COWW scrap prices

[Hickok]

Just want to run this by you all. Went to a local scrap yard yesterday and inguired about COWW. Price quoted was 90 cents a pound. I thought that was high, just wanted to ask what you all pay?

I was allowed to sort out the COWW myself so I could eliminate the junk and zinc. I was a little low on metal, so I bought 40 pounds. After rendering it down I had about 37 pounds of good COWW.

I did the math. The round trip was 72 miles, gas is $3.59 a gallon here. I would burn about 4 gallons for the trip. So I paid $36 for raw COWW, $14.36 for gas, equaling $50.36 for 37 pounds of clean COWW, not counting my time.

I am way better off ordering from some of the good people on this site, cheaper, no work, no hassle, delivered to my door.

I am a "do-it-yourself-er" like most of you here, but the numbers tell the truth of the matter.

Finding the free stuff is about a thing of the past.

[Sgtonory]

That is high. I get then for .35 a pound.

[dg31872]

Two weeks ago, I paid 20 cents per pound, but I had to take it all. I checked one bucket, and it was about 25 percent junk. Picked up about 300 pounds if I remember correctly. Gotta go look in the checkbook to remember how many pounds.

[Hickok]

That is high. I get then for .35 a pound.I was expecting about .40 a pound so I was kinda stunned. I did get to pick and sort and got mostly big truck tire weights. I thought it was robbery, but I needed some metal and it was a gas burning trip.

I put both hands in the air, just like I had met Frank and Jesse James, glad to live to tell the story!:lol:

[ShooterAZ]

I recently paid 10 cents per pound for three buckets of wheel weights, and one bucket of range scrap. I would pay 90 cents if it was processed! It's a lot of work sorting and testing with sidecutters, let alone smelting. At .10/lb it was well worth it for me. There are deals to be had, but you really have to look around.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

The Last batch I bought, I paid 60¢ a lb. After I smelted it, the time,fuel, and amount of culls made that a borderline deal...Meaning, if I can buy COWW or similar from fellow CB members for $1 a lb (or a little more) for ingots shipped to my door, than I won't pay more that 60¢ for COWW in the raw and I spend little time looking for them.

[bangerjim]

Reports like this are in from all over the US. COWW's are getting scarce and expensive when you consider the time, gasoline, wear & tear on your vehicle (and yourself), fuel to cook the things. Free (for donuts and soda) is just about over most places. COWW's were a good source of casting lead when we could bring them home by the bucket loads for next to nothing and gas and propane were less than $2/gallon.

More power to those out there that can still find them for less than 50¢/# raw. I quit looking over 2 years ago. I now mix my alloys from basics I get from various sources. Try forgetting about WW's from scrap yards and look for pure and more exotics like solder from them! I have been very successful at finding hardball (400#) and solder (gobs of it) at salvage yards. Most charge the standard pure lead price (usually ~$1/#) and you end up with expensive Sn and Sb alloys! And then there is the pewter some get in! I even found over 4# (troy) of pure sterling silver candlesticks and salt/peppers for 75¢/#.......they thought is was just silver plate! I have NEVER found pewter at goodwill or other 2nd hand store at reasonable "melt-able" prices......but I have found it at scrap yards.

You never know what you will find if they will let you look around and will sell to the public. Some won't, so I've heard on here. Just do not set your sights on just COWW's at the scarp yards these days. Look and ask.

Good luck hunting for Pb!

banger

[C. Latch]

Once they get north of $0.50/lb I lose interest. Around $0.35 I'd buy many hundreds of pounds. Truth be told, if I could grab about 500# of COWW, I'd have lead for life. I don't shoot the volume everyone here does.

[mold maker]

Five or six years from now, I will not say, "I told ya so". You'll be kicking your own collective butts, for not getting it while it was still available.
What makes you think the selling prices will still be at current levels?
Just saying!

[Beesdad]

$.35 lb here.. Yields are @ 85%... Clean lead is selling @ $.50 lb.

[mikeym1a]

Haven't bought COWW at the salvage yard for awhile. Somebody keeps beating me to them! But the last time I got some, they were .50/lb. My favorite tire store sells them to me for .20/lb. Pretty clean stuff, too. Got 145lb gross last Wednesday. mikey

[62chevy]

Just want to run this by you all. Went to a local scrap yard yesterday and inguired about COWW. Price quoted was 90 cents a pound. I thought that was high, just wanted to ask what you all pay?

I was allowed to sort out the COWW myself so I could eliminate the junk and zinc. I was a little low on metal, so I bought 40 pounds. After rendering it down I had about 37 pounds of good COWW.

I did the math. The round trip was 72 miles, gas is $3.59 a gallon here. I would burn about 4 gallons for the trip. So I paid $36 for raw COWW, $14.36 for gas, equaling $50.36 for 37 pounds of clean COWW, not counting my time.

I am way better off ordering from some of the good people on this site, cheaper, no work, no hassle, delivered to my door.

I am a "do-it-yourself-er" like most of you here, but the numbers tell the truth of the matter.

Finding the free stuff is about a thing of the past.

I just came back from you neck of the woods today on the way home from Blackwater Falls. The wife wanted to look for bears and the only one we found was at the souvenir stand for $50 and $9.00, oh well she's happy and that's all that counts.

Last year I went to Jerry's out side of Weston and he wanted $1.75 a pound so I bought lead pipe instead. Now I get my lead from members here a lot less fuss. Try Jetsfan-24 I got my last batch from him and a great guy to work with too.

[taco650]

I recently talked to the local tire store about this. They said $25 for a bucket full however much that is. Sounded OK to me but I didn't have the $$$ right then nor a bucket to fill up. I was also at work and driving the company car (one of those ones with blue lights on the top) so I didn't think my boss would be too happy with me if I went through with the deal anyway.

I don't mind doing the smelting work 'cuz its sorta mindless and I don't shoot that much so a little goes a long way. I even enjoy going to the range on slow days to pick used ones off the ground. The recycling aspect also appeals to me. However, if some of these factors change, I'll be buying already smelted stuff from folks here.

BTW, what does a 5 gallon bucket of WW's weigh anyway?

[merlin101]

BTW, what does a 5 gallon bucket of WW's weigh anyway?
More than my sorry back can pick up, I think about 200-300lb depending on the size of WW.

[Rich22]

The two yards here are .75 and .85 respectively. Not worth the time when can buy ingots for 1.10 a lb. Under .50 and I would buy everything

[revwitha9]

Tire shops, if they will sell them, are asking .50 per lbs. However, the last bucket I purchased in my favorite place was nearly 30% steel or zinc. I found a local recycling center that has wheel weights, lead sheets, even isotope lead for .75 per lbs. The math was easy -- loaded up on everything without waste attached!

[Hickok]

62Chevy, you were right in my backyard!

Wonder what the deal is with the high price of COWW here in WV compared to other areas? A got a paper from Elkins Metal Recycling while I was there, and they are paying 15 cent per pound of lead, no mention what they pay for COWW. I should have asked what they were selling lead for.

Like you, it would be cheaper and easier to order my metal from sellers here.

[jetsfan-24]

when I fill up a 5 gallon bucket from lowe,s with an ave of car and truck weights the most I can get in a bucket is 170 pounds and that's with hitting the side of the bucket with a rubber mallet as I go 2 settle them down in the bucket and they r all lead because I hand sort them

[Beagle333]

There is none for sale here locally, and I don't really mind. I buy mine from the fine folks here. At a buck a pound, that's about 2.3 cents per boolit. I am not complaining about those prices! And I got my own range, so I get it back. :D

[Teddy (punchie)]

I was going to say we had range lead in a buckets and the heavy one was 175 lbs.


when I fill up a 5 gallon bucket from lowe,s with an ave of car and truck weights the most I can get in a bucket is 170 pounds and that's with hitting the side of the bucket with a rubber mallet as I go 2 settle them down in the bucket and they r all lead because I hand sort them

[GlocksareGood]

5 gallon bucket of COWWs sorted runs 160-165lbs. I pay $0.30/lb for wheel weights and that was already sorted. I made just over a ton of wheel weight ingots this winter. I am about done buying. I have a source for free ones now at a dealership. They were just dumping them in the trash. Did not even bother to recylce them.

[Beagle333]

They were just dumping them in the trash. Did not even bother to recylce them.

What landfill were they taking them to? "Thar's Gold under them thar diapers and chicken bones!!!! Dig boy, dig!!!":kidding:

[mfraser264]

The first of the year the scrap yard said they were buying for .23/lb, 3 weeks ago it dropped to .17/lb. I have a source and to lock in the business I ad .15/lb. So for that system has landed 225 pounds and 21 pounds of it was a container with the dead soft lead stick on weights.

[62chevy]

62Chevy, you were right in my backyard!

Wonder what the deal is with the high price of COWW here in WV compared to other areas? A got a paper from Elkins Metal Recycling while I was there, and they are paying 15 cent per pound of lead, no mention what they pay for COWW. I should have asked what they were selling lead for.

Like you, it would be cheaper and easier to order my metal from sellers here.

I think enough people have paid the price so buyer beware type thing and get what you can when you can. It would be nice to buy at .15 cents and then sell at .45 cents you would never have stock left once word got out. That would force others to sell for less instead of gouging. If Elkins is selling cheap let me know, wouldn't mind making that trip.

[mikeym1a]

More than my sorry back can pick up, I think about 200-300lb depending on the size of WW.

The last 5gal bucket I was able to pick up, and it was full, weighed 120lbs. I've had health issues for the past 9 mos, and yesterday I got a 70lb box-o-lead from fleabay, and it was all I could do to pick it up and get it to the car. I could have sworn it was heavier than that, but, that's what the scales said, 70lbs. Once you get your bucket of WW's, expect to net about 60-75% of the gross weight, due to iron, Zinc, WW clips, and stuff you will take out of the mix. But, if you get them cheap enough, that's still more than you had before. I like the smelting aspect. I think it's neat to see IRON weights FLOAT! In water it sinks, but in lead it floats. Neat. I just think it's fun. Cheers! :D

[RogerDat]

Local scrap yard charges .75 for any lead. including WW lead. I hit them just to look for the good stuff that others have mentioned solder, type metal, and maybe a little plain. At that price wiping solder or lead Babbitt ingot looked very good.

The yard I frequent most often has a big pallet container of WW and "dirty" lead. The level in that box is going down not up so people are buying them.

I have a regular sweep I make of tire stores and pay .25 - .30 a lb. but I do that sweep on the way to visit kids and grandkids so gas is less of an issue. More of an issue is I'm not the only one stopping at these places so sometimes 25 lbs. is all I get from a store, or they just sold them a few days ago and I get nada. Suppose the guy that comes after me has the same experience.

Really getting close to what I feel will meet my needs for a very long time, lifetime who knows? But long enough that I won't worry if some other caster gets the full bucket and I get the 25 lbs. At this point I'm just maintaining a relationship with the shops.

My zinc and steel junk has been 1/2 to 2/3 of a 5 gal. bucket of junk in about 550 lbs. of COWW. Approx. 3 coffee cans of SOWW.

Concur about 165 lbs. in a full bucket. Which I can't pick up so I always carry some extra to split the load up.

Between the cost and sorting time plus hassle of payment and shipping it is hard to see how selling them makes much sense. Could see doing to help out a fellow forum member in one of those bad areas for WW lead but as a regular thing not really.

[triggerhappy243]

working on a deal here local for .65 cents a pound. but like someone here said, "When it is gone, it is gone".

[RogerDat]

working on a deal here local for .65 cents a pound. but like someone here said, "When it is gone, it is gone".

Yep the box pallet bin at local scrap yard level has dropped about 50% over the winter. The big chain tire stores will only deal with a licensed hazardous waste recycler so those will continue to go to the scrap yard. As long as there are lead WW coming in they will be available. General lead scrap coming in drops over the winter too. Big spike in general scrap coming in with the nice weather last weekend.

Wonder if loss of WW market will drive down retail price of lead in lead alloy ingots from RotoMetals?

[woodchuckc]

I hope the guys at my tire shop don't read this! I have never had to pay anything for the WW I have gotten from them, and my last bucket was still running about 80% COWW and 10% SOWW in my neck of the woods. Granted, I am not dealing with the huge volume that many on here do - I have only gotten 5 five gallon buckets of weights from him in the past 2 years.

[Whitespider]

I read this thread and count myself damn lucky... and wonder where this is all leading.

I get my WW's from the local new car dealer... free. The service manager gives me a call every 6-8 months or so and lets me know the bucket is overflowing again. I just sorted one of the most recent buckets last night, ended up with 2/3 bucket COWW, 1/4 bucket SOWW, and the rest were steel (maybe a dozen or so zinc). I've got 3 more buckets to sort, and 2 buckets plumb full of already sorted. Was thinkin' about turning them all into 10# bricks today... which should put me somewhere in the neighborhood of 4½ ton COWW metal stashed away... something over a ton of SOWW.

I figure it will come my way sooner or later and the "free" will be gone, I'm hoarding every ounce while I can. I even walk my back-yard range in the spring and pick up any snow-stopped lead laying on the ground... found over 10# this spring so far.

[sandman228]

I just picked up a bucket from a tire shop today he charged me 35$ I got it home it was 116 lbs I just dumped and sorted it on the tailgate when I got home before I even brought it down to the shed . I ended up with 90 lb of good wheel weights and 16 lb of steel and zinc.i think the scrap yard in my area is getting out of hand . I bought 100 lb from them last summer he charged me .65 a pound for sorted wheel weights or soft lead . I bought some over the winter he charged me .75 a pound . now 2 weeks ago I was there cashing in some brass, aluminum, and an old battery. he had a tub of lead pipe right there by the scale I asked about buying some while I was there , he said yea go ahead so I loaded 50lb on the scale made sure someone saw how much was there then threw it in my pickup I went up front to get my money for the scrap and pay him for the lead he charged me .80 a lb. now I wouldn't mind this so much if the scrap I was taking in was going up in price at the same pace but its down from last time. last time I cashed in brass it was 1.95 a pound now 1.65 , aluminum was down from last time too .I can get better deals from the tire shops for the most part .but ive ran into some of them that think they have gold instead of lead also .

[AggiePharmD]

My dad just picked me up 145 lbs of SOWW at $0.60/lb yesterday at a scrap yard in East Texas. I can get WW in my area for about the same and plan to check it out in a couple of weeks.

Not sure what I will or can do with that much "pure" lead but I bet I figure it out real quick!

[AggiePharmD]

I too figure I should buy all I can while the gettin' is good. I'll smelt it and be good to go for awhile.

[MrWolf]

It is getting harder to find. I just smelted six full buckets that I had sorted every piece wit side clips. Ended up with around 630 lbs or so on guesstimate. Total cost for the ww's was $70, some free some paid for. When I go to sell scrap I will ask about buying lead.