How to identify linotype?

[Rex]

Neighbor stopped by, had been helping a widow lady clean out her garage. He found a bar of something that had been melted down and poured into what looked like some kind of a stake. The widow said her husband told her it was some kind of printing type lead. The thing is stiff enough that it can be cut with a hacksaw. It is around 20# and I have about that much pure lead. I'm not sure what I have but think I'll melt a small pot of the two and try mixing them together and see what happens. Wish I knew what I had.
If it is lino, about what ratio would you use with pure lead? 1/3 to 1/2?
Rex

[I'll Make Mine]

I recall lino as being too soft to cut well with a hacksaw; you might have stereotype there (it's much harder than linotype). Might want to take it to a scrapyard and ask if they can test it for you; failing, I'd dilute it with an equal amount of lead, cast a few and see if they're too hard; keep adding equal amounts of lead until you get a soft enough boolit -- if it's stereotype, you might need to go 1 part mystery alloy to four parts lead to get the antimony to a reasonable level.

Oh, do try to make sure it isn't zinc (zinc will bubble with household vinegar, virtually nothing else it's likely to be will) before you mix it with your good lead, else you'll wind up having to discard the whole mix and wire brush clean (or worse, discard) all your equipment that has touched the zinc contaminated metal.

[454PB]

Linotype ingots will break if struck with a hammer, and the broken ends have a very crystaline appearance.

I mix lead to lino 1 to 1 for rifle and high pressure revolver loads, but for the average loads at up to 1300 fps, I use 2 parts pure lead to 1 part lino.

[John Boy]

I'm not sure what I have but think I'll melt a small pot ... You might consider testing some for hardness before you start mixing

[Rex]

I sawed part way through the bar and wacked with a blacksmith hammer and it broke off. Yes it looked crystaline where it broke, shiney where it was sawed. It does scratch too easy for zink.

[lwknight]

Its purdy thats how.
You can check the melt temperature. It should be fully liquid at 560 or so degrees.