wheel weights

[supertodd]

I have been able to pick out the FE weights, since they are marked and they dont melt in my pot. Lee 420 is the pot I'm using. How do I tell the difference in zinc and lead if not marked. Will zinc cut? does zinc melt the same as lead. If I get zinc in my lead will it do anything bad when making bullets? I have been melting ww-s down making ingots.

[Defcon-One]

Before dropping them in the pot, check with a wire cutter. The Lead will cut fairly easily. The cutter will not cut the Zinc at all. A small scratch mabe, but it will slide off the much harder metal. Also, if you drop the lead ones on a concrete floor they thud, the Zinc will ring like a bell.

If it passes both tests, then it goes in the pot.

Zinc will raise the surface tension of your alloy and make it impossible to cast good bullets.

The best advice is to get a thermometer and set your pot so that it doesn't go over 650-700 degrees F. Then the Zinc that you may miss will not melt. (Zinc melts at 787 degrees F, the Lead at 621 degrees F.)

[12DMAX]

#4 Sticky in this forum should be very helpful to you

[supertodd]

thanks

[runfiverun]

a little zinc in an alloy is not a giant boolit life ending catastrophy.
i'd bet some even add zinc to thier alloys [knowingly and unknowingly]
it's when you get over 2% that the problems start to arise.

[fredj338]

^^TRUE^^ but I don;t like getting any zinc in my alloy, have had problems before. Zinc melts at a higher temp than lead alloys, so keep the pot 700deg or a bit lower & the zinc floats. It's hard, won;t bend & rings when dropped on hard surface like concrete.