% Yield from wheel weights

[SeabeeMan]

I'm new to bullet casting and went on a rampage finding wheel weights over the last few weeks. I'm in the middle of nowhere in Northern WI, so most of the tire shops around here are small ones that were happy to just have me get them out of the way. I was able to find 700 lbs of wheel weights from the various places and in the end it has cost me $60 and a dozen Kwik Trip doughnuts.

I've smelted 550lbs of the weights so far (I'm done for now, they are going in covered buckets in my storage shed for a while) and got 450 lbs of clean ingots. That is roughly 82% yield after removing all the trash, iron, zinc, and clips. At that rate it works out to about 10 cents per pound of ready to cast WW alloy.

[geargnasher]

Once I get the non-lead weights and junk out, I usually get about 80% yield of the clip-ons.

Tell me you took measures to prevent melting in any zink weights, and that you separated any self-adhesive weights ("stick-ons" or "tape weights" as they are called here)??

Sounds like a great haul, most of us can beg, bribe, coerce, threaten, charm or lie for a year and not come up with that much!

Gear

[slide]

You are a very lucky man. Around my area you might be able to get a few pounds from the tire shops. Can't even get them to turn loose for a 30 pack. Better get all you can while you can. You won't have any trouble selling any excess you have.

[alamogunr]

I usually weighed the buckets before I sorted out the non-lead weights and stick-ons. I usually got about 75-80% yield from that. Once I lucked on to a bucket of mostly truck weights and most of those were mostly new(bad clips-had a habit of coming off at speed) that I got almost 90% yield.

I don't check it any more. About 2 years ago I decided to quit collecting WW and threw away my metal buckets. Last year I found about 4 buckets and had to pour them into the bed of the truck since they wanted to keep their buckets. Many more non-lead clip on WW and stick-ons. Have no idea what the yield was.

[SeabeeMan]

Yes, I separated the stick-ons before they went in the dutch oven...weren't many and I'm not sure what to do with them, but I kept them out. I used a thermocouple to keep the melt well below 700 to make sure I didn't melt any zincs I missed while I was adding them in.

Several of the places said come back anytime to get them out of the way and there are a few more that will gladly sell me as much as I want for the 30-40 cents per pound they get for scrapping them. Not quite sure what a good stopping point for hoarding is but I figure metal prices are just going to go up, so I'll keep scrounging.

[Mugs]

Hoard all you can get. The day will come when there won't be any. Always can sell or trade.
Mugs

[fredj338]

A good score for sure. Your lucky that steel/zinc hasn't really made it to WI yet. Out here, you are lucky to get 50% return even if you can find someone to sell ytou the ww.

[SeabeeMan]

There were quite a few iron ones and a few zincs. The bucket I was given by a friend at a large tire shop in the nearest "large" city had more zincs than the rest. I saved and separated the iron and zinc ones in case I find something to do with them or to sell to the recyclers.

[randyrat]

Welcome to the forums, Where are you located in NW WI. I'm in Rice Lake.

[Matt_G]

I was able to find 700 lbs of wheel weights from the various places and in the end it has cost me $60 and a dozen Kwik Trip doughnuts.

I've smelted 550lbs of the weights so far (I'm done for now, they are going in covered buckets in my storage shed for a while) and got 450 lbs of clean ingots. That is roughly 82% yield after removing all the trash, iron, zinc, and clips. At that rate it works out to about 10 cents per pound of ready to cast WW alloy.

Very nice Rich. In this day of zinc and iron weights 82% yield is very good.


Hoard all you can get. The day will come when there won't be any. Always can sell or trade.
Mugs
+1 on that!

[SeabeeMan]

I'm in Spooner, so a whole 20 minutes from you!

[chambers]

Job well done on the price. I always ran about 20% +/-scrap from wheel weights. It is getting harder to find wheel weights in Wisconsin.

[Defcon-One]

85% clean ingot Lead is my average (by weight). Not much Steel or Zinc in VA yet! Mostly just losses due to the steel clips and the dirt.

[birdadly]

Nice to see another WI fella here. I'm on the other side of the state, Fox Valley, and my last 80# bucket had 20#'s of iron and zinc. That was about 4 months worth at the dealer I've got a rapport with... now to just find a few more of those :)

Good luck and have fun casting!! -Brad

[xringdave]

In Ca,. i lost about 20% two or three years ago but now it's up to 50% lost to much zinc and steel.

[skeet1]

The last smelting I did resulted in about 75% alloy and 25% steel, zinc and clips. The stick on weights are such a small amount of the total I just melt them in with the rest and doesn't seem to effect the hardness of the alloy that much and I just can't see saving it.

Ken

[mac1911]

I have been only hoarding lead for 4 years, I have already seen a huge increase of non lead WW.
im my area SE Mass there is a lot of competition for lead
fishermen casting there own weights is one of them
Local shops already have someone there taking them
Larger stores selling to scrap yards
very few scrap yards will sell off anything to joe public around here

[thompsonm1a1]

up here in nova scotia, canada we are see a lot more of the non lead ww showing up. i pick up at a local repair shop and help them keep the mess cleaned up. i have about 500 lbs on hand and in time it will be worth its weight in gold as they switch over to other metals.

[troyboy]

Out of the 30# that I got from the local gas station it was 50ww to 50 zink/steel

[luis7]

Here 80% zinc steel and 20% alloy. Spain is different:roll:.
Greetings.

[bslim]

Sometimes it's good to live in the middle of no where. The last 120 lb. bucket yelded 5# of stell/zinc and 18 # of stickies. But, checking my truck tires and all of them had steel weights. So, the light at the end of the tunnel is getting dimmer.

[cabezaverde]

Randy Rat and Rich,

I drive right by you guys every summer on our family vacation to Drummond.

[garym1a2]

Why bother seperating the stickies?
For just loading 45qcp,38 or 9mm type a little soft lead should not hurt and actually makes it better for me.


Once I get the non-lead weights and junk out, I usually get about 80% yield of the clip-ons.

Tell me you took measures to prevent melting in any zink weights, and that you separated any self-adhesive weights ("stick-ons" or "tape weights" as they are called here)??

Sounds like a great haul, most of us can beg, bribe, coerce, threaten, charm or lie for a year and not come up with that much!

Gear

[mrbillbus]

Randy Rat and Rich,

I drive right by you guys every summer on our family vacation to Drummond.

No fair. We had land on Drummond (I assume you mean the island) back in the day.

Bill

[dnepr]

I don't know what the percentage is going to be but the 5 gallon bucket I just picked up looks good flipped through the top layer and only found one non-lead weight , a good score for about $13 of timmies goodies ( like dunkin donuts in the states)

[a.squibload]

Yes, I separated the stick-ons before they went in the dutch oven...weren't many and I'm not sure what to do with them,...

I do some swaging BT-style, the softer stick-ons are good for that.
If you think it's worth stuffing them in a flat-rate box let me know how much you want for them!

My last haul was around 90% lead (except for steel clips that is), but I found
more steel truck weights than usual.
Lots of stick-ons, maybe 20-30%.
Saving zinc and steel to turn in at the scrapyard.

[Matt_G]

Smelt the stick-ons separately. It is softer lead and you can use it to cut your clip on WW alloy when needed. For instance I use it to make a softer alloy for hollow points.

[LabGuy]

I picked up from 2 small shops in the same small town a few weeks ago:

Shop 1 Lbs. %
Clip on 144 83.24%
Stick on 23.2 13.41%
Fe 4.6 2.66%
Zn 0.6 0.35%
Trash 0.6 0.35%

Shop 2 Lbs. %
Clip on 129.4 74.80%
Stick on 37 21.39%
Fe 7.6 4.39%
Zn 1.0 0.58%
Trash 7.0 4.05%



I typically don’t keep track, but thought it would be interesting to look at the Zn and Fe percents. As for actual Pb yield, that will have to wait until at least October when we get our first cold front of the season.

[a.squibload]

why wait? The smoke will keep the 'skeeters away!

[WILCO]

Hoard all you can get. The day will come when there won't be any. Always can sell or trade.
Mugs

Best advice!