Would this be worth picking up?

[dunkel]

Saw this ad on craigslist

http://atlanta.craigslist.org/atl/atq/2178604452.html

In an email, they said it's a bunch if letters and that the drawer may weight up to 35lbs.

Would it be worth making an offer on this stuff? What exactly would I do with it?

Thanks

[bumpo628]

That is a pretty good price for monotype lead. It's composition should be 9% Tin, 19% Antimony, 72% Lead.

35 lbs is enough to mix with about 300-350 lbs of pure lead to get an alloy that would be similar to wheel weights. Go get it!

[Hickory]

I'd jump on it with both feet.
Buy it all even if you had to borrow the money.

[*Paladin*]

Buy it! Lino and mono are hard to come by!

[KYCaster]

Buy it for the lead then sell the drawer. Some I had went for $25 each at a craft show. I've seen them priced higher in antique shops.

Jerry

[dunkel]

I offered her $35, she countered with $35 for the drawer but no lead. I said ok, I'll give you $20 for the lead and you can go sell the drawer for $35. She says no lead without drawer. Ok, fine, so we're back to the original $50.

I'm meeting her tomorrow to pick it up. Might give the drawer as a gift to my mom as a shadowbox.

[dunkel]

Went and got it. It's just shy of 35lb with the drawer. Quite an assortment of letters.

So I showed up and the chick and the guy she was with were kinda, um...hippie-like. I had to think quick. When she asked what I was going to do with it, I said "oh, I'm just a collector". Then she said she'll have some wood type for sale soon and had some information of a "liberty press", whatever that is. I told her, sure, shoot me an email. Then she said she might have some more lead type for sale soon, too, and I told her I was definitely interested in that. So hopefully I can score another load soon.

Anyway, I'm glad I was able to pick it up. I don't have 300lb of pure lead to mix it with just yet, but I'm slowly accumulating everything.

One question, though...there are a bunch of what look like spacer pieces. No letters. Some pieces are the same size as the blocks with letters, but there are also just little slivers. Thin strips. Are these just the same as the rest of it? I mean, can I melt it down with the rest? Just wasn't sure if they'd use a different type of metal for them or something.

Thanks

[sargenv]

Thin strips is usually linotype... and usually made of similar materials..

[bumpo628]

As said above the thin strips may be linotype, but it could be monotype too.
I don't have a hardness tester, but you can try a spring loaded punch on the two types to see the relative hardness. Harder material will make a smaller diameter hole. Try it on a cast boollit too for comparison.
If it is softer, I would smelt it separate and mix accordingly.

[bigjake]

Whats the difference between mono and lino??

[bumpo628]

Whats the difference between mono and lino??

Linotype - (4% Tin, 12% Antimony, 84% Lead), Brinell 19
Monotype - (9% Tin, 19% Antimony, 72% Lead), Brinell 26

[badbob454]

Type metal compositions Alloy type Tin Antimony Lead Comments
Slugcasting alloy 3% 11% 86% Ludlow/Intertype/Linotype composition for limited use and for making stereos
Eutectic alloy 4% 12% 84% Often used on slug casters and for Monotype/Elrod spacing material
Stereotype alloy 7% 15% 78% More durable intended for long print runs and curved printing plates
Monotype alloy 10% 16% 74% Most durable machine set intended to be remelted, sometimes hand set
Foundry type alloy 18% 28% 54% Traditional loose hand set type, may contain some copper
.................................................. .................................................. .................................................. .........

Monotype..........Type 1.....Type 2 *....Type 3 *....Type 4...........Average...........Bhn
...Lead (Pb)........79.0%.....74.0%.......72.0%........64. 0%...........73.0%
...Antimony (Sb).15.0%.....16.0%.......19.0%........24.0%..... ......17.5%
...Tin (Sn).............6.0%.....10.0%.........9.0%...... ..12.0%.............9.5%...........28
* Most common types--used for average

Linotype............Standard
...Lead (Pb)..........84.0%
...Antimony (Sb)...12.0%
...Tin (Sn)...............4.0%........................... .................................................. ...22
all good sources for bullet casting alloys some variation in metals but gets you in the ballpark

[10 ga]

Back in "64" when I took "print shop" one semester some of the the thin spacers were brass or copper, some were "tinned" and some not, the thicker ones were same as the type. If they are not "type" they'll come out in the flux/skim. 10

[44magLeo]

In the stickys there is a thread on using pencils to check hardness. Use pencils to test the spacers and letters. sort by hardness. Melt each hardness as a batch and mark ingots with the hardness. Then you can mix as needed to get the blend you want.