Hard and soft COWW?

[glw]

I just sorted some COWW and used a sidecutter to test for zinc weights. Some COWW were very soft, and cut easily. Some COWW were so hard that I couldn't cut them.

The confusing ones were the ones in which I could cut into them, but they were harder than the soft COWW. Am I correct that I shouldn't be able to cut in to zinc weights at all? And if so, are the harder (but still cut-able) COWW some sort of special composition? Often these harder COWW seemed to have some sort of coating on them. (They were not plastic weights, which I also found and rejected.) Should I treat the harder COWW the same as the softer ones?

Thanks for the help!

Glenn

[KingAirNeal]

If you couldn't cut them, chances are they are Zinc. See the sticky about it. You will be able to mark the zinc with the jaws of your side cutters, but it won't cut. The lead will. Thunk them on a section of steel. The lead will "thud" the zinc will "ting".

[bangerjim]

The make steel (marked FE) clip on's. Use a magnet. The ones I have found are coated to prevent rust.

You can test for Zn with pool acid (hydrochloric/muriatic acid). It will bubble up. Lead will NOT.

Worst case........melt them......Zn will float on molten lead at Pb's melting point. Just do not go too hot. There is tons of info on here about that.

banger

[truckerdave397]

What does COWW stand for?

[dkf]

Steel won't even knick, zinc you can cut into ever so slightly and lead is like cutting butter in comparo.

[KingAirNeal]

COWW = Clip On Wheel Weight. Lead, Tin and Antimony. Good starting alloy for casting. Usually need to add another 2% more tin. You can use pewter for that. It is pretty much pure tin for our purposes.
SOWW = Stick On Wheel Weight. Usually pure lead, the painted kind with rounded edges are sometimes alloyed like COWW

[truckerdave397]

COWW = Clip On Wheel Weight. Lead, Tin and Antimony. Good starting alloy for casting. Usually need to add another 2% more tin. You can use pewter for that. It is pretty much pure tin for our purposes.
SOWW = Stick On Wheel Weight. Usually pure lead, the painted kind with rounded edges are sometimes alloyed like COWW well I knew what the WW was but I was stumped on the SO and the CO. Thanks for the reply.

[WolfSpring]

I am new to the WW thing but every zinc one I've found so far sais ZN on them. I have found some random ones I couldn't cut into that I initially thought to be lead but turned out magnetic. I cut into every single weight after I initial sort them by ZN, stamped(every stamped COWW has been magnetic), or plastic coated. The zinc ones I've not cut into and the one I tried I hurt my hand putting so much pressure on the pliers. I use the cutter on an old pair of slip joint pliers to test.

[bangerjim]

Everybody seems to be getting really scared of the big bad zinc boogie man!

NO big whoop.

1. Use acid as I stated above

2. Use sound. Hit them on a 1" steel rod. Lead sounds a dull thud. Zn will have a sharper ringing sound. I keep one under the bench just for that purpose.

3. Use your cutters as you are trying. Zn is hard......much harder than Pb.

4. Keep Pb melt temps down around melt point. Zn will float on top. Do NOT run your pots hot. You REALLY have to work hard to get zinc in your melt!!!!!!!!!! Just watch your temps and you will be just fine!!!!!

I have NEVER EVER had any Zn in my MANY melts following the above procedures on questionable COWW's.

bangerjim

[jsizemore]

glw, The ones you can cut thru but feel harder then the soft COWW are ok to use. Not all WW manufacturers cast with the same alloy. When you smelt all your various COWW together your final alloy can be adjusted by adding pure Pb/SOWW or lino/foundry/monotype.

[fredj338]

Most zinc wts are NOT marked. They will not cut, obviously neither will steel. The lead alloy ones will cut or crush with varying degrees, depending on age & alloy. If it cuts or smashes, it will probably be fine for casting bullets, my exp anyway.

[bangerjim]

Most zinc wts are NOT marked. They will not cut, obviously neither will steel. The lead alloy ones will cut or crush with varying degrees, depending on age & alloy. If it cuts or smashes, it will probably be fine for casting bullets, my exp anyway.

Agree!!!!!!!!! Very old weights are much different than the new ones today.

I found a 70# bucket of old weights that even had the clips rusted off due to sitting in that bucket of water for years! All were VERY hard and I almost thought many were Zn. But using the methods I outlined above (hint....hint) not a one was a zinker, but would hardly cut with dikes. Don't rely on JUST that test!!!!!! You will be throwing away a lot of good Pb. I rarely use the cutter method anymore because it is such a SWAG.


banger

[glw]

Thanks for the help, folks. I appreciate it. You answered my question!

Blessings,
Glenn

[gundownunder]

After sorting out the FE, ZN, stickons and anything else oddball I rub the COs over a brick.
If it scrapes over like metal it isn't lead. If it draws over like crayon, it's lead.
I run my sorting bench with the brick and several buckets all set up in a row, so that when I'm finished all but the COWW can go to the recyclers already sorted along with the bucketful of clips after the smelting is done.

[ACrowe25]

I find it just as easy to use a pair of tin snips. If I can easily clip the corner... It's lead. Proper angle makes easy cutting and after doing a thousand pounds you get the trick. Don't take me long anymore...