WW's from Tire Shops

[bslim]

It took me a while to visit all of the sources for WW's in my area. I found most times it was hit or miss. It seems like there are quite a few of us scrounging for the same WW's. One day I bought a bunch of new white 5 gal. pails and printed my name and phone number on them in big bold print. Every time a shop had WW's for me, I switched the pails and left mine in place. I now have one shop that calls me every month to come and pick up a full pail of WW's. I pay them $.30/lb. and so far I have taken over 800 lbs. of WW's from that one shop.
Nothing lasts forever, so I buy as much as I can get my hands on.

[Jailer]

Get it while you can and get enough to last you a lifetime. Once you have that much, keep collecting it for barter material.

I'm about 2000lbs over my original goal and it's only been a little over a year of collecting for me. Most of that was free, not so much any more. I still have a couple of cheap contacts and I'm going to work those as long as I can.

My name is Jailer and I'm a leadaholic............

[Ole]

Get it while you can and get enough to last you a lifetime. Once you have that much, keep collecting it for barter material.

I'm about 2000lbs over my original goal and it's only been a little over a year of collecting for me. Most of that was free, not so much any more. I still have a couple of cheap contacts and I'm going to work those as long as I can.

My name is Jailer and I'm a leadaholic............

I'm in the same boat pretty much.

I'm 90% sure I have enough lead to last me a lifetime of shooting, but if I can get more at a really good price, I'm not going to say no. Gathering range lead has really caught my interest as of late.

Thank goodness I started this hobby 2 1/2 years ago, as gathering lead has become quite a bit harder in the 2 1/2 years that i've been casting. I guess I can thank Obama for getting me into casting. :mrgreen:

[fredj338]

I have been telling everyone this since they banned lead ww here in kommifornia. That is the signal that the rest fo the country will be drying up sooner than later. fast forward two years & now other states are banning them &/or the suppliers have switched out to zinc to meet the large demand of the kommifornia car/tire market. I don;t actively look for alloy anymore, but readily take it if it comes my way. Worse case scenario is my kids sell it for $1/# when I die.

[Lead Freak]

I have been telling everyone this since they banned lead ww here in kommifornia. That is the signal that the rest fo the country will be drying up sooner than later. fast forward two years & now other states are banning them &/or the suppliers have switched out to zinc to meet the large demand of the kommifornia car/tire market. I don;t actively look for alloy anymore, but readily take it if it comes my way. Worse case scenario is my kids sell it for $1/# when I die.

I totally agree. I pick up buckets of weights from city and county shops, and the percentage of steel weights has been steadily increasing. At least 15-20% of the weights are steel now. Git it while the gittins good.

[badbob454]

kalifornia now up to 70 plus percent zn or fe junk only 30 % pb or less so when melted down @ 30lbs a full bucket now .. bummer just get more buckets, and sort 3 times more ..i used to get 130 pounds of ingots per bucket now @ 30 pounds

[GaryN]

I'd melt the zinc into ingots too and mark them. There may come a time when you wish you had it. If it gets bad enough and I run out of lead I might play with zinc.

[Jim]

I'd melt the zinc into ingots.....

Make sure you have a huge burner head and plenty of propane.

[Suo Gan]

I have been telling everyone this since they banned lead ww here in kommifornia. That is the signal that the rest fo the country will be drying up sooner than later. fast forward two years & now other states are banning them &/or the suppliers have switched out to zinc to meet the large demand of the kommifornia car/tire market. I don;t actively look for alloy anymore, but readily take it if it comes my way. Worse case scenario is my kids sell it for $1/# when I die.

I believe it is nationwide as of the first of the year.

[oldred]

Don't know if it's a sign of things to come, such as eliminating lead wheel weights, but when I asked about some at the local farmer's CO-OP the guy in the tire shop told me to pull my truck up the door because he had a bunch he said he "needed to get rid of". They loaded them onto my pick up in cardboard boxes that came to about a 5 gallon bucket full and most were brand new unused weights! I guess in the end it won't make a lot of difference between using new or old but all those shinny new weights sure looked good.

[mac1911]

its a battle in my area, couple of fishing weight makers(one for custom cast netting) is out paying even the scrap yard. He takes even the smallest amounts. More of my stops have switched to iron and plastic WWs. Our Shop does 60 tires a month. 4 years ago I could count on 80/20 lead to non lead on the old tires comeing in with about about 10-16oz of WWs comeing off the old tires.
Now its more like 50ww/50 non wheel weights and average about 6-8oz of total weight comeing off.
Many shops in my area have upgraded their balancers(We have a RoadFource machine) this has reduced the actual weight we put back on the tires by about 40%. We still use lead WWs here and I get the old ones. Problem being it takes months to get about 60lbs half of which will be non lead

[OneBagNomad]

After some serious looking, I had some luck at a couple of small shops in rural areas. That vast majority of the shops are too afraid of the EPA (or whoever) to sell lead to individuals. My best finds by far came from the most back-woods tire shops I could find. Found one who I think actually sold me wheel weights as an act of defiance.

[atom73]

im in south dakota and the ford dealership here gives them to me. Brought in a box of doughnuts to say thanks and it cemented the deal. All I did was ask when I was in getting a fuel filter changed on my diesel.

[white eagle]

every time I shoot I just mine the berm and recollect my lead
its kinda nice to have your own range

[badbob454]

I'd melt the zinc into ingots too and mark them. There may come a time when you wish you had it. If it gets bad enough and I run out of lead I might play with zinc.

seconds on this idea !!

[badbob454]

Make sure you have a huge burner head and plenty of propane.

or a good campfire he he

[Jacko.357]

The days of cheap or giveaway wheelweights are long gone in my neck of the woods. Only one Tyre Shop near home or work will work a deal for wheel weights. One Scrap yard wanted $5 a pound for Wheel Weights

The Tyre Shop I get my Wheel Weights from asked for a 10 pack of Bourbon and Cola [$35 ] for the 60 or 70 pounds of wheelweights I collect every other month.

regards Jacko

[Moonman]

Jacko.357,

That's a shame Mate.

Regards MOONMAN

[Jacko.357]

Moonman, I'm happy, sure beats paying $1 a proj for J words and I figure I have 9 or 10 years worth of lead right now if I don't get another wheel weight

regards Jacko

[bslim]

Just got back from a Truck tire shop with a plumb full pail of WW's. Sorted them out and came up with these numbers.
WW's - 100lbs.
Stickies - 32lbs.
Zinc & steel 37 lbs.
Paid $25 for the pail, thanked the gent and wished him a Merry Christmas.

[morcey2]

I believe it is nationwide as of the first of the year.

I don't think it is. The EPA is 'encouraging' the change, but doesn't have the regulatory controls to govern it. Yet. At least according to their website. One of my best friends owns an auto shop here in Utah and it would be news to him if it was nationwide because he would be screwed.

He also gave be 120 lbs of mostly lead weights, so I hope it doesn't happen either.

Matt

[Loki610]

I just drove all over town dropping off Timmys donuts and asking around and finally found a couple pails (6 dozen donuts later) Had to pay $65 for 2 almost full pails. Looks like i got a lot of sorting to do now! but at least I have my first supply of lead for when my 4-20 arrives in the mail.