Cost of Tin

[ColColt]

I was going to try my hand at mixing lead/tin for a 1:16 mix until I found out the price of tin. Nearly dropped my uppers when I saw the cost per pound. I think I'll find another method for getting that ratio using the only alloys I have in stock currently...lead and Linotype. I'm not sure about the availability of WW in this area or whether they're not mixed with who knows what these days and have more or less stayed clear of them. I'm not even sure if they use lead WW's anymore around here be it stick on's or clips.

[Iron Mike Golf]

Maybe hit the flea markets in search of pewter? First time I went looking for some last weekend, I got 5 lbs for $10.

[fredj338]

Yeah, tin isn't cheap & the ungot form from Rotometals is the cheapest I have found commercially. I only use it for serious LHP for hunting. I have enough lino to mix w/ pure @ 3-1 for a really good all around handgun bullet. Look around, you can find it for $1/# in letter scrap form form time to time. Buy 300# & you are good to go for 900# of pure lead.

[bumpo628]

I was going to try my hand at mixing lead/tin for a 1:16 mix until I found out the price of tin. Nearly dropped my uppers when I saw the cost per pound. I think I'll find another method for getting that ratio using the only alloys I have in stock currently...lead and Linotype. I'm not sure about the availability of WW in this area or whether they're not mixed with who knows what these days and have more or less stayed clear of them. I'm not even sure if they use lead WW's anymore around here be it stick on's or clips.

16:1 has 6.25% Tin. Lino has 4%. You're not going to get there without some solder. What would be an acceptable % of Tin and what is the max antimony you want to see? If you give me the numbers you're looking for, I'll see if I can figure out a recipe for you.

[white eagle]

16/1 is a nice alloy
I use it once and awhile
makes shiny boolits

[ColColt]

What I'm really shooting for is a BHN 11 or 12. That's why I thought a 16:1 ratio would be good. Someone on the forum was nice enough, knowing I had indicated I had a fair amount of 50/50 lead to Linotype ingots and about 50 pounds of lead, to give me a formula for obtaining that number with what I had in stock.. I had wondered what to use when I exhaust that supply and had considered just using lead with tin to achieve that BHN 11 or 12 since I'm not a great fan of WW's. It fluctuates in it's composition and I'm not sure how difficult to find locally without a lot of garbage in it.

I have five pound blocks of plumbers lead and one 27 pound "brick" of lead and a fair amount of Linotype as indicated. Maybe I'm going at this wrong but it seems to me getting more pure materials would cause less trash in the mix and less fluxing although no doubt more costly. Moreover, after checking out ebay, there's no telling what you'd find there even though the prices for lead and other mixes seem reasonable you may be getting junk. The sponsors here offer far better quality materials than I'll probably find anywhere else.


What would be an acceptable % of Tin and what is the max antimony you want to see? If you give me the numbers you're looking for, I'll see if I can figure out a recipe for you.

Probably about an equal number tin/antimony with maybe a bit more antimony in the mix. I don't think more tin than antimony is good although I'm no metallurgist or seasoned caster. In retrospect. I think a 16:1 may not have antimony...just lead and tin.

[lylejb]

What I'm really shooting for is a BHN 11 or 12

That's close to air cooled Wheel weights. Yes, I read that you don't want to hunt for them, but many here have ingots in the swappin and sellin section. just something to keep in mind.

2 of your 50 lead 50 lino ingots + 1 lead ingot would come out about 1.3% tin, 4% antimony, 94.7 lead, and should be close to what you want. This is based on lino at 4/12/84, and all your ingots being the same weight.

Hope this helps.

[ColColt]

Speaking of wheel weights, I decided to check on one of the tire companies on the way home from work today to see what they had and for how much. A guy showed me a five gallon bucket nearly full of them but it contained the stick on as well as clamp ons and some that were actually made of steel. He said lots of places were going to steel and some weren't even made of either but rather lightweight fabric type of stick ons. He said there were some variations in the bucket but if I'd bring him a bucket to replace his, I could have what he had for nothing...can't beat that.

I'd have no idea as to the composition of the two different wheel weights but of course you can readily see and feel the others and know they're not lead. For free you can't be too picky.

[a.squibload]

Search and read here, many discussions on this subject.
I learned to avoid zinc by reading here!
Clipons and stickons can be lead, steel, or zinc, just have to sort through 'em,
then keep melt temperature low in case you missed any, non-lead will float.
Lead stickons are close to pure, softer than clipons.
You're on the right track, free WWs are definitely worth the effort,
and you'll soon get a mix that works for ya!