we make our own new ones"... Well all I can say they sure are getting creative with their excuses -

[ballistim]

I have been scrounging for wheel weights for more that 30 years... Thought that I had heard every justification for not sell their weights...

I have never heard "we make our own new ones"... Well all I can say they sure are getting creative with their excuses -

That was a local truck repair shop at a truck stop next to the freeway, told them I'd never heard that one either, used to love those big truck weights back in the day..

[ballistim]

I've had good luck at two local scrapyards and have bought scrap lead roof flashing & counterweights from factories that come in. One puts Lino, mono type & bar solder aside for me, and another will let me go through their COWW's to pick out the ones I want, they don't care if they are zinc or not. I'm glad some of you are able to find what you want at tire stores, I've gone a different route & I pay from 45 to 80 cents a lb. right now. Hats off to you if you're doing better than I am but I've layed up a pretty good supply this way.

[dtknowles]

Oh, I heard a lot of those "we sell, trade, recycle" statements. Keep digging. It's out there.

It can be difficult, it's work. But it can be done.

It does not take many hours of effort to make it a better deal to work for pay and buy your lead.

Tim

[smkummer]

Here in So. Indiana, two different tire shops are producing buckets that after smelting, we are still over 75% in lead ingots from all types of wheel weights. Mostly clip on, some stick on. BHN of 12 or 20 if water dropped. I am saving the zink to cast 1" cannon balls (still need a mold) and all steel goes back to recycling for about $5 per 5 gal. bucket.

[Side by Side]

Wheel weight are getting hard to locate

[RogerDat]

Well, you went to a recycler, instead of hitting the local tire shops yourself and making offers yourself. If you are lazy, you pay more. Simple as that.

I went today to a very small tire shop I've been to before. Not much at all. Today though 15 lbs of wheel weights. Not much in the larger view, but it's 15lbs (after sorting) I didn't have before.

I got it cheap, 30 cents a pound, because I made a contact and followed up.

15lbs here, 15lbs there. It adds up. Get off your ***, and you could do even better.

While I totally support the concept of a little here and a little there as a way to build up a stash I too have a problem with calling someone lazy because the buy from scrap yards rather than tire stores.

A few things you may not be aware of or considered.

• Many areas the scrap yards won't sell to the public so taking advantage of a scrap yard as a lead source is something that many would be overjoyed to have as an option.
• In many parts of the country the ratio of lead to steel and zinc WW's is horrible which was the point of the original post.
• Depending on how many small independent tire stores are around and their driving distances it may well be much more efficient and cost effective to drive to single location (scrap yard) to get 100% useable lead WW's. in decent quantity.
• A lot of good alloys go through the scrap yard. A long term relationship with them can also yield dividends. I can think of a couple of times they have repaid my donuts by setting aside such items as two casting ladles, or three boxes of 500 38 special SWC lasercast for me to purchase at scrap lead price. The Babbitt and body solder was appreciated too.

Let us do a little math using the OP lead to junk ratios. That would be only 1/3 usable WW's apply that to your 15 lb. purchase at 30 cents a lb. and you would be paying 90 cents lb. for the lead which is considerably more than the 65 cents a lb. from the scrap yard for sorted all lead WW's which you suggest the member get off their Lazy *** so they can do better as you do.

I have too have found stores that won't sell or that have prior arrangements with casters known to the shop. I have also found tire stores where the majority of the WW's are not lead. If you are lucky enough to have a source or two be it tire store or scrap yard I say use it if it works for you and ignore people who give you grief over it.

[fragman]

Time is money. Its a cliche, but its true. I didnt get into casting to save money, I got into it to have fun. Trawling tire stores to save 30-60 cents a pound, or 1-2 cents a boolit, for me, is not a return on my investment of time. Especially considering fuel costs, wear and tear etc. Some may like the 'thrill of the chase' hunting down cheap lead and thats fine. I do not. i dont clip coupons either.

We have a finite number of minutes on this earth. Rather use as many of them as possible doing something I like.

Some may call it lazy. I call it quality of life.

[scottfire1957]

My time away from work is my time. I ain't getting paid. I don't charge myself an hourly wage. I could be mowing the yard, or washing the car, or straightening my stereo wires OR checking places for wheel weights.

Up to you I guess.

[coffeeguy]

I still grab stickys for hand casting soft stuff but in all honesty, I buy ead a ton at a time and have it shipped freight for my bullet master and can get deeply discounted prices at the ton mark. Hardball for plinking and soft stuff for hunting. Probably fire 1000 plinkers for every 1 fired on stand probably even more. Think about it.....by the time you drive to recycler, sort, smelt, and organize, you probably have just as much in it. Less messy and guaranteed proper alloy. How much is your time worth?

Plus one to you too, Scottfire...When prices are low, I certainly see kweidner's wisdom in buying bulk. That's how the big boys do it, agreeing on a certain quantity, for a certain term, at a certain price. And this last go-round, the time I spent sorting did not pay off well at all, the best I can hope for is to recoup some of my losses by smelting & selling the zinc.

Now, on the other hand, yes, 15 pounds here and there definitely adds up, as does going out and networking. I pay .30/lb at the scrap yard, they buy for .15/lb....So, it holds that if I go to the local tire guy who sells to the scrap yard for .15 and offer him .20/lb, for just his lead WW's, we both win.

Two very good points of view, two perspectives, and they both work. I've never tried berm-mining, but who knows?

[dtknowles]

There is more than one way to skin a cat. It is legitimate to get your lead in the manner you prefer. Calling people lazy.....is tempting other to name calling as well, could be considered trolling. Leave off the name calling and explain why you think your approach is better using a constructive voice is a service to the forum.

It is not lazy if I decide to buy my bullets.

It is not lazy if I decide to by my lead or alloy.

I am not special if I scrounge my lead from Tire Dealers.

Some people think I am special when I mine the berms at the range (it is not a compliment).

It is normal to defend oneself when someone criticizes your posts but it is special to admit a mistake or acknowledge the opposing point of view.

Yes, with a little more effort some people might be able to get a much better deal on their lead if the work the tire dealers, their mileage may vary. Most of the more experience members have been down that road and know the results for their area. Might be different for new members.

Tim

[ballistim]

There is more than one way to skin a cat. It is legitimate to get your lead in the manner you prefer. Calling people lazy.....is tempting other to name calling as well, could be considered trolling. Leave off the name calling and explain why you think your approach is better using a constructive voice is a service to the forum.

It is not lazy if I decide to buy my bullets.

It is not lazy if I decide to by my lead or alloy.

I am not special if I scrounge my lead from Tire Dealers.

Some people think I am special when I mine the berms at the range (it is not a compliment).

It is normal to defend oneself when someone criticizes your posts but it is special to admit a mistake or acknowledge the opposing point of view.

Tim

Excellent! Exactly what was needed here, shouldn't be an "us against them" mentality to the subject here as the goal for each of us is to have sufficient lead on hand & I'm pretty sure we all agree on that. I'm always open to new & creative ways to come up with lead, now if I can only find a nice sailboat keel weight & figure how to get it home...

[Hardcast416taylor]

About twice a year I pick up the pail of scrap weights from my friends car dealership. I get about a 3/4 full 5 gal. pail each time. Yes, the percentage of non lead weights is getting toward 50% or more now. For free though I guess I shouldn`t complain, besides I sell the non lead weights to the local scrap yard when I have a big enough pile.Robert

[scottfire1957]

Point taken. Apologies to all.

[fragman]

Another way to look at it is that those of us that prefer to not go trawling the tire dealers leave more for those who do. So everyone wins.

[ballistim]

We're all in different situations & usually I have to work so much overtime that I have little time on my hands & have to try to make best use of my time. I applaud scottfire1957 & other's hard work put into scrounging wheel weights, just as I respect those like myself that other options are best. Hey, it's all good here!