Lead analyzer

[donovansn585]

I'm in need I a lead analyzer, I got a whole bunch of lead from my work and have no idea of what type of lead it is. Please help

[bangerjim]

Shell out $40,000+ for an Xray analyzer gun like the scrap yard use. The only REAL way to know.

Other than than that, try to talk a friendly yard to analyze your samples for you.....probably for a fee.

Get a hardness tester (cabine is the best) and it will tell you the hardness but not not the chemical make-up. You can take a SWAG at the makeup based upon known hardnesses of certain alloys (COWW's, lino, mono, shot, pure, etc). See LASC.us for a good table of materials...and much info on alloys.

Artist pencils are a poor man's test, but are stab in the dark. Do a search on here.

banger

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

disclaimer:
I have only been melting Lead alloys for about 4 years, and am by no means an expert. But I am a scrounger and have experienced many different alloys, most were known some were not. Different alloys melt at different temps and/or ranges. I have done some reading and some questioning here...and I offer this advise.

>segregate the different types, if there are different types ?
>Heat and cool each type and record the melt temp as well as the freeze temp.
>Get a hardness tester
>try casting some boolits
>cast some into Ingots

With this info, you can usually get a pretty good idea what you have and what you can do with it.

If you want my opinion, send me a minimum of 10 lbs and I'll give you my best idea of what it is and what I'd use it for.

[Garyshome]

I have a Saeco tester I'll sell for !140.00 shipped!

[Idz]

What was it used for? If its nearly pure lead you can scratch it with a fingernail. Medical x-ray shielding was mostly straight lead. If it was solder it would be harder. If it was weights it could be anything. If you have a thermometer you can measure its melting point and compare it to a table. You can also try casting a few bullets and see how they perform.

[donovansn585]

It was used for the sheath on telephone cables many years ago

[HATCH]

its gonna be near pure soft

[Idz]

Cable sheathes I've seen have been mostly soft pure lead. Try the fingernail test. I recall they used sheet lead and a soldered lap joint.

[donovansn585]

Yes I can easily scratch it with my finger nail so let me ask you this should I use half ww and half cable sheath lead or should I make my own mix with cable sheath lead, tin and antimony and if so how much of each I want pretty hard stuff.

[DRNurse1]

I'm in need I a lead analyzer, I got a whole bunch of lead from my work and have no idea of what type of lead it is. Please help


I have a Saeco tester I'll sell for !140.00 shipped!

Folks here providd me with a 'redneck' version of the hardness tester. I am saving up my pennies for the Cabin Tree hardness tester but in the mean time I will gladly share their simple and inexpensive method with you. PM me.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Yes I can easily scratch it with my finger nail so let me ask you this should I use half ww and half cable sheath lead or should I make my own mix with cable sheath lead, tin and antimony and if so how much of each I want pretty hard stuff.
I'd sell your soft lead and use the cash to buy the "pretty hard stuff" you want.

my 2¢
I'm not sure why you want a hard alloy ?
I use WW with added Tin for most pistol shooting
I like 94-3-3 for Rifle loads and non-Gas checked Magnum pistol boolits
I get 94-3-3 by mixing WW and foundrytype and 10:1 (these are the alloys I've scrounged).

[MUSTANG]

Lead Cable Sheathing makes pretty good boolits, particularly pistol boolits. Might want to harden it for use in rifle boolits.

You could always cast into molds and offer for sale on this site, then pick up an alloy you want from the proceeds.

[bangerjim]

If you would have told us it was cable lead (rather than "a bunch of lead") early on we could have told you immediately it is soft. All sheath lead is around 5 bhn. Very common stuff as scrap these days.

Just treat is as pure and mix accordingly. Download the Excel spreadsheet on here. You do not want to shoot is as pure except in black powder or shotgun slugs.

Get some WW's or harder alloy and mix it. And some tin in some form.

I ask the question also.......why do you need "pretty hard stuff"???????? REALLY Hard = leading potential. I never run my boolits over 15 and 10-12 for subsonic pistols. I electrostatic powder coat everything which allows you to not really worry about the hardness as much as in the "old days". You save the harder alloys. And you eliminate the need for greasy lubes. And....NO LEADING! Check it out on here.

bangerjim

[donovansn585]

I did not realize lead sheath was that common, I have a lot of it and can get a lot more I am going to buy the lee hardness tester and I also am going to start powder coating everything. Thank you for all the advice.

[donovansn585]

Oh ya hate to be a pain could you post a link to the spread sheet you mentioned

[bangerjim]

Oh ya hate to be a pain could you post a link to the spread sheet you mentioned

Per the search engine at top right corner of page:

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


banger

[donovansn585]

Thank you all very much I'm going to be a paying member if this site this week I love it

[meeesterpaul]

It sounds like you have good advice already. If you need samples scanned sometime send me a note. I expect to get them XRF scanned for $5 each. Samples can be small, the size of a coin.94312

[dbosman]

Grab it while you can.
Sheathing is relatively common -now- because fiber optic cable is replacing copper as quickly as the line workers can put it in. There are several reasons. One - the price of copper is so high that selling it can actually pay for the fiber and installation. It also thwarts copper thieves.

Sheathing lead is nearly pure so it's a starting point for any alloy.
If you're going to powder coat you won't need a hardness tester. We can argue the ratio, but 1%-2% tin will cast well.


I did not realize lead sheath was that common, I have a lot of it and can get a lot more I am going to buy the lee hardness tester and I also am going to start powder coating everything. Thank you for all the advice.