Going south fast

[bld451]

Well, we know it's coming, and another verification tonight. I haven't gathered in a few months and man, has it deteriorated. Sorted most of a bucket o' weights and found:

only a handfull of trash this time, but

58 pounds steel

16 ea. zinc weights

37 pounds useable clip ons

3 0z tape on lead


I've had a guy at a major chain feeding me weights 'cause he was irritated with the battery guy. Now the story is better, but the situation is worse. Apparently Interstate is making the shop box and MAIL in the weights at the shop's cost!? I have a feeling that it's because there's not enough lead in the mix to make it worth while for the truck to pick them up. I'm glad I have a good supply. I'm not sure it's going to be worth sorting in the near future. Already less than 1/2 useable. 40# is a worthwhile haul from a 3/4 bucket, but fast approaching too much PITA.

Informal survey time. What's everyone seeing in their area?

[mongo]

Got 4 new tires for my truck last week and they used shiney steel wheel weights on them.

[SciFiJim]

Just sorted a 3/4 bucket last week. About 1/3 steel, a double handful zinc, the rest was 50/50 clip on and stick on. I am saving the zinc for posterity. Not sure what I will use it for, but sure not going to throw it away. The steel one's go in the trash, not enough value to fool with.

[dale2242]

I lost about 1/3 to steel and zinc from the last batch I got from the local tire store....dale

[thompsonm1a1]

it is not getting any better up here in canada, more steel and zinc is showing up as time goes by. i have close to 500lbs in bars on hand so i think i will be good for some years to come.

[Ronbo256]

I went to the recycler last week to try to buy wheel weights it's so tight down here, he said all the WW he had was 50% steel or zinc and did not want to sell it to me and make me mad! He did sell me 30lbs of nearly pure lead for 0.73 a lb so it wasn't a total loss. He also had a whole x-ray department of medical lead, I had to tell him how to smelt it though, it's the thin paper covered sheets and he had never seen any of it. I'll be back this week for some of that!

[VA Shooter]

At my auto shop at work supervisor is going to save all the lead ww for me, but he has orderd non-lead ww and will not be going back to lead. He called his supplier and asked if he still had lead ww and he said yes I can buy them from him for 97.00 for 2000 ounces have not figured out what that comes to per pound yet but i'm temped

[rockrat]

Bout 125lbs, so about $0.79/lb

[WILCO]

I stopped looking for WW's a couple of months ago due to the fact that everyone kept saying "No" (even the ones that once said "yes"). The last place that said "yes" promptly went out of business after my first score there. Coupled to the fact that NY has banned lead ww's, I decided I've had enough. I still have access to the indoor range scrap at the club and all total, I've layed away a pretty decent stash that should last a loooooooooooonnnnnnngggg time based upon my level of activity and should I run out, there's always a seller here for me to buy from.

[Pertsev]

Bought 2 sets of tires from SEARS tire place. Asked the fellow for some WW since I was buying 8 tires and it would make his end of month report look good. He gave me 110 lbs of WW ! Nice guy,told him we would buy more tires.

Out of 110 lbs,fished out a little junk,valve stems,caps,etc. Smelted it seperate form other laed. Got 43 lbs of steel clips,iron and zinc WW in the bucket to sell for scrap.
So 60+ pounds of bullet metal out of 110 lbs of WW. Lots of iron in this batch.Not many stick on lead WW.

Considering it was a freebie/gift,we did OK.

[odinohi]

I got 200lbs from a retired charter boat captain that used to make his own sinkers. He must of had them for a while. No steel weights and no zinc weights. He answered a add I placed on craigslist. I also got a couple of sinker molds and was invited to come over this winter and he'll show me how to make lures. He also has a nice older Galaxy CB radio that I may be buying.
When I get ww's from tire shops I usually dont get all that many steel and zinc ww's. Car dealers are a different story though. Lots of steel and zinc from those guys.

[t_dickinson]

I take in about 160 lbs per month from a tire center. The last batch had noticably more steel but not enough to stop me.

At .30/lb I know I'm ending up at about .50 -.60 after fuel, dross, steel, etc. but that is still WAY cheaper than buying so it will be a while beofre I get bold enough to re-neg on the price.

I can get more from other sources but don't want to be greedy and I just can't keep up with smelting it all.. I've got about 1000 pounds of COWW ingots and a full 5 ga. of SOWW in the raw so I'm probably set. I may need more tin as I have about 100 lbs of 60/40 ingots so I consider that to be 50 lbs of good lead thinner.

I plan to pass the collection to my 3 boys so I have no plans to stop anytime soon. I don't know that they will have any access to lead or ammo when thier time comes.

I wish my Dad would have left me a truckload of firearms and a heap of ammo! If they're not into it, perhaps my Grandkids will be.

[22Short]

I went to my source last week to get a few buckets to work on. He said "Sorry, I send all my weights to a little mom and pop tire store. They re-use them". Heartbreaking to hear, but original, huh? Rotometals looks to be getting a new customer...

[dskjeie]

2 weeks ago I got 2 5gal buckets. one from one tire store and they other from another store.
The first bucket was 3/4 full and I only rendered about 20 lbs from it
The second was 80% full and I rendered about 95 lbs from it

[fredj338]

I went to my source last week to get a few buckets to work on. He said "Sorry, I send all my weights to a little mom and pop tire store. They re-use them". Heartbreaking to hear, but original, huh? Rotometals looks to be getting a new customer...

Yeah, until they get caught & fined, that is now illegal in Kommifornia.:Fire:
I stopped actively looking right after the ban here in 2009. I still ask, always ask, you never know what you'll get. Berm mining is going to be about all we have left in another year or so. Even at 1300# +, I feel I don't have enough.

[shotman]

Its illeage to reuse them any place but no one enforces it .

[fredj338]

Its illeage to reuse them any place but no one enforces it .

Not true, guy down the street got caught, huge fine. In our poorly run, cash strapped state, they are looking to make money anyway they can. I wouldn't risk the fine for the tiny savings reusing lead ww.:oops:

[a.squibload]

I HAD to buy tires today, they were getting thin and one had a screw in it.
Asked the guy for used WWs, at a place where I know they are supposed
to return 'em (Discount Tire).
He gave me half a box, about 20 lbs mostly lead, said it was all he had.
At other stores of this chain they have refused to even sell 'em.

Additional info: a guy came from the tire bay and told me my pressure reading system
would not link up with one of the tires, but they could replace it.
I told him it just worked a few minutes ago, that's why I noticed I had a leak.
Asked him how much it was, he wouldn't say.
He said they would try it again. Works fine now.:veryconfu
Maybe they gave me WWs so I would leave happy instead of suspicious.

[Suo Gan]

Just sorted a 3/4 bucket last week. About 1/3 steel, a double handful zinc, the rest was 50/50 clip on and stick on. I am saving the zinc for posterity. Not sure what I will use it for, but sure not going to throw it away. The steel one's go in the trash, not enough value to fool with.

Jim, Its over a buck and a half a pound at the scrapper in Fresno.

[leadman]

squibload, he probably broke your sensor taking the tire off. When you told him it was working he just replaced it.

[John Boy]

Another source that is closing down is the XRay backings from dentists. They are converting to digital XRays. Even the radiator repair shops are nearly always a dead end.
The discussion sounds sounds scary. Free and cheap sources drying up rapidly

I hate to say this ... I'm a 98% BPCR shooter. So 1:10 to 1:40 is my primary alloys. I struck pay dirt 3 years ago - over 500 lbs of sheet lead - cheap dead pure on a visit to the recycler. For my BP Cowboy bullets, I use WW's primarily 13.5 or 15.4 BHN. About 5 years ago, I made a severe effort to scrounge WW's. Believe the inventory is now down somewhere around 5 - 600 lbs left from 1300 lbs. Plus my daughter is a dental hygienist and she used to send me close to 50 lbs a year - little in the last couple of years

Annually I shoot a lot of bullets, over 3000 rounds, between BPCR and CAS. 350 grain BPCR bullets eat into the inventory quickly. So downstream I'll be hurting too unless I start scrounging range lead NOW!

[SciFiJim]

Jim, Its over a buck and a half a pound at the scrapper in Fresno.


Which scrapper it that? For that price it is worth hauling up there the next time I visit the kids at Fresno State.

[geargnasher]

squibload, he probably broke your sensor taking the tire off. When you told him it was working he just replaced it.

My thoughts as well. They either work, or they don't. Usually when the tire monkey breaks them with the mounting machine, they snap off at the base of the stem on the inside and are ruined, but communicate fine since the electronic part is still OK. If they aren't mechanically broken, a fresh battery and a quick re-learn procedure (which must be done each tire rotation anyway) is usually all that is needed.

Rarely do they conk out entirely unless really badly damaged. If a broken/inoperative sensor is replaced, a slightly more complex re-program of the replacement sensor is necessary, and then the programmed sensor ID# is re-learned by the TPMS system during a standard re-learn procedure that notes the location of all four (or five, or seven) sensors.

BTW, I was getting about 95% lead weights from my last "current sample" source, but that dried up. Most of the weights I see at the shop here in Texas are cast iron.

Gear

[Suo Gan]

Which scrapper it that? For that price it is worth hauling up there the next time I visit the kids at Fresno State.

Levis on Chestnut.

[a.squibload]

Thought about that, but when we wrote up the sale (before they started working)
they told me I had to get the wheel sensors replaced anyway. Maybe because of the batteries?
I think the item he was talking about was the unit in the car.
Anyway it works now and the new tires don't whine like the old ones!

I know a guy who works at another Discount, used to get me WWs,
had to charge me $5/box (about 50 lbs/box).
Can't anymore due to company policy.

[bld451]

On the fence, but I guess I'll still sort through 'em for a little while. Just not like the old days, but what is? Got about the same ratio this go. 65 lbs steel, 44 lbs lead weights, and maybe 1 lb of stickies. Probly 1/2 dozen zinc weights and 5 lbs of stems and trash. It's a bummer when I end up handling more steel than lead, but I should quit whining about 40 pounds of lead a month for a 1/2 hour sorting. Nice thing is I have been getting 10 cents/lb at the scrap dealer for the steelies, so donuts are paid for. Gotta keep the guys happy.

One heck of an ingot casting session coming this winter, I think. Just got the 6 lb ingot molds done and the propane smelting pot is ready and waiting. I hope the molds work out as planned. Should be able to cast about 36 lbs per pour. Three inch channel with a good draft on all sides. Three ingots fit in the 20# Lee pot, and make 18-19 lbs. I'll have to test them first so I don't overflow when I add a 1/2 lb 60/40 solder ingot. A buddy made a neat ladle we're going to try. He took the propane melting pot idea and made it his own. He cut a 1 lb Coleman propane cylinder about 2/3 the way up , and welded a 2.5 ft. handle on it with a T on the other end. Seems to have good control, a long enough handle I won't burn myself, and it doesn't weigh a ton. Big enough to pour a 6 pounder with one scoop and it's thin enough, I mashed it around so the lip matches the bottom of the big propane pot. No hand dumping the big pot!

I'm testing some loads this weekend, so hopefully I'll soon be in high production makin' big ingots into little round useable ones.

[Defcon-One]

My last haul here in Virginia was about 320 lbs. total. It came out to 2 buckets (120 lbs. ea.) of clip-on WW and one bucket with 50 lbs. of stick-on WW. The rest was predominantly steel with a few zincs and trash (a lug nut, valve stems, etc.).

Breakdown was as follows:

Clip-on WW = 240 lbs. (75%)
Stick-on WW = 50 lbs. (15.6%)
Steel WW = 22 lbs. (6.9%)
Zinc WW = 6 lbs. (1.9%)
Trash = 2 lbs. (0.6%)

That is still 90% good WW's! My average is usually 85%, so I am not seeing any major change yet.

[leadbutt]

So far i havent got alot of zinc WWs in my buckets but i have been noticing a few more steel weights. I really dont understand why zinc of all metals. I bet we will find out in a few years that its more dangerious then lead. Not only that but its the more expensive metal of the ones they use. :confused:

L. Bottoms

[Defcon-One]

Leadbutt:

Lead and Zinc are cheaper on the manufacturing side. Less heat to form = less energy $$$. Also, they are easy to cast around the clips. So no rivets, etc. which means less handling and a less complicated process, again less $$$.

[Shedhunter]

I picked up 3/4 bucket of WW last night and sorted them. Got 1/3 of a gallon pail of steel and about 20 zinc weights. A few pounds of stick on also. I throw the steel away and keep the zn, not sure why but it's a habit.

[a.squibload]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-upgjQ0AlEk4/TscuAX9zmDI/AAAAAAAAAUg/AmigVJ3u9A4/s640/xray%252520shields.JPG

OK, only 4 lbs, but it was free! Technician said call about every month.
They were happy to have me carry it away.
At the same office 6 months ago another tech said they don't use lead shields???
This tech saw the Field & Stream I was reading from the waiting room, we started
talking about guns, etc., and I told her about casting.

Never hurts to ask.

[leadbutt]

Leadbutt:

Lead and Zinc are cheaper on the manufacturing side. Less heat to form = less energy $$$. Also, they are easy to cast around the clips. So no rivets, etc. which means less handling and a less complicated process, again less $$$.

ahh didnt think about the manufacturing part. makes sence.

i think the reason that im not getting alot of zn fe is because i live on the east coast. maybe the cali cars are slowly working their way outward?

[SciFiJim]

i think the reason that im not getting alot of zn fe is because i live on the east coast. maybe the cali cars are slowly working their way outward?

I am getting more steel than zinc. I think the cost of materials (zinc) is trumping the ease of manufacturing. I am setting aside the zinc ones I find until I have a full bucket. I get my WWs for free, so I will take the zinc to a recycler and use the money for components.

[Alchemist]

I'm finding very few zinc...only the really big truck tire weights it seems. A few more FE than zinc, but nearly all are lead. You guys that have a high % of FE weights might want to look into magnetic sorting. If you were to spread out a layer of weights on the garage floor and pass a magnet 2-3" above them, I would think that the weight of the lead weights would keep them from jumping onto the magnet, while FE weights would have enough attraction to the magnet to jump on board. You would have to experiment with magnet height to find the right balance, but it might make sorting out the iron ones a little faster.

[SciFiJim]

I already use a magnet to help presort the stick on weights. A lot of those are are getting to be steel as as well. I will have to give your idea a try. One problem I foresee is that some of the lead clip on weights are just a tiny amount of lead on a clip.

[Shuz]

https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-upgjQ0AlEk4/TscuAX9zmDI/AAAAAAAAAUg/AmigVJ3u9A4/s640/xray%252520shields.JPG

OK, only 4 lbs, but it was free! Technician said call about every month.
They were happy to have me carry it away.
At the same office 6 months ago another tech said they don't use lead shields???
This tech saw the Field & Stream I was reading from the waiting room, we started
talking about guns, etc., and I told her about casting.

Never hurts to ask.

Yesterday I smelted dental lead like the above picture shows and got 51 lbs of ingots in less than an hour! A test of some sample boolits cast while smelting shows a hardness of Saeco 5(Bhn 8). I'm gonna track this batch for a while and see how hard they end up. When the ingots are dropped on a concrete floor they kinda ping like wheel weights.

[Iowa Fox]

Reading this post got me all nerved up about things drying up. Had to go into town this morning so I decided to check on one of my spots. Its just a one man show that mounts and balances a lot of tires along with general repair. He had a bucket waiting for me. Told me next time I'm in town drop him off a 12 pack and he will be saving all he has for me. Now if I can keep the rest of the vultures from finding the spot.

[bld451]

Well, I'm going to try a new angle. Lots of folks here rave about range lead. Last week at the range, I spent about 1 hr. picking up surface lead. Seemed easy enough, and I ended up with 56 lbs. I got to thinking and my creative bone started twitching. After 3-4 hrs last weekend, I now have a 24"X24" sifter box. Most of the lead I got was larger slugs, and I figure anything less than 1/4" I won't bother picking up. So I got a 24X24 piece of 1/4" mesh steel screen, and made a frame on rocker legs. Hopefully I can gather by the shovel full directly from the impact area, and end up not having to pick a lot of junk out of what's left. I'll post an update, good or bad.

Any input before I set out?

[mold maker]

Be sure to shovel the dirt back up the berm. If in a rainy area the sifted dirt will wash away really fast.
Thats a good way to get baned.

[bld451]

Ya, I was tryng to figure out how to sift in place, but I think that would be a pain on the slope of the berm. I was planning on making it as good or better than when I showed up. Twice as much shoveling, but it should produce, and be worthwhile as much as I was finding just picking up.

Thanks!

[bld451]

Well, I think I have a new source of soft(?) lead. We'll see how it renders down, but quantity isn't an issue. The sifter worked great, and I ended up with about 295 lbs raw range scrap in about 1 hr and 20 minutes. I just picked low hanging (higher on the berm) fruit at this point. I looked for areas that were fine sand behind firing points and above the target hangers that had a lot of lead on the surface. Kind of a pain when it came time to put the dirt back, but I think it had a good density of lead and sifted easily. That saved me some time picking rocks..

First photo is about 6 shovels full of dirt in the sifter. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_204334ed1b5ffd9f3c.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2816)


Shake it and break up the clods for about 5 minutes, pick out the rocks and big wood, and voila! Small wood from target backers will be good flux anyway. :D


http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_204334ed1b62a1f431.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2817)

One other nice surprise. My primary reason for going was to shoot a new toy. I just got a Lipsey's 5.5" Bbl 45 convertible flat top in stainless. I threw in some loads that I had loaded for a 3 screw 45, and this is the first group! Of course I couldn't dupicate it, but I know it can perform. This is one of the beneficiaries of the 454640 GB that Lead_her_fly is heading up. I can't wait!



http://castboolits.gunloads.com/imagehosting/thum_204334ed1b6462cbbc.jpg (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/vbimghost.php?do=displayimg&imgid=2818)