ktw
05-02-2007, 11:53 AM
I dropped by my local salvage yard recently to top off my supply of roof flashing. While there I asked him about Linotype/monotype. Nothing. Then I asked him about Tin.
He did have this pile of stuff that he claimed had high tin content, but couldn't tell me much more about it other than that it was pipes form an old pipe organ. I bought a couple of pounds to play with.
I melted it down today in the smelter. It melted very quickly, much faster than pure lead. I will do a temperature test later today in my casting pot, along with trying it straight for a few test bullets.
The ingots look alot like the 60/40 from the radiator shop that I smelted about a year ago (frosty). I did a quick hardness test on it and arrived at 16.5 bhn with a Lee tester about a half hour after pouring it (this was on a big drip of about 200 gr in size, not an ingot).
Wikipedia has the following to say about pipe organ pipe construction:
Organ pipes are generally made out of either wood or metal. Metal flue pipes are usually made of varying mixtures of lead and tin, depending on the requirements sought for that particular pipe. The more lead used in the alloy, the darker the resulting tone will be. Conversely, if a pipe has a high proportion of tin, it will have a brighter tone. In addition, high amounts of tin give a gleaming and long-lasting polish, which may be desired if the pipe is clearly visible. Pure lead is too soft to be used alone; stiffening agents such as antimony and copper must be added for increased rigidity. The cost of each metal is also a factor, with tin being of far greater expense than lead. The usual exceptions to tin-lead alloys are very lowest pipes in a rank, which are sometimes made of rolled zinc. In addition, pipes have been made of many metals, including gold, silver, aluminium, brass, copper, and iron.
If anyone else has used this material before, or has additional tests that I could perform to help arrive at a ballpark tin content I would appreciate hearing about it. If it casts clean test bullets I plan to use it as a WW sweetener, but a better idea on content would help me determine a good price for buying more of it.
-ktw
He did have this pile of stuff that he claimed had high tin content, but couldn't tell me much more about it other than that it was pipes form an old pipe organ. I bought a couple of pounds to play with.
I melted it down today in the smelter. It melted very quickly, much faster than pure lead. I will do a temperature test later today in my casting pot, along with trying it straight for a few test bullets.
The ingots look alot like the 60/40 from the radiator shop that I smelted about a year ago (frosty). I did a quick hardness test on it and arrived at 16.5 bhn with a Lee tester about a half hour after pouring it (this was on a big drip of about 200 gr in size, not an ingot).
Wikipedia has the following to say about pipe organ pipe construction:
Organ pipes are generally made out of either wood or metal. Metal flue pipes are usually made of varying mixtures of lead and tin, depending on the requirements sought for that particular pipe. The more lead used in the alloy, the darker the resulting tone will be. Conversely, if a pipe has a high proportion of tin, it will have a brighter tone. In addition, high amounts of tin give a gleaming and long-lasting polish, which may be desired if the pipe is clearly visible. Pure lead is too soft to be used alone; stiffening agents such as antimony and copper must be added for increased rigidity. The cost of each metal is also a factor, with tin being of far greater expense than lead. The usual exceptions to tin-lead alloys are very lowest pipes in a rank, which are sometimes made of rolled zinc. In addition, pipes have been made of many metals, including gold, silver, aluminium, brass, copper, and iron.
If anyone else has used this material before, or has additional tests that I could perform to help arrive at a ballpark tin content I would appreciate hearing about it. If it casts clean test bullets I plan to use it as a WW sweetener, but a better idea on content would help me determine a good price for buying more of it.
-ktw