Lynotype??

[Ledhead]

I have been given an ingot of lead from an unknown source by a coworker to test out and make an offer if I wanted the rest of it. I think it's lyno but figured I'd ask here to see what the consensus of others was.


Attributes of the ingot are as follows:

When cooling the lead down from a molten state the "slurry" point was about 550° and the solid state was about 540°

Was able to get fully filled boolits with a pot temp around 600° and beautiful boolits at 650°

When dropped on concrete the ingot made a ring rather than a thud and bounced

Water dropped boolits were hard enough that it took quite a bit of effort to scratch them with an aluminum bar

Known mold that drops 264-266gr boolits from COWW with a bit of tin was making 258-259gr boolits

The guy would like to get $150 for approximately 240lbs of ingots. I'm jumping on this deal but would like to know if my suspicion of it being lyno is reasonably correct.

[Bad Ass Wallace]

I have been given an ingot of lead from an unknown source by a coworker to test out and make an offer if I wanted the rest of it. I think it's lyno but figured I'd ask here to see what the consensus of others was.


Attributes of the ingot are as follows:

When cooling the lead down from a molten state the "slurry" point was about 550° and the solid state was about 540°

Was able to get fully filled boolits with a pot temp around 600° and beautiful boolits at 650°

When dropped on concrete the ingot made a ring rather than a thud and bounced

Water dropped boolits were hard enough that it took quite a bit of effort to scratch them with an aluminum bar

Known mold that drops 264-266gr boolits from COWW with a bit of tin was making 258-259gr boolits

The guy would like to get $150 for approximately 240lbs of ingots. I'm jumping on this deal but would like to know if my suspicion of it being lyno is reasonably correct.

Could well be linotype!

[USSR]

For 63 cents a pound, as long as it's lead, it's well worth it. Sounds like linotype, but at the very least, it's really hard lead.

Don

[rancher1913]

for that price it dont matter if its lino or not, buy it.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

If it has a slushy stage, it's not linotype.

Linotype is the most common and popular of the type metals used for bullet casting. At 84% lead, 12% antimony and 4% tin, lino is a eutectic alloy meaning that it melts and freezes at one temperature (464º) with no slushy stage, just as single metals such as tin.

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm

[Dusty Bannister]

Known mold that drops 264-266gr boolits from COWW with a bit of tin was making 258-259gr boolits Difference of about 6 grains

Lyman CBH #3 chart shows:
COWW at 272 gr, #2 alloy at 264 gr and Lino at 256 gr. Difference of about 16 gr.

Good price for casting alloy that is probably not lino based only upon weight of the samples you tested. It would be similar to Lyman #2 in weight. A hardness test may help. XRF scan would be proof positive.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

How accurate is your thermometer? Some 1000º analog thermometers could be 50º in the range you are measuring.

Maybe those ingots are COWW, as COWW has a solidus state is 463º and is slushy until it's liquidus state at 505º

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[Slugster]

Jump on that deal before it gets away.

[bangerjim]

Buy it, no matter what form of Pb it is. Worry about % make-up later with an x-ray analysis.

Touch, feel, sound, looks, weight are only a wild guess stab and not worth the effort.

[Conditor22]

this is an economical way to help determine what bhn the alloy is

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-testing-trick

I take the pencils with me whenever I go buy "mystery lead"

[redhawk0]

Sounds like COWW to me. In any event...buy it....it's a good deal...unless it has zinc in it. Then it becomes more work....it sounds like it's pretty good if you've already casted with success.

I agree with GRMPS...try the pencil bhn test for starters.

redhawk

[GregLaROCHE]

Any chance it’s zinc?

[bangerjim]

Drip some battery acid on it and if it bubbles up it it Zn. I keep a bottle of it (stored away from steel & tools!) in the shop just for such tests.

[Dusty Bannister]

Why would anyone need to test for zinc if it already has proven to be a good casting alloy and no issues?

[bangerjim]

Someone asked the the question..................I simply answered the question.

banger

[Dusty Bannister]

I was looking at post #11 and #12 more than the reply on how to test. It was to address WHY test for zinc if it is already casting without any suggestion of contamination.

[redhawk0]

My comment was just a simple comment that if it had zinc it wasn't a good deal...but then I clarified that comment by starting the OP already casted with success. I never suggested that it be tested for zinc.

I've seen so many people think they are finding a good deal on WW but then are disappointed when they make the purchase and find it won't cast due to contamination. I just wanted to bring it up for anyone stopping by this thread thinking COWW are always a good deal....sometimes?...not.

redhawk

[bangerjim]

I was looking at post #11 and #12 more than the reply on how to test. It was to address WHY test for zinc if it is already casting without any suggestion of contamination.

You can cast good boolits with up to 5% Zn and do nothing else to the mix like adding more Zn. I have done it, tested it, and it does work. Don't let a little Zn in there make you think you have a bad alloy. The lower drop weight from his KNOWN mold alludes to the idea it is NOT pure Pb or COWW's or even lino. Zn is lighter than Pb and enough of it in there, with some added Sn to lower the surface tension of the mix, will cast perfect, yet lighter boolits.

That is why I always say.....stop all this guessing and dropping and ringing, pencil scratching, boolit weighing, etc and get it analyzed with an x-ray gun. That is the ONLY ABSOLUTE way of ever knowing what is ACTUALLY in there.

All my many alloy stashes are analyzed that way.


ps............

I have read elsewhere guys are casting PURE Zn boolits and they shoot just fine, if the lower weight is compensated for by adjusted in the powder load.

[bangerjim]

My comment was just a simple comment that if it had zinc it wasn't a good deal...but then I clarified that comment by starting the OP already casted with success. I never suggested that it be tested for zinc.

I've seen so many people think they are finding a good deal on WW but then are disappointed when they make the purchase and find it won't cast due to contamination. I just wanted to bring it up for anyone stopping by this thread thinking COWW are always a good deal....sometimes?...not.

redhawk

Perfect answer! There are total idiots out there that, to make a buck, will melt anything that looks like Pb COWW's and sell them as PURE COWW's to unsuspecting or non-enlightened buyers. Ebay is actually evil incarnate.

Stick with vendors on here we all can trust, if in doubt. We have ways of dealing with crooks on here!!!!!

[redhawk0]

Agreed...I'd never buy lead off Ebay...I get mine from a mechanic in raw form for FREE...I got two FULL 5 gallon buckets last fall, however, its hardly free when you put in 7 hours of testing each weight with side cutters, sorting as you to, then another 4 hours to melt it all, clean, stir, clean again...then cast into muffin tins....10-12 hours of work...for FREE wheel weights....its a good thing its a hobby.

BTW...I finally got it all finished just this weekend. I ended up with 202lbs of clean muffins of COWW. While I was at it...I did my plumbers lead/roofers lead melt for another 25 lbs and then the pewter...for another 11 lbs.

It was a busy weekend.

redhawk