Monotype but not?

[smallshot13]

Recently purchased 68 lbs of 'monotype' or 'linotype' on line here in Cast Boolits. Not sure of what I got though. It is in the form of single letter printing blocks, not ingots, so it should be monotype, but... I measured the specific gravity at 7.75, it is extremely hard at BHN 33 measured from just cast and very very shiny bullets less than an hour old. (Lee hardness) The specific gravity suggest to me that it is very high in tin.

Thin pieces from the very small melt I did crackle and break. Thicker piece broken just at cooling reveals a very fine internal crystaline structure. Bullets cast from Lee 230 grn RN 45 acp weigh only 196.4 grns, while a softer alloy with a specific gravity of 11.1 weigh 239 grns from the same mould.

What did I buy? I don't want to start mixing this with other lead sources until I know what it might be? :veryconfu

[stubshaft]

Sounds like Mono to me. If you measure the boolits cast from it it should also be about .002" larger in diameter.

[bumpo628]

That is monotype and it needs to be alloyed with pure lead to use for boolits. As-is, it will probably crack in half before it chambers. Here are some possible recipes for you:

1 lb monotype
3.5 lbs pure lead
= 4.5 lbs alloy with 2.00% Tin, 4.22% Antimony, hardness @ 13

1 lb monotype
5 lbs pure lead
= 6 lbs alloy with 1.50% Tin, 3.17% Antimony, hardness @ 12

1 lb monotype
7 lbs pure lead
= 8 lbs alloy with 1.13% Tin, 2.38% Antimony, hardness @ 11

1 lb monotype
10 lbs pure lead
= 11 lbs alloy with 0.82% Tin, 1.73% Antimony, hardness @ 10.5

1 lb monotype
15 lbs pure lead
= 16 lbs alloy with 0.56% Tin, 1.19% Antimony, hardness @ 10

1 lb monotype
20 lbs pure lead
= 21 lbs alloy with 0.43% Tin, 0.90% Antimony, hardness @ 9.5

[Ilwil]

It's monotype, alright. Mono has significantly more antimony. Those letter blocks were meant to be used and reused daily, without ever being melted down. Linotype was used once, then remelted and re alloyed for the next days use.

[smallshot13]

Thanks all for the replies and confirmation that it is indeed monotype. I now feel safer in alloying it with my softer lead supplies such as range lead.

Given Bumpo's suggested mix recipies, I expect that it may be better to leave it in its raw form rather than smelting into ingots. That way I can control/record the weight added more precisely.

[jsizemore]

I expect that it may be better to leave it in its raw form rather than smelting into ingots. That way I can control/record the weight added more precisely.

That's about perfect. No doubt in the future as to what it is by you or somebody else. At least other casters.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I got some of the same stuff smallshot13. It is very nice to alloy with. Wished I could get some more.

[saltydog452]

but wouldn't the lettered type be Linotype?

I just picked up a couple hundred pounds from Will. He asked if I wanted the type or the strips. I asked about the difference and he said that the type was Linotype and was softer than the strips.

The strips are just that. They look like ribbons about a 10th" thick X 1" wide that had been broken into managable length strips.

Either/Or, I look at it kinda like its really, really high proof, undiluted alcohol. Not too good by itself, but mixes well.

salty.

[bumpo628]

Individual letters = monotype
A line-of-type = linotype
Spacer strips go between the type to get the proper layout. I don't know what material they use to make this stuff. Could be either lino or mono or something else.

[badbob454]

what is stereotype like ? is it a single letter or a line of type ?... i got some sold as stereotype and it is in individual letters ...

[bumpo628]

what is stereotype like ? is it a single letter or a line of type ?... i got some sold as stereotype and it is in individual letters ...

I don't know what it looks like, but it could be individual pieces since the specs are between lino and mono.

Alloy, Tin, Antimony
Electrotype, 2.5%, 2.5%
Linotype, 4.0%, 12.0%
Stereotype, 6.0%, 14.0%
Monotype, 9.0%, 19.0%
Foundry type, 15.0%, 23.0%

[Ilwil]

Long ago, I worked the linotype pot in a big daily paper composing room. Linotype went into the same machines that made the spacers as those that made the lead slugs of type. Monotype, used for headlines, was never melted down, and I think if more was ever needed for replacements, it was purchased in letter form. Most of it was used daily, for decades.

Sterotype was used only for the printing presses; I was told it was harder than lino. Printers made an matte impression of a single newspaper page, and the mattes were used to cast the sterotype into a curved, two-page plate, that was then fitted onto the roller of the printing press. It was remelted every day.

Lino and stereotype lead had to be "drossed' daily, because so much ink, debris and other junk went into the pots with the lead. Part of my routine with the 10,000 lino pot was to put a 5lb bar of tin/antimony in every day to replenish what was lost with the fluxing.

[bumpo628]

Long ago, I worked the linotype pot in a big daily paper composing room. Linotype went into the same machines that made the spacers as those that made the lead slugs of type. Monotype, used for headlines, was never melted down, and I think if more was ever needed for replacements, it was purchased in letter form. Most of it was used daily, for decades.

Sterotype was used only for the printing presses; I was told it was harder than lino. Printers made an matte impression of a single newspaper page, and the mattes were used to cast the sterotype into a curved, two-page plate, that was then fitted onto the roller of the printing press. It was remelted every day.

Lino and stereotype lead had to be "drossed' daily, because so much ink, debris and other junk went into the pots with the lead. Part of my routine with the 10,000 lino pot was to put a 5lb bar of tin/antimony in every day to replenish what was lost with the fluxing.

Wow, great info.
So, stereotype is in sheet form? Interesting.

When you said 10,000 lino pot, what unit is that?

[AlabamaGene]

I have some of the same mono, and am trying to figure out what to alloy it with. I have small quantities of WW and range lead, but I can't find any local sources of scrap so I am having to buy lead from here on out. I do have a local source of reclaimed lead shot from a skeet field @ 80 cents a pound, which is probably the best deal going for me. But I think lead shot is already relatively hard.

I mainly want to shoot 44/45 heavy magnum revolvers and 9mm/40/45acp autos. Do I need to break down and buy some purer lead to alloy with the mono, or is there hope of alloying mono with reclaimed shot? Sorry for the semi-hijack of the thread but I figured this would be interesting to the OP and responders. Thanks!

[bumpo628]

I have some of the same mono, and am trying to figure out what to alloy it with. I have small quantities of WW and range lead, but I can't find any local sources of scrap so I am having to buy lead from here on out. I do have a local source of reclaimed lead shot from a skeet field @ 80 cents a pound, which is probably the best deal going for me. But I think lead shot is already relatively hard.

I mainly want to shoot 44/45 heavy magnum revolvers and 9mm/40/45acp autos. Do I need to break down and buy some purer lead to alloy with the mono, or is there hope of alloying mono with reclaimed shot? Sorry for the semi-hijack of the thread but I figured this would be interesting to the OP and responders. Thanks!

You could mix it with magnum shot. If you're going to buy lead, then you can sub range lead or stick on WW in the recipes above and it will be close if you can't find pure lead. You can download my alloy calculator to get the exact specs.

For magnum shot, the numbers are going to be close to hardball alloy.
7 lbs magnum shot
1 lb monotype
= 8 lbs mixed alloy with 1.13% tin, 5.88% antimony, 1.09% arsenic, hardness @ 14.5

10 lbs magnum shot
1 lb monotype
= 11 lbs mixed alloy with 0.82% tin, 5.36% antimony, 1.14% arsenic, hardness @ 14

13 lbs magnum shot
1 lb monotype
= 14 lbs mixed alloy with 0.64% tin, 5.07% antimony, 1.16% arsenic, hardness @ 13.5

17 lbs magnum shot
1 lb monotype
= 18 lbs mixed alloy with 0.50% tin, 4.83% antimony, 1.18% arsenic, hardness @ 13

[Ilwil]

bumpo,
I made a small typo, it should have read 10,000 lb pot. Half got poured every day into 20 lb "pigs" five at a time, from water-cooled molds., fifty to a cart, five carts full. They took most of a day to cool, I would put out the previous days pigs in the machines after emptying the buckets beneath each of the linotype machines, using dump carts that were wheeled into an elevator that dumped them into the lead pot.
It was hard work, but as we all know, pouring 'the silver stream' was and is fascinating; I never really tired of it.

[frankenfab]

:drinks:
bumpo,
I made a small typo, it should have read 10,000 lb pot. Half got poured every day into 20 lb "pigs" five at a time, from water-cooled molds., fifty to a cart, five carts full. They took most of a day to cool, I would put out the previous days pigs in the machines after emptying the buckets beneath each of the linotype machines, using dump carts that were wheeled into an elevator that dumped them into the lead pot.
It was hard work, but as we all know, pouring 'the silver stream' was and is fascinating; I never really tired of it.

Very interesting! This place is like the Discovery Channel sometimes..:drinks:

[white eagle]

I had got some lino that was individual letters dark grey in color and I have had some in bar form real shinny

[Armorer]

Very interesting! This place is like the Discovery Channel sometimes..

Absolutely! I think one of my favorite things about this forum is the wide range of knowledge brought to the table by so many different folks. Excellent reading!

Armorer