how much lead free solder

[ubetcha]

Sorry guys,but I'm brain locking here.IfI mix up an alloy of 2#ww to 1# stick-on ww,how much solder should I add to equal 2% in a 10# batch? I use 3 different alloys depending on what I'm shooting,I guess basically I'm looking to find out how much 2% of 10# is in weight.:killingpc

[williamwaco]

"Lead Free Solder" is not going to get you there.
We need to know what percent tin?

Are you sure it is Lead Free?


10 pounds = 160 ounces
2% of 10 pounds = 160*0.02 = 3.2 ounces.


PS, Most 10 pound pots will not hold more than 8 pounds and still leave room to stir without sloshing out of the top of the pot.



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[bumpo628]

Check out my alloy calculator (link below).

[ubetcha]

I will have to check on the percentage of tin in the solder.I don't know offhand.What I would do is mix the alloy in a 10#batch in a larger pot and pour onto 1# ingots.

[leadman]

The lead free solder I have looked at does vary in contents, but it is mostly tin, with some antimony and may also have copper.

[bumpo628]

Lead free solder is typically 95% tin and 5% of any of the following: Antimony, Copper, or Silver.

Since WW alloy components are always a guess, we can just figure out how much lead free solder it would take to get an alloy with 2% tin when mixed with pure lead. It would be about 3 oz, as mentioned above. Since the WW alloys are sure to have *some* tin, I would start out with 1 or 2 oz and try casting some. You can always add more tin.

By the way, the other 5% element does practically nothing to the calculation. It only adds 0.1% of whatever it is to the 10 lb mix.

[ubetcha]

[Then to simplify things,I would just need to cut off a piece of solder that weighs about 1 or 2 or 3 oz or what ever amount that casts good and add to the alloy. Brain should unlock soon .I hope.[smilie=w:. This should pretty much work with any alloy that is approx 9-10# mix.If the % of tin is in excess of 2% , more or less ,then it's just a waste of tin from what I understand.

[williamwaco]

[Then to simplify things,I would just need to cut off a piece of solder that weighs about 1 or 2 or 3 oz or what ever amount that casts good and add to the alloy. Brain should unlock soon .I hope.[smilie=w:. This should pretty much work with any alloy that is approx 9-10# mix.If the % of tin is in excess of 2% , more or less ,then it's just a waste of tin from what I understand.

That is the magic answer. Tin is the most expensive component you
will use. Add it one ounce at a time until you like the results. I never add more than two percent.

If you are using an alloy that has very little tin. One percent will make an instant noticeable difference.


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[kill456]

I know this is an old post but people will see this from time to time when they are asking the same question so I will throw in my 2 cents worth if no one minds ;-)
I have been using lead free solder for years now and what I do is a 5% mix so every 10 lb's I use a half a roll of lead free and a roll is 1 lb so that 8 oz per 10 lb pot . Now some will say that 5% is way to much but I have been using it for years now and I have no problem with this mix and in fact 10 sticks off my lead mold is almost exactly 10 pounds so I throw in 12 to 13 sticks of lead and this gives me around 12 to 13 pounds of range lead so the 8 oz add or 5% works out to about 2 to 3% after all anyways . I will go to garage sales and used item/antique stores and buy pure pewter also and melt it and use the exact same weight ratio its just instead of solder I use picture frames and or a vase or 2 etc etc etc just buy a nice digital food scale and then do the math and you will get your stuff just right . I cold water quench my boolets as I make them then I heat temper them for 15 minutes at 350 degrees and after 15 min. I turn it up to 500 for 2 hours then after the 2 hours I dump the entire thing in very cold water to quench them yet again then after that I put 2 coats of HI-TEK 2-EXTREME boolet coating from Missouri Bullet Company and I get no barrel leading AT ALL EVER!! Oh and with that coating I dont ever have to use that sloppy messy awful boolet coating muck/wax // stuff . It is baked on for 11 minutes per directions and the coat left behind is strong enough and slick enough to never need anything else for coating/lube .

[Hardcast416taylor]

My answer may sound screwy, but hang in there. A 50/50 alloy is WW and pure lead of equal amounts. Admittedley WW are doubtful in tin and antimony content anymore. Since `real` lead free solder is not a cheap item it should be used sparingly. Tin aids in mold cavity fill out and would be considered throwing money away using it in large quantities. During a melt with my RCBS 22 lb. pot if I need some tin for fill out, if everything else is being done right, I wrap several times around 2 fingers some solder and add it. When back up to temp I try casting again, if more solder is needed I repeat the process. I realise my method sounds screwy, but it works for me!Robert

[TexasGrunt]

I only add tin/pewter if I'm having problems with mold fill out.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

3.2 oz of tin for 10 lbs