WW sorting ????

[corey012778]

I am just starting out and picked up my first batch of WW ($4 for 42 lbs). place I got them from keeps them away from other trash. I started going thou it and found one of the tape style. are those any good?


http://i225.photobucket.com/albums/dd231/corey012778/HPIM0053.jpg

[mechdriver]

Most likely pure lead. Good for muzzle loaders or fishing weights. can also be mixed with linotype.

[trooperdan]

I always seperate the tape weights out and smelt them seperately, treat them as pure lead. Be aware that there are some tape weights that are ZINC!

[corey012778]

how can ya tell.

yes I am very new to this so bare with me

[kooz]

The zinc WWs will be very hard compared to lead, try to scratch suspect weights with a knife, also you can try and write with them on a piece of paper like a crayon, only lead will leave a good solid mark on the paper, zinc and steel will not. If you dig thru some of the posts here you will find a lot of info on WWs.

[corey012778]

I found 4 tape weights 2 that you can break up easy, 1 that is a solid piece that I bent in half with no troubles. and 1 that I need to check then.

the knife way sound fun to me

[timkelley]

Corey, I'm new at this too but I found out that you can try to cut suspect weights with a pair of dykes,if soft/keep it, if hard/throw it away.

[corey012778]

ok, I may thou them again and get the zinc and steel out. just got a shower and don't feel like getting dirty yet.

[windrider919]

One guy wants us to 'bare with him' and another is using dykes.

Hmmmm, I just want to know what to do with pigs of lead that had zinc melted in. Any way to clean it out or just delute in other batches or what?

[JeffinNZ]

Well the price was right. You really do have to sort rather stringently these days though as already said. This is my haul from last weekend.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v505/JeffinNZ/Shooting%20stuff/IMG_0106.jpg

Left - ZINC - 20%
Top - Clip on 60%
Bottom - Stick on 20%

If you end up paying top dollar (Lord forbid!) you would want to pre sort if that was possible.

I turn beer into WW's at the local tire shop so would not look a gift horse in the mouth.

[corey012778]

I got scrap price $.10/lb. I am thinking of going back tomarrow and getting some more. almost got 100lbs just to put in the back of my truck. btw how much makes up a 5 gal. bucket?

[crowbeaner]

You won't want to try and carry a 5 gal. bucket full; the handles will pull out and dump the contents on the ground. Even a metal one is asking for trouble. If you DO get it up be careful or your kids will be born nekkid. The photo with the WWs seperated is what I'd go by. If they have a small clip or they are big truck weights you should be ok. The bucket 2/3 full will be close to 100 lbs if the weights are small.

[corey012778]

I get a really good break on the place I got these from, they have a barrel of them, and keep them clean from non-ww.

[JohnSmiles]

Of all the buckest full of ww I have smelted this fall, I have only found 8-10 zinc weights total so far.
And the pure lead stick-on weights I find I also sort out.
But that is only a 1/2 lb to maybe 1 lb per 5 gallon bucketfull, so the only reason I bother to sort them out at all is to add to my soft larder for my muzzy.
:)
80-100 lbs of ww mixed with 1 lb or less of pure lead will change the alloy less than ww's normally vary from batch to batch anyway.
At least in my opinion.
Here is the 'average' alloy for ww's:
.5% tin
4% antimony
95.25% lead
.25% arsenic


In a 10 lb pot that is:
9.525 lbs lead
.4 lbs antimony
.05 lbs tin
.025 lbs arsenic


Adjusting this 'average' ww alloy by 1/10 of a lb of lead:
9.5725 lead(95.725% - .1525% increase)
.36 antimony(3.6% - .4% decrease)
.045 tin(.45% - .05% decrease)
.0225 arsenic(.225% - .O25% decrease)
In rocket science, drastic deviations.
In a boolit, not so much.
:Fire:

[corey012778]

I am kinda confused on numbers right now. but one of my things is to cast some for my Muzzy too.

so the chances of finding zinc weights, I only sorted out the tape weights. I should of went after the zincs at the same time, [smilie=b:

[Duckiller]

Stick on zinc weights that I have found have all been labeled "Zn". Not sure if I ave ever found any clip style zinc weights. Most wheel weights, so far, are lead alloy. If you are at suspicious about any weight set it aside. Once you have accumulated a bunch of suspicious weights that aren't labeled Zn or attracted to a magnet then cook them SLOWLY at low heat. If it doesn't melt it is probably not lead and won't cast good. Return to recycle yard.

[Trez Hensley]

Corey,
Buy the whole barrel full and ship them to me:-D At 10c a pound, I could pay shipping using the USPS one rate boxes and double your money and still be getting them cheaper than I can here.

If your new however, I'd just say to buy them all for yourself. A barrel full should last quite a long time and that good of a source might not be around for long.

[corey012778]

not too bad, I sorted them one more time with all the help that was given. About half way down my bucket, I got to the point I was just able to tell what they where by just the small letters on the ww's. breaking it down. 4 stick on (1 I can't use), 3 zn or steel, 2 empty clips I missed from the first sort. .

Now, when I got to smelt, I do it at a nice low temp, and keep my eyes open, I should be able to find any I miss?

[corey012778]

Corey,
Buy the whole barrel full and ship them to me:-D At 10c a pound, I could pay shipping using the USPS one rate boxes and double your money and still be getting them cheaper than I can here.

If your new however, I'd just say to buy them all for yourself. A barrel full should last quite a long time and that good of a source might not be around for long.


don't give me any idea. sad thing they where getting ready to add more to it. I think he told me that they had 5 to 10 more buckets to add to it

[crowbeaner]

Corey; generally the zinc weights will have the clip RIVETED on. Lead ones generally have the clip cast in. Stick ons usually are pure lead(soft). Look for Zn on the weight denoting zinc.

[corey012778]

saw that, for myself. I am just waiting for a couple of things to come in. then I be ready to go