Need a quick question about lead answered

[trickyasafox]

can you cast boolits from babbit lead? it's lead, copper, antimony, and tin. I don't know the mix, or even if it will work, but i think i can get it for free so i wanted to ask.

[rebliss]

I've not ever tried it, but it's an interesting question. The key will be the melting point of the alloy; it should be around 788 degrees F, depending on the percentages of each metal. The next thing to consider is that your boolits would weigh quite differently than what you mould might indicate.

If you can get a sample of it, why not try it out?

[dahermit]

There are several types of babbit metal. Some Lead based, some tin based. Nevertheless, they are all useful for bullet casting. However, they are usually not used as is...they are used to enrich wheel wheights or pure lead for the bullet alloy. Tin based babbits are too valuable to be used as is.
No doubt there will be posters who can point you to a link that list the proper proportion of the various babbits to add to lead alloys for bullets.
Congrats on your aquisition!
Regards,
dahermit

[beagle]

Tricky...check your PMs. Copy the article and paste it in a MS Word document. Should give you some insight..../beagle

[TCLouis]

Would you be so kind as to PM that same msg if it is about Babbits

[HotGuns]

I've used tin based babbit used on turbing bearings that were discarded from the nuclear plant that I work at.

As far as I can tell, its an 80% tin makeup.

Me and one of the Nuclear Welders has done alot of experimentation with it.

If you cast as is it will make a very brittle bullet, one that turns to dust when you shoot it and it hits something hard. Its almost too brittle to be of much use. Once we did some research on the content of it and figured it out, we came to the conclusion that a 2 pound ingot of it mixed with 18 pounds of pure lead in a 20 pound pot makes a very good alloy that is approximatley equal to the Lyman No .2 alloy and it casts very good bullets.

Or course that was with the tin based babbit, and as already noted there are several different kinds. It would help to know where your babbit came from and what it was used for, for instance most turbine babbit is tin based for the increased wearability.

We latch on to that stuff whenever we can. My welder friend got some bearing and melted the babbit of them with an oxyacetylene torch and although primitve, it worked. Then we melted it in the lead pot and poured it into some 2 pound ingots using the Lyman Ingot molds. That way its easy to figure out the ratio and to make it repeatable.

[trickyasafox]

Beagle, your pm didn't come through, would you mind resending?

they are coming from a steel mill, my father used to work there and says he still knows a few guys who could grab em. he was almost positive they were of the lead variety, but i am unsure if multiple lead varieties exist?

a quick google search turned up the composition i posted in the beginning, i got nervous when it stated copper, as i've never heard of anyone alloying with it; that being said, i dont know a sneeze from a rainstorm when it comes to casting.

if they are of the lead variety, can i just reverse hotguns formula? use 18 lbs to a 2 lb tin mix? or is that just down right out?