Where do you buy tin?

[Rickk]

I have recently obtained several nice HP molds. In the past I have been satisfied with straight WWs but it seems these hollow points want some tin in order to perform properly.
Does anyone on this forum sell tin? Where are you guys getting it?

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Rotometals. Link on top of page. The stuff really costs though. You can try Pewter but I have no luck in finding any.

[Springfield]

I usually use 60/40 solder, usually bought here on this forum.

[arjacobson]

I use pewter.. been fairly lucky finding it here in Iowa

[Jailer]

I scored some drippings from a local radiator shop. Melted down about 2lbs of it last night and barely touched whats in the bucket. It's all 60/40 solder since the guy that owned the shop said he refused to use anything else but that.

I'm guessing I'll end up with about 10 to 15 lbs of solder by the time I'm done melting it all down and separating all the junk and dirt out.

[rockrat]

PM me with how much you need. Can send it flat rate box. Might take a little while to get there though. Its roughly 93% tin, rest antimony. $4 lb. Might have enough for you if you don't need too much.

[crabo]

I have a friend that is always going to garage and estate sales. He picks up solder for me for next to nothing.

One of these days I am going to melt a lot of it down and cast it with my 430 grain 45/70 six cavity mold and make boolits of tin to add to my pot as needed.

[Nora]

I use 95/5 lead free solder from the local hardware store. Last time I bought IIRC it was about $15 for a 1 lb spool.

Nora

[Russ in WY]

Midway sells It, 2 lbs 99.85 % Pure for $49.49.. + S/H....

[lwknight]

Forget Midway. They ar just a clearing house and have no idea of value and competition.

[onondaga]

If you have a scrap metal dealer within driving range, call them and ask if they have "block tin" they will know exactly what that is, it is pure tin from junked refrigeration units and usually sold at less than spot price per pound .

Gary

[lwknight]

Why is there " block tin " in refrigeration units? And what type units?
I have wrecked out several air conditioners and only found a lot of steel and copper.
If ars is tin in em thangs , I wanna know about it.

[onondaga]

Block tin:

It is tubing from older large coolers like beer coolers and is soft and feels like lead. This is mentioned specifically as a source for pure tin in the Lee Second Edition reloading manual on page 164. My local scrap dealer gets it on occasion. It is worth calling around for.

Gary

[fredj338]

I use 95/5 lead free solder from the local hardware store. Last time I bought IIRC it was about $15 for a 1 lb spool.

Nora
Rotometals is cheaper for block tin. I also find a lead/tin alloy expands better than ww alloy, which tends to fracture the nose & fragment. 25-1 ratio seems to work fine to 1250fps or so.

[onondaga]

Rotometals is cheaper for block tin. I also find a lead/tin alloy expands better than ww alloy, which tends to fracture the nose & fragment. 25-1 ratio seems to work fine to 1250fps or so.

Roto is expensive for tin when the scrap yard has it and it is $4/lb for scrap pure block tin tubing from beer coolers. The scrap dealers are worth a call for that and no shipping either. Roto is $14.99/pound today plus shipping. 01/06/11 That is over 300% difference for block tin.

Gary

[L1A1Rocker]

Block tin:

It is tubing from older large coolers like beer coolers and is soft and feels like lead. This is mentioned specifically as a source for pure tin in the Lee Second Edition reloading manual on page 164. My local scrap dealer gets it on occasion. It is worth calling around for.

Gary

LOL, I was thinking of small "blocks" of tin. (sorry, noob here). There are a couple of scrap yards here in Corpus so I may look them up for some of this.

Just so I'm straight on this, ask for "block tin" but it doesn't really come in blocks?

[onondaga]

Yup. That is right.

[nanuk]

two years ago, Canadian Tire Store had 5lb rolls of 50/50 solder on for $1.00/lb
I bought 10# as that was all they had.

our local scrap metal dealer does NOT sell a thing. they refuse to sell even scrap steel.
so much for Green Recycling!

onondaga, is that stuff ONLY in "commercial" coolers?

[onondaga]

Yea, Mostly Beer coolers from Bars, old ones. Oliver Street in N.Tonawanda, NY near my home once had the Guinness world record for most Bars in one mile. Maybe that is why my local Scrap dealer has it from time to time !!!

[winelover]

. Oliver Street in N.Tonawanda, NY near my home once had the Guinness world record for most Bars in one mile. Maybe that is why my local Scrap dealer has it from time to time !!!

How many bars would that be? Curious because Hamtramck (Michigan), which is about one square mile in area, had 138 bars at one time!

Winelover

[leadbutt]

Ive found a few fish on the "bay".


L.Bottoms

[onondaga]

I don't know how many Bars. Silly thing is that I would have never known that little tidbit about N.Tonawanda if I hadn't heard about on the Tonight Show on television years ago. It is just a street in town here with wall to wall bars. Most of them are closed now and have been converted to something else, but they thrived in the 60s and 70's.

Gary