Advice? What is [pure] tin worth the boolit-caster?

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

Today I bought my first large batch of wheel weights, and the seller included some 99.9% pure lab-grade tin. Neither of us really knew anything about it.

So without more unnecessary details, I was wondering if pure tin is worth anything to boolit-casters?

I know not that tin itself is quite valuable (~$10/pound), but I was not sure if there is really a market for it among boolit-casters. I am not that experienced with casting (and I am not particularly well-versed in the lengths people go to create preferred alloys), but it seems to me that in most situations, people don't see any need to add additional tin, despite tin's apparent ability to make boolits pour better.

So, being that wheel weights and other somewhat-common lead sources work pretty well for casting already, do a lot of people like to add additional tin? If so, is tin in short supply for casters? How much is tin worth to you as a caster?

Thanks!!!

[bhn22]

Tin is important. It lowers the surface tension of lead based alloys, allowing better mold fillout at lower temps. It also can be used to harden the same alloys a bit. It also seems to make lead a bit more malleable.

[dbosman]

If I can purchase tin, 95% tin solder, or pewter for under $10/lb, I pick it up.
My reason - I can get soft or nearly pure lead locally, but not enough wheel weights to make sorting worth while.

For rifle boolits, I can add a some hard shot or Roto Metals Super hard 30% Antimony.

[JSnover]

RotoMetal has 99.9% for $18.99/lb.

[Echo]

I have bought tin on eBay in the form of solder, pewter, and pure tin. I will pay $10/lb delivered, and be happy to do so. It is irreplaceable (AFAIK) in the casting game... So, 10 lbs of 50/50 solder would receive a bid from me for $50, including delivery.

[blackthorn]

Quote "So, 10 lbs of 50/50 solder would receive a bid from me for $50, including delivery."

Since 50/50 is only half tin, at $10 a pound, are you not paying $20 a pound for the tin?

[jmort]

"Since 50/50 is only half tin, at $10 a pound, are you not paying $20 a pound for the tin?"

Yes indeed.
Retail tin is around $20.00 a pound as noted. I have collected about 50 pounds for a little less than $10.00 a pound average. For a bullet alloy tin is nothing but good news. Makes the boolit fill-out the mold better and makes the lead more malleable. The only downside is the cost, which I believe is worth it. As I say, I'm Pro-Tin.

[Echo]

Quote "So, 10 lbs of 50/50 solder would receive a bid from me for $50, including delivery."

Since 50/50 is only half tin, at $10 a pound, are you not paying $20 a pound for the tin?
Duh. I will pay up to $10/lb for TIN - if doing arithmetic in your head is too trying, write the numbers down and do the simple math. Carrumba...

[Beagle333]

I love tin. I usually buy pewter because affordable solder isn't nearly as easy to find. $10/lb shipped for the tin content in any form is a fair price. At $8 shipped, I'll knock my coffee over trying to type "I'll take it!!!!" before it's all gone.:coffeecom

[Larry Gibson]

COWWS will cast a lot better bullets to larger diameter and higher BHN by adding 2% tin to the smelted COWW alloy. Many use straight COWW as "good enough" but adding the tin improves it greatly.

Larry Gibson

[cbrick]

COWWS will cast a lot better bullets to larger diameter and higher BHN by adding 2% tin to the smelted COWW alloy. Many use straight COWW as "good enough" but adding the tin improves it greatly. Larry Gibson

:goodpost: And besides a good post it's quite accurate.

Rick

[guicksylver]

Tin is a good thing....better perhaps than coww themselves

[tygar]

Today I bought my first large batch of wheel weights, and the seller included some 99.9% pure lab-grade tin. Neither of us really knew anything about it.

So without more unnecessary details, I was wondering if pure tin is worth anything to boolit-casters?

I know not that tin itself is quite valuable (~$10/pound), but I was not sure if there is really a market for it among boolit-casters. I am not that experienced with casting (and I am not particularly well-versed in the lengths people go to create preferred alloys), but it seems to me that in most situations, people don't see any need to add additional tin, despite tin's apparent ability to make boolits pour better.

So, being that wheel weights and other somewhat-common lead sources work pretty well for casting already, do a lot of people like to add additional tin? If so, is tin in short supply for casters? How much is tin worth to you as a caster?

Thanks!!!

Well I'll give you a profit if you want to sell some!

I got lucky & got pure tin for $3lb, but only a small amount but was able to get some 95%+ pewter for 8-10$ but I'm down to under 20#s. Need more!
Tom

[youngda9]

I like to add a pinch (2" long) of 50/50 or better solder whenever I add an ingot to the pot. This really helps fill-out by reducing the surface tension of the alloy. Makes the bullets a bit harder, slightly more malleable, and shinier.

[cali4088]

Yes, TIN is awesome. Its even more awesome when you pay .90 cents a lb for 50/50 solder. Thats what I pay for it! Happy Casting!

20,000# in 3 months! 30,000# to go!

[Certaindeaf]

I like to add a pinch (2" long) of 50/50 or better solder whenever I add an ingot to the pot. This really helps fill-out by reducing the surface tension of the alloy. Makes the bullets a bit harder, slightly more malleable, and shinier.That's pretty much what I do. I don't know if the tin gets lost with heat time but I'll just add a little poke/dab here and there from solder wire instead of adding my full amount of tin to large batches etc.

[Old Caster]

If I am molding a larger bullet like a 45 200 grain, I haven't had to add tin to wheel weights but wheel weights are changing and if you had the wrong stuff (perhaps locality it is from), it might be necessary. If I mold something small it almost certainly needs to have some tin added. Even different molds can be rather picky or non picky about this.

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

Wow, I suppose I underestimated the importance of tin!


If I mold something small it almost certainly needs to have some tin added.

I realize that every mould, alloy and other variables are different, but what do you consider a "small" boolit? In the foreseeable future, I will be casting exclusively for 9mm (125 grain). I haven't even smelted the weights into ingots yet, so I really have no idea how these wheel weights will cast for me. Prior to starting thread, I figured I'd probably want to sell the tin, but I'm starting to think I might want to keep it until I actually try casting some boolits with the plain WW.

[tygar]

I like to add a pinch (2" long) of 50/50 or better solder whenever I add an ingot to the pot. This really helps fill-out by reducing the surface tension of the alloy. Makes the bullets a bit harder, slightly more malleable, and shinier.

The Pewter I have is in the form of round disks weighing about 1/8 oz ea. so it's easy to put in an oz or 2 whenever needed.

With WWs & most of the ingots I have smelted (except pure) I try casting some before I put in tin. If it's filled, OK, if not drop in a few discs in & try again. When filled out it's time to roll.

I have found that the WWs I used 30-40 yrs ago didn't need anything, hell I didn't even know about adding tin back then but the WWs today sometimes need an oz or 2.

I actually have more trouble getting my mixes "down" in tin & antimony. I have about 1 to 3, lino/mono to wws/pure. So being the math genius I'm NOT, figuring out ratios is a problem. I know, I know, I have the charts but you still need to do the algebra.

I will say, since I've been casting for pistols since the 60s that to me big pistol bullets are easier than smaller bullets & especially small rifle & fill out seems to be easier. Don't know that that is actually the case but it sure seems so to me.

I do think that people add more tin than generally needed. I weigh my alloys & know I get good fill out with generally less than 2% tin.

[blackthorn]

Duh. I will pay up to $10/lb for TIN - if doing arithmetic in your head is too trying, write the numbers down and do the simple math. Carrumba...

AIEEEE I must have still been half aasleep!!!

[Old Caster]

I have two pistol molds that require tin for perfect fillout. One is a 60 grain Accurate 5 cavity SWC for 32 ACP and the other is a Lee 6 cavity 105 grain 38. I use a Saeco 115 for 9mm and have gotten away without using added tin. If I were you, I would save the tin. It won't get cheaper.

[Njal Thorgeirsson]

I have two pistol molds that require tin for perfect fillout. One is a 60 grain Accurate 5 cavity SWC for 32 ACP and the other is a Lee 6 cavity 105 grain 38. I use a Saeco 115 for 9mm and have gotten away without using added tin. If I were you, I would save the tin. It won't get cheaper.

I do think I'm gonna hold on to the tin for now. I figure if it turns out that I have to add an average of 1.5% tin by weight to my alloy (as needed- should get the alloy close to 2% Sn assuming some is contained in the WW), my 11 pounds of tin should last me about 41000 125 grain 9mm boolits. Being that a little tin could potentially make that 41000 a bit more hassle-free, I think it will be well worth keeping it around.

I was sort of hoping tin would certainly be unnecessary- I paid considerably less for [80 lbs WW + 11 pounds tin] than what I could sell the tin for alone [smilie=1:

The bad news is that I currently have no way to smelt those weight into ingots :p

[Certaindeaf]

The price of tea in China is golly! lolz

[jonp]

Duh. I will pay up to $10/lb for TIN - if doing arithmetic in your head is too trying, write the numbers down and do the simple math. Carrumba...

Wouldn't that be $2.50/lb for the tin.

DUH on myself. Never mind

[Black Powder Bill]

Several years back when the big lead in drinking water scare surfaced I walked by a scrap metal bin one day. Low and behold the lead trolls were smiling upon me! The fitters and guy in my crew threw out 30 odd pounds of 50/50 & 60/40 wire.
It was a good day.

All it takes it a foot or so of wire to a 5lb pot and the metal flows so much better.

[Echo]

AIEEEE I must have still been half aasleep!!!

Sorry for the snotty reply, BT. >I< must have been half asleep!

[blackthorn]

Hey! No need to apologize.

[white eagle]

tin is very valuable to me as a caster
I use strictly lead/tin base alloy's for hunting revo's
so I am pro tin as well