5 gal pail of ww

[Rickf1985]

I often see it suggested that melting WW at temperatures lower than the zinc melting point would avoid the risk of contamination. Just as often I wonder how one controls the temperature on the bottom of a big pot with 50-100 pounds of WW piled up in it.

I suppose that you could melt a very shallow pile such that you could see the WW on the bottom melting, but it seems like that would be a very long and expensive day heating, cooling, adding, repeat…

What am I missing?

I simply keep the heat turned down so it is not overheating the bottom, Plus I start stirring as soon as I get enough liquid to do so. I have never melted a zinc yet, they all float to the top with the clips. That is not to say I do not check them, I do. But we all are going to miss one or two. And I do not put the whole load in at once. I will add 20 lbs. or so each time after I scoop out the trash and flux. I will end up with a hundred lbs. in the pot eventually but not all at once.

[lsippell]

Just the other day I niped a 5 gal bucket of ww. I also stuck a thermister connected to a PID so I could watch the temperature which I kept at 650 to 700 on a gas burner. Even after nipping what I thought was every one, I still had 1 zinc float up!
I think next time, since I was able to keep the temperature under 700 I'll just go for floaters. My hand is still sore from those side cutters!

[Rickf1985]

You still need to check them, too many and they will keep you from circulating the lead and they will melt on the bottom. It is a balancing act.

[Jellyroll]

Yup, I just finished up smelting about 3000 pounds of ww and just keep the heat low. Skim off the Zink!

[ebb]

I picked up one of my buckets I leave by the tire machine at the custom truck shop in town. Five gallon Lowes bucket between 1/2 and 3/4s full, way more steel than ever before. 8 0ne pound ingots of COWW and 23 one pound ingots of stick SOWW. Some where I read that the clip on were harder than stick on and my testing seems to bear this out. They use the stick on weights, on huge aluminum wheels and they bend and mash easy. 31lbs of lead doesn't seem like much, but it is free so I will continue. Jelly 3000 lbs REALLY??? WOW does that make a lifetime supply for you???

[Rickf1985]

I did 1900 lbs. a few years ago and added to what I already had I have around 2400 lbs. of WW ingots. You never have enough, it is good trading material, and getting better all the time as lead dries up.

[wmitty]

By far the easiest/fastest way to check a wheel weight is to use your hands to bend it. It soon becomes obvious which ones are zinc, as they will not bend. The smaller ones might need to be gripped with channel locks in order to bend ‘em.

[ulav8r]

Fastest/easiest way to check wheel weights is to scrape them across the edge of a chunk/fabrication of steel with a square/sharp edge, something heavy enough to not move easily. Just a quick light scrape will expose bright lead or have no effect on zinc or steel weights.

[Rickf1985]

By far the easiest/fastest way to check a wheel weight is to use your hands to bend it. It soon becomes obvious which ones are zinc, as they will not bend. The smaller ones might need to be gripped with channel locks in order to bend ‘em.

You must have some really big arms if you are bending 1.5 oz. or smaller wheel weights. Or the bigger 8-16oz. ones for that matter.

[wmitty]

Rick1985: I’m 71 and the local scrapyard lets me go thru their scrap bins of wheel weights and of course a lot of zinc and steel are included nowadays. I’ve tried to explain to the owner that the zinc is a concern for me but of course they aren’t interested. I believe they think I am insane. Fine with me, as they were gonna sell me the clip on wheel weights for 10 cents per pound. I agreed to this price but the owner drove up and insisted that 30 cents per pound was as low as he would go. I paid twenty something dollars for 67 lbs of coww. The bins are 4’ x 4’ x 2’ deep and it takes a while to dig down thru the coww, zinc and iron weights and the stick on weights. The young men working there are sure I am nuts; so I try to sing out loud and slobber a bit when I pay up. But I sure was looking forward to bragging on here about paying $0.10 per lb for coww in 2024! Big disappointment!
ulav8r : I now realize you are correct; your test method is easier than what I attempted to describe!

[fredj338]

I often see it suggested that melting WW at temperatures lower than the zinc melting point would avoid the risk of contamination. Just as often I wonder how one controls the temperature on the bottom of a big pot with 50-100 pounds of WW piled up in it.

I suppose that you could melt a very shallow pile such that you could see the WW on the bottom melting, but it seems like that would be a very long and expensive day heating, cooling, adding, repeat…

What am I missing?

Stir it often. Once the solids start to melt, start stirring.

[fredj338]

You must have some really big arms if you are bending 1.5 oz. or smaller wheel weights. Or the bigger 8-16oz. ones for that matter.

Well a long 8oz weight is easy to bend. Anything much smaller, you need a vise or two pliers.