Is this "lead free" solder good for alloying?

[fatelvis]

I can get a whole bunch of this free. Please tell me it will work well when alloying! Thanks
102067

[osteodoc08]

Tin, silver, copper, antimony is all fine. Does it have a core? Acid core is a no go.

[fatelvis]

It does not have a core, it is solid. Copper and Silver won't Jack-up the fillout?

[retread]

I think you should send me a bunch for testing to make sure it is alright! :kidding:

[Charlie Two Tracks]

Here is the MSDS sheet for it................ you done good.
http://www.lelcolorado.com/documents/msds/Welding_Brazing_Materials/MSDS%20Lead%20Free%20Alloy%20Watersafe.pdf

[imashooter2]

It does not have a core, it is solid. Copper and Silver won't Jack-up the fillout?

At the concentrations we use tin, no, not at all.

[MtGun44]

Most of these almost pure tin. Since we shoot for around 2% tin, the other stuff
will be at tiny fractions of a percent.

Suppose you wanted to make Keith's classic 1:16 alloy from pure lead. You get 16 lb
lead and 1 lb solder and mix. So you have 17 parts total, and 1/17th is tin alloy. This is
5.9% tin alloy. Of that 5.9, less than 5% is copper. So the copper in the final mix is
about 3 tenths of 1 percent. The antimony is under 2% of the 5.9%, or about 1 tenth
of 1%, and the silver is about the same. Silver and antimony don't hurt for sure up
to many percent, copper can be problematic at higher concentrations, apparently eventually
affecting castability.

1:16 is a relatively high tin alloy, just adding enough to wwt alloy to make it cast nicely will be one third
of these levels of the other materials (2% instead of 5.9%).

Just curious - what is "a whole bunch" - a couple tons or 10-15 rolls?

Bill

[osteodoc08]

No core, use it up. Nice score.

[fatelvis]

A "whole bunch" is knowing a few plumbers that work for big companies. Lol

[Beagle333]

It is wonderful stuff. Get all you can. Stack it in your closet. Smile smugly every time you think about it. :D

[olafhardt]

When I go shopping for solder I read labels. Most I have found don't give percents. The one I buy says it is 0.95 tin and .05 antimony. Should we start a list of brands vs analysis?

[OverMax]

Take as much as another is willing to give you. Watersafe means: it can be used on pot-able water supply piping. NO acid core or lead to worry about. Ooo! good score for alloying>(tin) But you'll still have to flux your pot for its good blending with other casting lead. Can't get away from not doing that.

[GaryN]

I would get all I could. I even use acid core if I can find it. You just have to cook it outside so you don't get gassed. I would also never cook it in my casting furnace. I have a cut off propane tank for that kind of stuff.

[fatelvis]

Most of these almost pure tin. Since we shoot for around 2% tin, the other stuff
will be at tiny fractions of a percent.

Suppose you wanted to make Keith's classic 1:16 alloy from pure lead. You get 16 lb
lead and 1 lb solder and mix. So you have 17 parts total, and 1/17th is tin alloy. This is
5.9% tin alloy. Of that 5.9, less than 5% is copper. So the copper in the final mix is
about 3 tenths of 1 percent. The antimony is under 2% of the 5.9%, or about 1 tenth
of 1%, and the silver is about the same. Silver and antimony don't hurt for sure up
to many percent, copper can be problematic at higher concentrations, apparently eventually
affecting castability.

1:16 is a relatively high tin alloy, just adding enough to wwt alloy to make it cast nicely will be one third
of these levels of the other materials (2% instead of 5.9%).

Just curious - what is "a whole bunch" - a couple tons or 10-15 rolls?

Bill
Thanks for the alloying tip Mt. Would 1:16 alloy be good when casting a .358 or .452 hollow point?

[dondiego]

What are the dangers of using acid core solder?I have used it before and it didn't seem to be problem. I sure wouldn't want to ruin a good mold or firearm.

[Blammer]

nice score, I wish I had a roll of it for when I connect my copper pipes. That's all I'd use it for.

[jakec]

i use acid core all the time. just dont breath it.

[imashooter2]

What are the dangers of using acid core solder?I have used it before and it didn't seem to be problem. I sure wouldn't want to ruin a good mold or firearm.

It makes a mess of your pot, requiring a good cleaning. Other than that, nothing.

[Zymurgy50]

That sells for around $30/lb. Get as much as you can and send some here :)

[fatelvis]

How much of it should I add to pure lead for general 30 cal rifle shooting (with gcs) from 1600-1800fps? How much should I add to pure lead to make good expanding HP boolits for 357, 44, and 45s? Thanks-

[popper]

Consider it just TIN. The silver & copper are so small an amount you will not notice, but both are GOOD.

[jonp]

nice score, I wish I had a roll of it for when I connect my copper pipes. That's all I'd use it for.
One word: PEX

[MaryB]

mixed 18:1 you get 94.8% lead, 4.74 tin, .11 antimony, .26 copper, .11 silver and a bhn of 10.1. Water cooled would harden that more but I will let an expert chime i on that. The lead alloy spreadsheet at the top of the page is great and where I came up with that.

[zuke]

If I remember right, that stuff is 95% tin.

[fatelvis]

mixed 18:1 you get 94.8% lead, 4.74 tin, .11 antimony, .26 copper, .11 silver and a bhn of 10.1. Water cooled would harden that more but I will let an expert chime i on that. The lead alloy spreadsheet at the top of the page is great and where I came up with that.
Where is this spreadsheet? I can't seem to locate it.

[David2011]

Where is this spreadsheet? I can't seem to locate it.

It's the first sticky in "Lead and lead alloys." To make things easier, you can enter the percentages of the solder in one of the custom alloy lines near the bottom of the alloys section and save it with your custom alloy. The conventional wisdom on this site is that more than 2% tin is unnecessary for fillout.

Higher percentages of tin may be a benefit if you wanted to mix only lead and tin, using tin as the sole hardening agent while avoiding antimony so the boolit would remain more malleable for hunting applications or for hollow points. Maybe someone more knowledgeable than me will pitch in on this thought. I've been casting since 1982 but am just not starting to experiment with softer expanding boolits. I've cast a gazillion (rough estimate) that were used on paper and steel but only literally a handful used for hunting; mostly dispatching pigs that were still breathing after being shot with a rifle.

David

[fatelvis]

Ok, I can't get the calculator to work on my computer. Can someone give me a quick and dirty ratio of pure lead-to-this solder for 2 different uses.
1) general use (38spl., mild 357 mag, 9mm, 45 ACP, 30 cal GC rifle boolits to 1800 fps.)
2) alloy good for hollowpoint handgun loads. (9mm and 45ACP)
I'm just looking for a good starting point, and will test these for accuracy and using wet newspaper later. Thanks!

[Cowboy_Dan]

Get those plumbers some doughnuts or cold beer or something, you just found a gold, err, tin-mine.

[MT Chambers]

Absolutely...treat as pure Tin.

[Echo]

I just smelted up some 15/1 ingots for some reason - I suggest you use that ratio, cast some boolits, shoot them into some water-filled gallon milk jugs, and see if the expand. I bet they will. And the Thompson 358156 GCSWC (or the Lee clone) is a good one to try. I have a 2-banger I had modified for HP, but haven't tried it w/the new/old alloy yet.
Let's see - 16 lbs of 15/1 alloy - it would probably cast at about 160/165 grains, including GC's & loob, so would provide about 650-700 boolits. Plenty to check with...
I use lead-free to sweeten my alloy. I typically smelt 7/1 ww/Mono, and add 1% Sn. For pistol boolits, I mix that 50/50 w/Pb, and add another 1% Sn. And the Sn is in the form of lead-free.

[fatelvis]

I called Canfield (the manufacturer), to find what percentages of each are in the solder. They couldn't tell me, because it is a "proprietary blend". They did tell me that the melt point is between 415*-465*. That low melt temp tells me that you guys are right, and it must be almost all Tin.

[bilco]

Anyone have any tips for scoring solder like these on the low(in quantity would even be better).

[robg]

Fatelvis I put a couple of yards of that solder in my 10lb lee pot with pure lead and ww mix .my 180grgc boolit's work well with 18gr of 2400 (1.5 inch )groups@100yards.