Do you hand sort wheel weights to remove zinc?

[creature]

I've been hand sorting my wheel weights to remove the non-lead ones and this has gotten to be a real PITA. What I'm wondering is how reliable is it to remove them when smelting? I'm real paranoid about contaminating a pot of lead with a zinc one. Does have advice on how to prevent this from happening? Would definitely appreciate your guys' advice.

[hermans]

I have been sorting them by hand for many years....I agree that it is not my favorite pass time, but do not want to take the chance of getting the wrong stuff in the melt. What I do is to complete it in stages, that way it does not wear you out as much?

[williamwaco]

Hand sort.

I will not argue about melting points but I can testify that they do occasionally melt and contaminate a whole pot.


.

[randyrat]

I smelt everything together all at once and never contaminate my lead alloy...The trick; Stir soon and often to prevent hot spots on the bottom of the pot, then skim the Zinc turds off before the zinc gets hot enough to melt.
Your lead WWs melt around 550 ( I think) and Zinc turds melt at over 750 F so there is time to skim.

I save any metal coffee cans or empty metal cans for the dross and Zn turds, turn them in at the local scrap yard for $0.10- 0.12 / lb

Use a heavy Oak stick to stir the bottom of the pot aprox 1/2" x 2" and 3 ' long.......I leave just a few "Stick on" WWs to observe, when they melt it is time to skim the pot before the Zinc melts
My pot holds about 60-70 lbs of lead heated over a high output 10PSI regulator Turkey burner.

A good high output burner will melt lead in no time, so you must stir.

[MTtimberline]

I hand sort with diagonal cutters and then watch for anything suspicious while melting while avoiding higher than necessary pot temperatures

[DeanWinchester]

Every single one of them. I use pruning shears on any I have doubts about.

[GabbyM]

Have found that dumping a handful at a time in the pot. Always using a square nosed transfer shovel and standing back to add scrap to the pot. stir it in and the zinc floats. Adding to large a pile of WW at one time can get a zinc weight trapped under long enough to melt. I highly recommend the shovel then using all the handle to stay back for when it splatters. I have lead stuck to my car port ceiling from dropping in a plumbing pipe with trapped water inside.

If you get a little zinc contamination copper sulfate will take it out. Along with any tin though.

[creature]

Well it looks like I got some work to do tonight. About 300lbs of COWW. Urghhh...

[Bzcraig]

I always hand sort, but for me it is all a part of the fun of doing it. I do have a tendency to get task focused but if I was looking at 300#, you can bet it would happen over a couple of weekends. Have FUN my friend!

[nicholst55]

With all of the **** that ends up in wheel weight buckets, no way am I just going to dump it straight into the pot! No telling what might end up in your molten lead...

[Hardcast416taylor]

I`ve always hand sorted and tested with a pair of 10" end nippers for those weights I am in doubt about. Yes, this job can become tedious so I break for a spell every now and again. Being retired I have the luxury of having the time to do this.Robert

[ssnow]

It helps if you dump the bucket (or portion thereof) on a table or bench and sit in a comfortable chair for sorting. Just separate them into piles on the table, and dump into a bucket when the plies start getting big.

In short, get in a comfortable position for sorting, and it will go faster, easier, and be much less fatiguing.

For example; If I only have a small amount to sort, I may just do it standing up with the weights on the tailgate of the truck..... But if I have a lot to do, then this method is tiresome as I am a big guy, and the height of the tailgate makes me bend over too much. But if I just dump them on a table and sit down, it is much more comfortable and not such a bothersome task.

[NHGrumpyGramps]

I hand sort using a pair of nippers and a small magnet. There is so much junk and valve stems in the buckets that have to be sorted anyway it does not take that much longer to sort out the zinc and steel from the lead. Over the last year I have done about 12 buckets (one a month) and if you break it down into shorter periods of time it does not take that much time. Since I use a gasoline fired plumbers furnace, I don't have good temperature control and don't want to take a chance with getting zinc mixed in.

[bruce drake]

With all of the **** that ends up in wheel weight buckets, no way am I just going to dump it straight into the pot! No telling what might end up in your molten lead...

Exactly!

Sidecutters quickly confirm whether they are zinc or lead as well.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

while I tend to sort out non-WW debris while I'm smelting (valve stems and such), I am with randyrat...

I smelt everything together all at once and never contaminate my lead alloy...The trick; Stir soon and often to prevent hot spots on the bottom of the pot, then skim the Zinc turds off before the zinc gets hot enough to melt.
Your lead WWs melt around 550 ( I think) and Zinc turds melt at over 750 F so there is time to skim.

Clips go back to the scrap yard,
Zinkers are saved...some day I'll have enough to ship to 'shadygrady' :)
Good Luck,
Jon

[shadygrady]

thats right save all your zinc send to me

[mold maker]

I've never melted a WW without it has a bite mark from my pliers. Their too hard to come by, to take unnecessary chances. Possibly contaminated scrap lead is checked with acid, before adding to good lead.
It only takes a little diligence to guarantee success.

[TheGrimReaper]

Yep, I sure do.

[Shedhunter]

Be surprised what you will find in the pail. I hand sort everything, it might be a pita but I sleep better at night. I just did half a pail this weekend with only one zinc ww but several pounds of iron ww. That half pail is now 60lbs so it should give me about 50lbs of ingots.

[leadhead]

Found some "live" .22 rim fire ammo in a bucket one time.
Made a believer out of me. Still think what might have happened
if I would have just dumped them in the pot.
Denny

[Vinne]

With all of the **** that ends up in wheel weight buckets, no way am I just going to dump it straight into the pot! No telling what might end up in your molten lead...

No lie there. You should see the things I found hand sorting. The only way to go.

[Uncle Jimbo]

It helps if you dump the bucket (or portion thereof) on a table or bench and sit in a comfortable chair for sorting. Just separate them into piles on the table, and dump into a bucket when the plies start getting big.
For example; If I only have a small amount to sort, I may just do it standing up with the weights on the tailgate of the truck..... But if I have a lot to do, then this method is tiresome as I am a big guy, and the height of the tailgate makes me bend over too much. But if I just dump them on a table and sit down, it is much more comfortable and not such a bothersome task.

This pretty much how I do it. Except, I usually have a few beers in the process. Helps to make it a more pleasant task.
In short, get in a comfortable position for sorting, and it will go faster, easier, and be much less fatiguing. And sorting wheel weights is not rocket science.

[dragon813gt]

Hand sort every time. A few get by but that's better than many. I scrap all types of metal so I want the Zn and Fe separated so I get the most money. Every penny counts :)

[imashooter2]

Not since bucket yield topped 50% steel and zinc. I don't look for WW anymore.

[Defcon-One]

I hand sort every one, not with side cutters, but by feel, sight and sound. I have been doing it long enough that I do not miss very many. I catch that one or two going into the pot. Yes, it is a PITA! Quality Control always is, but it is worth it!

I would do it no other way and I will use this post to weed out those who I would not buy lead from. If you just dump it all and then skim off the Zinc, there is gonna be Zinc in your lead!

I had one float one on top once and it melted right as I skimmed it out. All I got was the clip. Fortunately, it was a fairly small batch at 30 lbs. but it was Zinced a bit. It made great sinkers!

Using a propane gas stove for heat, like I do, you must sort. If you have a large electric pot, then you can control the temp close enought to dump and skim.

[el34]

No sorting anymore, at least not for zinc. I was initially paranoid beyond belief but looking for anything factual to override that, I realized that no matter how long I leave the fire on (side burner of my bbq grill) my melt won't get above 650 degrees. Being comfortably more than 100 deg below zinc melting point, I finally realized to heck with it, melting zinc wouldn't happen in my setup. The small amount of zinc I get skims off clean and I toss it in the zinc bucket.

I do a cursory scan first and pull out most of the clipon steel, it's very easy to spot, lug nuts, and ballpoint pens or whatever. But sometimes valve stem caps get melted along with the grease.

I often get buckets that are mostly SOWW and small steelies. I use a big magnet to pull out most of the steel but I'm no longer anal about getting all of it. The question is- what's more hassle, sorting or skimming? Sometimes it's one, sometimes the other.

[wrench man]

I hand sort them as I pull them from the wheels, at work I have three buckets between the tire machine and the balancer, one for "TRUCK" lead, one for "car" lead and one for "other" and nothing but weights go in the buckets!

[Larry D.]

I sort by hand.

[creature]

Possibly contaminated scrap lead is checked with acid, before adding to good lead.
.

What kind of acid do you use and how do you do it?

[GlocksareGood]

Use muratic acid(aka brick acid or dilute hydrochloric acid). When applied to leadl with zinc in it it will bubble. No zinc, no bubble. Warning: keep your nose away from the test!

[Gliden07]

I hand sort and take it a step further and bite the weight with a pair of side cutters too! I can get thru a bucket before my hand feels like its gonna fall off!!

[creature]

Use muratic acid(aka brick acid or dilute hydrochloric acid). When applied to leadl with zinc in it it will bubble. No zinc, no bubble. Warning: keep your nose away from the test!

I imagine you just apply it to the hard form lead and not the melt, right?

[creature]

I hand sort and take it a step further and bite the weight with a pair of side cutters too! I can get thru a bucket before my hand feels like its gonna fall off!!

This is what I've been doing the past few nights. Two five gallon buckets to go...

[luis7]

I always hand sort all my COWW. It´s a hard work but I´m sure that i only have pretty COWW to ingot melt.
Around 1500 # mixed COWW in three years and I recover 700# lead COWW to ingotized.
Greetings from España

[bobthenailer]

yes ! and i also seperate the zinc from the steel weights

[GlocksareGood]

Correct.


I imagine you just apply it to the hard form lead and not the melt, right?

[captaint]

I do hand sort every one. I don't know for how much longer, though. Last two buckets I got (for free) were 50% junk. This is getting harder and harder to deal with. I know, some of you guys can't get any at all. I do feel for ya. Scrounging all the time. Mike

[shadygrady]

well then send that zinc to me for lead

[hickfu]

When I started casting I could find places that would give me the buckets of WW's and I hand sorted everything, Now I cant get anyone to give or sell me weights.... Yes I live in the socialist republic of Hellifornia.


Doc

[fredj338]

I casually sort buy hand, then keep the smelt moving & below 700deg. I have had zinc contaminated lead before, mostly scrounged or gifted, not fun.

[nightal]

I just came in after sorting for about a hour, finding lots of zink stick ons, more than ever before.

[LabGuy]

I hand sort and into 5 five gallon buckets, clip on, stick on, iron (Fe), Zinc (Zn), and trash. I check all the ones I didn’t see marked as Fe or Zn with diagonal side cutters. My greatest source of error is tossing into the wrong bucket. Sounds time consuming and boring, but I use an IPod, and listen to my preferred music, or of late, podcast from Cam and Company from NRA news.

[Patrick L]

Yes, I sort every piece with a pair of side cutters. I really don't find it to be that much of a chore. I must have gone thru 10-12 5 gallon pails last summer. The positive to it all, in addition to no chance of contamination, is that when you do smelt it goes much quicker, with much less waste (just dirt and clips.). Plus, I turn the steel and zinc into the scrapper for either cash, more lead, or tin and pewter.

[Lance Boyle]

I sort by eye and confirm with side cutters. If it looks exactly like a bunch of others that passed the side cutter test, I just move it to the melt bucket. After a bucket or two you get to recognize a fair amount of them.

On my last smelt I used a home made fish fryer stand and propane and I had one zinc that I skimmed out of the pot. I chalk it up to tossing in the wrong bucket during the sort. I got real nervous as that fryer is hot enough to melt a zinc if it's on the bottom of the pot. I cast some of the ingots so I think none got melted in but that one was kind of close to ruining 20 pounds worth of melt.

[outdoorfan]

while I tend to sort out non-WW debris while I'm smelting (valve stems and such), I am with randyrat...

Clips go back to the scrap yard,
Zinkers are saved...some day I'll have enough to ship to 'shadygrady' :)
Good Luck,
Jon

Yes! I sort out stick-ons from clip-ons, but no other sorting past that. I couldn't imagine sorting through every weight to "organize" them. Paying attention while smelting does the trick for me.

[Suo Gan]

There are just too many zinc weights in the average bucket to not sort, and the take is pretty dismal. But, when one compares it to minimum wage, I still think that sorting out twenty pounds of lead wheel weights is fairly good pay for the time involved.

[HeavyMetal]

I've always hand sorted because of the trash issue in most tire store buckets of wheel weights.

This also gives me the chance to sort both steel and zinc as I can, but I did find it hard on the hands, LOL!

My style is set up the Turkey fryer, seed with "known" alloy, tip over the bucket and use a shovel to sort on. This allows me to have 5 or 6 pounds on the shovel sort as I "cultivate" the WW's.

This also lets me seperate clip on from stick on WW's and make sure I have no liquids in the pile going into the pot.

Sadly I do not think there's an easy way to do this and old fashioned hands on is still the best.


HM

[shadygrady]

if you got zinc send it to me for lead

[caseyboy]

Every single one gets looked at by me. WW are getting harder to find and I don't want to risk a pot of good alloy.

[WILCO]

I'm a small time smelting and casting operation. I don't bother sorting when I smelt, as I'm never running big batches of lead. Hotplate, cast iron skillet with a lid is how I roll for smelting.