Noob needing some help with mixing pure lead...

[LivewireBlanco]

I have 50 pounds of pretty much straight scrap lead, mostly lead pipe and roofing lead. I plan on casting some round balls with some of this but the rest of it I would be using for some 38 SPL and 45 ACP. What could I add to my lead that would bring the hardness up to about 10-11 BH? My pot is a 20# Lee Magnum melter and I'll be ladle casting.

[Smoke4320]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators&highlight=alloy+calculator

Post # 5

study the different calculators .. there are several listed that will allow you to put in desired result and then give you what you need to add to get there

if you dont have access to many alloys rotometals ( sponser here banner at top of page)will have what you need to get you going .. They ship fast too.

[hickfu]

I have 50 pounds of pretty much straight scrap lead, mostly lead pipe and roofing lead. I plan on casting some round balls with some of this but the rest of it I would be using for some 38 SPL and 45 ACP. What could I add to my lead that would bring the hardness up to about 10-11 BH? My pot is a 20# Lee Magnum melter and I'll be ladle casting.

LivewireBlanco,
You can go to thrift stores and see if you can find some pewter for cheap.... 20lbs of pure lead and 1lb of pewter will get you at 10.1 bhn, 10lbs to 1 will get you 11.5

Doc

[bangerjim]

doc......more power to 'ya if you can get pewter stuff cheap enough to go in a melt. Most "thrift" stores 'round here put pewter items in the "collectables" case and charge an arm & leg for it! I haunt thrift and junk stores all the time and pewter is a rare find in AZ. Heck, even brass is getting hard to find with the price of copper sky high. Most people are selling it to recycle yards rather than just donating it. Over the years I have collected over 400# of bar stock and items, paying no more than a buck fifty a pound. Now brass in $4.
and copper is $5.

No wonder these bustards steal copper pipe from church AC units!

[hickfu]

bangerjim, Wow that sucks that they do that.... I find pewter all the time in the thrift stores around here for cheap. Yeah sometimes they want way too much because its a tea set or something and I pass but I still have around 30 to 35 lbs of it melted into 1lb ingots. There's always Rotometals

Doc

[LivewireBlanco]

Thanks guys! I went looking for some pewter today and couldn't find anything. I want to say it's pretty rare where I am. I was looking at maybe getting some Magnum Shot or Chilled shot and maybe mixing it 50/50 with pure lead. What do you guys think?

[hickfu]

50/50 lead and magnum shot will get you where you want to be.... 11.4 bhn


Doc

[groot nadine]

all I could find was silver plates and stuff... they pleaded with me to take it, but, I said no, won't work for my cast bullets....

[lars1367]

You may have already done this, but try checking with the scrap yards. I have seen an ample supply of pewter at scrap metal prices.
-Corey