How do We ID Zinc?

[stainless1911]

Just like the title says. My exclusive source for alloy has to be WW and range scrap, can't afford to buy anything. So far, I have about 80 pounds. I sort out the FE weights, and once in a while I find one with the clip stuck to the back, but everything else gets melted in an iron skillet. If it floats, it gets tossed, but I've only had a couple do that. So, how do I ID zinc, and what do I do about it?

What will zinc do to a cast boolet?

[a.squibload]

Search this forum for "zinc", lots of discussion on that.
Here's one thread:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=97027

Around 2% zinc in your melt will make it slushy and unpourable, or so I've heard!

[*Paladin*]

In my first couple buckets of sorting WW's, about 95% of the zinc weights have a ZN on them and ALL of them were painted a light grey color. I'm still new at this, but the ZN that slipped thru the cracks floated like a champ on the lead, so it was obvious to me what it was.

[Markbo]

My first couple buckets of wheel weights I took a st of dykes and tried to cut every weight. The lead ones clipped easily, the zinc ones were hard... very hard. I found it about 101% easier to just throw the whole lot into the pot and fish out the floating zinc weights. Kept to normal lead melting temperature, I see no chance the zinc will melt into the liquid since it's melting point is 787°F and lead is 621°F - about of course.

[WHITETAIL]

Yes, I do the same thing.
I take out what I can.
The rest get taken out whrn I smelt.:cbpour:

[fryboy]

zinc as noted is harder than lead ( last time i checked it was also worth a few more pennies per pound on the scrap market but that changes daily ) where lead will cut with a knife zinc will be lucky to even scrape with a knife , a quick i.d. in zinc ww's usually shows a rivet type attachment vs. the molded/cast in that lead alloys have , between the cut test and the visual i.d. i've been fortunate and have never found a zinc floater tho i admit that i did have two iron floaters , i've seen all varieties painted so that's not a given such as the cut test ( btw ? Fe weights dont cut worth a darn either and i have to confess that the Fe tape ons look like a better alloy than mere iron )