adding antimony

[dualsport]

I got some RotoMetals 50/50 Super Hard, 50% lead and 50% antimony. When I add it to the molten wheel weights in the pot I get a odd oatmeal looking froth on the top. What's the trick?

[Ole]

What temperature is your pot?

Try stirring it with a dry wooden stick.

The oatmeal-looking stuff is the antimony.

EDIT: The stuff from Rotometals is 30% antimony.

[runfiverun]

turn the heat up [750-775] and then flux.
turn down the pot temp as soon as you start to flux.

[GLL]

Crank the temperature up and add a small amount at a time as you flux and stir like crazy. Like Ole I stir with a wooden paint stick and add wood shavings as well. At 30% Sb SuperHard is a great way to add Antimony !

Never skim the "oatmeal" ! :)

Jerry

[dualsport]

Thanks guys, I'll give it another shot using the tips you've given me. Right now I have to go out to the trash and recover some oatmeal from the ww clip pile.

[Larry Gibson]

I've got to ask why your adding the antimony to WWs? WWs are already rich in antimony and short on tin.

Larry Gibson

[btroj]

But Larry, hard cast are better!

I would have to agree, the wheel weights don't need more Sb. Heck, I would rather add pure lead to them than anything else.

[Larry Gibson]

Oh yeah....hard cast are better......oh silly me!

Larry Gibson

[GLL]

Here in southern California WW are getting very difficult to find but lead is commonly available ! I use the Rotometals 30/70 Superhard along with 63/37 solder drippings to build my own "WW alloy" of known uniform composition. Most of my casting is now a 50/50 blend of this "WW alloy" with pure lead.

Sam's 95/2.5/2.5 Isotope alloy plus a little Superhard makes a great casting alloy as well !

Jerry

[dualsport]

Agreed wheelweights are fine as is for most anything, but I like to experiment.

[btroj]

Ah yes, the reinvent the wheel concept. Got it.

[Larry Gibson]

Agreed wheelweights are fine as is for most anything, but I like to experiment.

If you add 2% tin to the WWs you'll get a very good alloy with a BHN from 14 - 17. It also WQ or HTs very well. The tin makes the antimony that is already there blend in the ternary alloy much better.

Larry Gibson

[dualsport]

Ah yes, the reinvent the wheel concept. Got it.

Bingo. I do want to reinvent the wheel. It's not fun for me to always just copy what others have already done. For competition I take advantage of the knowledge shared by others who have already been down that road, but just for grins I'll try a lot of oddball ideas, like a high antimony wheel weight alloy heat treated for a potential high velocity hunting bullet that performs acceptably. No way to know without giving it a shot. (I don't test on live animals)

[fredj338]

I would NEVER try adding straight antimony, it's just too diff to work with. Adding a binary alloy like Rotometals is way easier to blend. http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/antimonial_lead.htm Keep in mind that the more antimony you add, the more brittle the alloy.

[Max Brand]

That stuff will be off the Brinell scale, you'll have to test it via Rockwell.:kidding:

[Frank]

I like to mix my WW's so I have 50/50 and water drop. It gives me a ductile alloy that is still BH 22. When I needed a harder skin, a little super hard alloy and I get BH 27 & 33 for handguns and rifles.