A Business Opportunity - Lead wire.

[BwBrown]

Have any of you been watching ebay lately?

If someone can extrude lead wire - it's going for 3 plus bucks a pound!

As recently as a month ago, someone had wire drawn to order for 119 dollars for a 50 pound spool. He's gone apparently, and lately soft lead wire has gone the way of gasoline! Right now there are several 10 pound lots - at east one of them is being bid up over 31 dollars!

I'll take mine in 1# ingots for a buck, thank you.
Bob

[ANeat]

Lead wire has always been high. Its tough (expensive) drawing out 25 pounds in one continuous stream.

Ive drawn short lengths but honestly just casting the cores seems faster

[teddyblu]

Bruno shooters supply says 129.00 for 50# spool. not sure how current price is, but he is usually up to date.

[BwBrown]

Lead wire has always been high. Its tough (expensive) drawing out 25 pounds in one continuous stream.

Ive drawn short lengths but honestly just casting the cores seems faster


I know nothing of the extruding process, but I agree - casting cores is certainly the most economical.

Is there a web link to the supplier noted above?
Bob

[teddyblu]

http://www.brunoshooters.com/Merchant2/merchant.mv?Screen=SFNT&Store_Code=BSS

[ANeat]

Several guys here have extruded lead wire, I think KTN had a sweet setup, one guy used a log splitter, I used a 20 ton shop press.

You basicly mash a bigger hunk of lead thru a smaller hole

[BwBrown]

Does anyone have any drawings or plans to build the dies?

[Smokin7mm]

I had a machinest friend of mine made my die. Basicly it is about 2" diameter with a 3/4" bore. Think he made it out of 4340 HT. I used a 3/4" grade 8 bold shank for the plunger. On the top of the die it is threaded for inserts for the different diameters of wire I want. I used 1/2" grade 5 cap screws with the hole drilled to the wire size. It is counter bored on the top of the die and the end of the screw is turn down to fit. I tapered and polished the entrance to the hole for reducing friction. My frame is made from two pieces of channel conndected by rods threaded on each end to capture the angle. I use a 20ton air/hydraulic jack to do the work. My billets are about 2" in length of which I get about 18-20" of wire. Feeding one after another yeilds continious wire. I posted pictures a while back on a thread.

[alfloyd]

Here is a link to the setup I made and posted here last year.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=75709
If the photos don't show, they are in my photo collection.

Hope this works and helps.

Lafaun

[algunjunkie]

As recently as a month ago, someone had wire drawn to order for 119 dollars for a 50 pound spool. He's gone apparently, and lately soft lead wire has gone the way of gasoline!
Bob

The person in question on EBAY is Shooter's Shack. http://stores.ebay.com/The-Shooters-Shack It is ran by Chuck Hawks of Hawks Bullets, its $119.50 for 50lb, shipping is $10.

This is for multiple size wire, same deal.

[Bullshop]

I have two or three 50 lb rolls I would ship for $105.00 per roll.

[cupter]

WIRE ON THE FAR LEFT COAST!!!!!!!!!

BOXER/ PELOSI HAS SPENT TO MUCH TIME IN THE SMELTING FOUNDRY!!!!

FOLLOW THIS LINK:
http://www.rotometals.com/Lead-Wire-s/33.htm

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!

CUPTER::bigsmyl2:

[Rock]

$4 per lb plus shipping? Ouch...

[Storydude]

4 bucks a foot? Are you looking at the same Rotometals page as me?

3/16" is 1.44 a foot and 1/4" is 2.56....Cannot think you'd need 5/16" or 1/2" for swaging...

[Rock]

$4 per lb plus shipping is what I intended to write.

[MIBULLETS]

Yes $4/lb is quite expensive for lead wire. $2/lb would be about right for what I would buy. That's about what Bullshop is asking above and he is priced right.