Latest Bucket of Used WW

[mfraser264]

Ended up with a 195 pounds of used WW for $50.00 back a few months. Ending up with 90% lead weights. Less zinc this time but now seeing more steel. first time seeing zinc stick on weights. Ends up at 26.5 cents a pound, reasonable. We scrap the steel and sort the zinc and get a couple of dollars back too. Sort the zinc into old clean diecast and irony diecast(clip on zinc weights), brings in a bit more from the scrap yard. Very little junk and only a few valve stems.

[lightman]

Thats a good yield. I've also been finding more steel than zinc. I see that as a good thing, as a missed steel weight won't melt.

[fredj338]

You are doing well above average. Out here, not even worth the time to sort, far too much zinc & steel.

[SirNomad]

Hey guys, I'm new here, but have been reading the forums for a while. I have to say, I envy the amount of lead y'all are getting from these tire shops (at least those of you not in Kalifornia). Here in Tucson, I can't get tire shops to give, or even sell, me any scrap lead...and the scrap yards want to charge me $1/pound for dirty lead, so I just have to envy y'all. And continue my search...

[RogerDat]

Hey guys, I'm new here, but have been reading the forums for a while. I have to say, I envy the amount of lead y'all are getting from these tire shops (at least those of you not in Kalifornia). Here in Tucson, I can't get tire shops to give, or even sell, me any scrap lead...and the scrap yards want to charge me $1/pound for dirty lead, so I just have to envy y'all. And continue my search...

Skip the big chain tire stores, corporate office controls how they dispose of scrap WW's. You need to find the small shops, privately owned. One good place to look is the Yellow pages for shops that sell used tires. A place that sells used is probably independent and probably does tires for a fair number of older cars. New cars come from factory with zinc or steel. But the tire store replaces that first set of tires and uses lead weights (assuming they are allowed) This means the more "third" tires they install the more lead from prior replacement tires will be in the bucket. Place where everyone takes their new car will have.... you guessed it lots of zinc and steel from the factory tires being pulled off.

Good hunting and don't get too discouraged. Also before you pay someone $1 a pound for raw WW's or even much over 70 cents a pound consider buying WW lead in the swapping and selling forum here. Several members sell WW's cleaned and cast into ingots for pretty close to $1 a pound delivered to your door. If you factor in cost of propane to smelt the WW's driving around to collect them and your time then that $1 a pound is pretty good deal.

If you can budget buying a bit more than you need on a regular basis over time you will end up with a significant stash saved up. If you- shoot 20 lbs a month but go to S&S forum and buy 63# MFRB of lead for $70 every month or two you will have between 270 and 516 lbs of lead in your stash by the end of the year. In short enough to continue shooting 20# a month for 1 to 2 years in reserve. If the entire time you are doing that slow and steady build up you keep looking for a good deal, getting the word our, checking at scrap yards.... you may find a lucky score along the way to really boost your stash. Bunch of solder or printers lead like linotype. Maybe a batch of pewter at a garage sale.

Slow and steady handles your bread and butter, constant looking and searching is what turns up some tasty desert once in awhile. I think it was out Arizona way that a fellow walked into a scrap yard and found 400# of high tin solder for scrap lead prices. I think he buys most of his regular casting alloy at Rotometals to get foundry lead at retail prices. But looks for the good stuff or the good deals all the time. Bread & Butter + occasional dessert.

I just noticed you are from Mich. too.