New Guy and Got some WW

[perimedik]

Hey Guys,
I've been reloading for a couple years. I am new to CastBoolits. Just getting into casting now.

Anyway. I went to the local tire shop and talked to the manager. I picked up 2 buckets of wheel weights (**** included in there) for $10 bucks.
Took them home and wound up being 182.5 lbs total.

I am sure that there will be 40 lbs of craptacularness mixed in like the clips, boogers and all sorts of stuff.

The one on the left is 122.5 the one on the right is 60
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/IMG00567.jpg

now just wating for my melting pot I'm getting from a CB member and start the basics.
My question is the little "postage stamp" ones that are 1/4oz and sticker backed, are those lead? I guess I could just throw everything in at low temp and see what floats

Stay Tuned :popcorn:

[zxcvbob]

I pull out the valve stems and any obvious zinc or steel weights and slowly melt everything else. If you heat it too fast, the stuff at the bottom can get too hot while the stuff on top hasn't melted yet.

The little postage stamp weights are either steel or reasonably-pure soft lead. Larger stick-on weights are often zinc. I think I see some zincs in there, but I'm not sure.

That's a good haul for $10.

[bumpo628]

Before you get your pot, you should separate the stick-on weights from the clip-ons.
Stickies are nearly pure lead and they are softer. Clip-ons have some tin and antimony and they are harder. You might mix them later, but it is better to smelt them separately to deal with known alloys.

Use a pair of wire cutters and a magnet to go through the buckets. After a while, you'll be able to tell 99% of them by sight. Zinc will "ring" when dropped and lead will "thud". Zinc will be very hard to dent with the wire cutters. Lead will cut easily.

Steel cilp on weights are usually riveted to the clip. Zinc clip-ons usually say "Zn" on them somewhere. I have also found that they are usually cleaner for some reason. Steel stickies are easy to sort out with a magnet, obviously. Zinc stickies can be all shapes and sizes, but many of them also say "Zn".

[perimedik]

Thanks for the advice. I'm gonna go to home cheapo this weekend and get a few homer buckets to sort the stuff out. A pail for trash too. It'll give me some stuff to do while waiting for my pot and ingot molds.

I'm just getting started so making good usuable ingots is my first goal. Learning the science behind it (temps etc) and the techniques/tricks go a long way.

[Defcon-One]

Looks like a good bit of lead for the money!

I see some regular stickies which are almost pure lead. Some of the painted stickies which look like a sectioned chocolate bar. I see a few steel in there and one Zinc stick-on, I also see a whole lot of lead clip-ons.

Like they say, sort it all by type. The painted stick-ons are harder and I just throw them in with the lead clip-ons. The dull grey, very soft, stick-ons I smelt seperately into ingots. They are very soft and great for thinning down hard alloys. You'll be glad later that you kept them seperate.

[Doby45]

The painted stick-ons are harder and I just throw them in with the lead clip-ons.

I do the exact same thing.

[perimedik]

Before you get your pot, you should separate the stick-on weights from the clip-ons.
Done - wound up with 96# of clips and 32# of stick ons


but it is better to smelt them separately to deal with known alloys.
Will do

Use a pair of wire cutters and a magnet to go through the buckets. After a while, you'll be able to tell 99% of them by sight. Zinc will "ring" when dropped and lead will "thud". Zinc will be very hard to dent with the wire cutters. Lead will cut easily.
Great tips, worked well

Steel cilp on weights are usually riveted to the clip. yep Zinc clip-ons usually say "Zn" on them somewhere. yep I have also found that they are usually cleaner for some reason. Steel stickies are easy to sort out with a magnet, obviously. Zinc stickies can be all shapes and sizes, but many of them also say "Zn".

It actually went pretty well sorting, once I got into the groove of it.
So now I got 128# (removed all the lugnuts etc, valve stems general junk)
I'll start banging them out soon enough

[plainsman456]

Sounds like you are on your way.

[perimedik]

Sounds like you are on your way.

Thanks, I got a coleman propane stove today and going to pick up a dedicated pot, ladle, strainer tomorrow.

I have a line on a lot more lead . I'll keep updating.

[perimedik]

Found an old cast iron ceramis coated skillet (gonna get a 2 qt pot) A stainless strainer and ladel at the dolar store.

Set it up just to test (don't have my molds yet)
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4203.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4206.jpg
Had a fat boy tank in the shop. Going to get the hose adaptor for the 20# tank or the quick fill nipple. Not sure yet.

How long on the campstove (on high) before the led soften and melts?
Just curious.

In the next few days my ingot molds will be here and I'll start melting the stuff down

[mebe007]

They also make a hose adapter to hook the 20lb directly to your stove

[perimedik]

got some more lead from a friend who no longer casts (x20 years)

http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4228.jpg

about 40lbs

[Trey45]

You are SO hooked now. You'll find yourself going to garage sales, yard sales, estate sales, looking for cast iron cookware to either melt down WW, or pour ingots into, or you'll look for pewter candlestick to melt down for alloy. You'll look at dilapidated old farmhouses with tin roofs and wonder how much lead sheathing is still in the roof, every time you go to the dentist you'll ask about the lead backers for their xray films. You won't be able to walk through a parking lot without looking down while walking, hoping to spot a loose wheel weight. After a while, you'll start to question what the PSI rating of your garage floor is due to the amount of ingots you have stacked in there. You'll keep hearing about all the money you'll save by casting your own, and you'll believe it too! Yes, you are well on your way, welcome to the addiction!

[Ole]

You can use aluminum pop cans for ingots if you're absolute sure you can get them 100% dry.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/Ole1830/Bullet%20making/IMG_5442.jpg

A 12oz can weighs around 8 or 9 lbs when full, so you could fill a few 1/2 way if you want smaller ingots.

[perimedik]

You can use aluminum pop cans for ingots if you're absolute sure you can get them 100% dry.

http://i258.photobucket.com/albums/hh280/Ole1830/Bullet%20making/IMG_5442.jpg

A 12oz can weighs around 8 or 9 lbs when full, so you could fill a few 1/2 way if you want smaller ingots.

Thats pretty funny,
I have an ingot mould on order. :drinks:

[fredj338]

Nice score! I see zinc wts in the phots so I would sort, if nothing else, just to get the scrap rubber & **** out. You do NOT want a vlave stem in the smelt, they can go bang & you'll get lead splatters. Check any suspect wts w/ wire side cutters/dykes. If it cuts it's soft enough for bullets.

[perimedik]

Nice score! I see zinc wts in the phots so I would sort, if nothing else, just to get the scrap rubber & **** out. You do NOT want a vlave stem in the smelt, they can go bang & you'll get lead splatters. Check any suspect wts w/ wire side cutters/dykes. If it cuts it's soft enough for bullets.

See reply #7
;)

[perimedik]

Well, the new (used) pot came from anothermember here (thanks) and the ingot mould.

Going to melt down the sinkers and stuff first in the pot.
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4228.jpg
Then I'll move on to the wheel weights (baby steps)
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4230.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4231.jpg
http://i240.photobucket.com/albums/ff170/perimedik/100_4235.jpg

[hoosierlogger]

Dont melt raw unsmelted wheel weights in that Lee pot. You will get it so full of **** that you will never get it clean. You should be safe to melt the sinkers depending on how clean your buddy got the melt when he cast them. Most folks here melt them in a pot then pour into ingots. Then melt your ingots in the pot when it is time to cast.

[perimedik]

Dont melt raw unsmelted wheel weights in that Lee pot. You will get it so full of **** that you will never get it clean. You should be safe to melt the sinkers depending on how clean your buddy got the melt when he cast them. Most folks here melt them in a pot then pour into ingots. Then melt your ingots in the pot when it is time to cast.

Thanks, see post ten. I'm setting up the campstove to render and make ingots.
They pot if for cleaned material.

[canyon-ghost]

Be very suspicious of the tan epoxy paint! Most zinc weights are painted with that coating. I have a flat stick-on laying on the window sill just to remind me (newer isn't better, it's usually zinc!).

Ron

[perimedik]

I've "bit in" to them with a pair of cutters fairly easy.
I took my time and got into a groove.
Zn and Fe stuff got put into a "waste" bun

When I go to smelt the stuff I'll double check before dumping into the pot.
Once every thing is in Ingot form I'll mark it with a sharpie "WW' or SW" for sticker weights because evidently they are more pure lead.

[bumpo628]

I've "bit in" to them with a pair of cutters fairly easy.
I took my time and got into a groove.
Zn and Fe stuff got put into a "waste" bun

When I go to smelt the stuff I'll double check before dumping into the pot.
Once every thing is in Ingot form I'll mark it with a sharpie "WW' or SW" for sticker weights because evidently they are more pure lead.

You might want to save the zinc. I have seen it for sale or trade in the S&S forum. Some people use it for cannonballs.

[canyon-ghost]

Good going! The stick-ons are very soft lead, and their weight will show if you weigh your bullets. It's not too hard to tell they are present when the bullet is 10 grains over the average weight. They don't mix fantastically well but they're usuable stuff.

Ron