Diving weights?

[osteodoc08]

Had a patient drop these off this morning. They don't thud and tink similar to wheel weights. What do you think?

108796

[Beagle333]

Diving weights are made from anything heavy. It's just the luck of the draw as to what you have there. Hopefully you live close enough to a scrapyard with a friendly operator who has a scanner.

[AlaskanGuy]

I say, melt them and see what temp they melt at if you dont have a scanner available....

[1_Ogre]

I was a PADI Instructor (Dive Instructor) and all of the diving weights I ever came across were pure lead, nothing else in them, but that's just from my experience. I've tested a lot of them and the BHN is right at 8 pure lead

[bangerjim]

I just got about 50# (1, 2, & 4 pounders) older ones of those at a scrap yard. In reading up on them, many places make their own to sell out of any "lead" they can obtain. I was lucky that the ones I found were cast out of lino (x-ray test). As far as divers are concerned..................lead is lead!

They can be anything. You will have to figure out what you got.


bangerjim

[RogerDat]

Test for hardness and tweak as needed with other alloys. As the others have said could be anything. When you get right down to it for many things if the BHN is right that is all that matters for target plinking. The specific alloy composition is mostly about getting repeatable and consistent results. Or if one is going to heat treat and the alloy composition will determine the results of a given heat treating temp/duration etc.

Size as cast can be impacted by alloy composition too I guess so if not sizing or need cast to come out on high size of mold diameter then the specific alloy might be significant.

[jsizemore]

I have a dive weight mold from the 60's. Usually the weight is cast into the weight. It appears you have two at 3lbs and one at 4. If they actually weigh what they say then they're probably pretty close to pure. Check with muratic/HCl acid for zinc.

[GoodOlBoy]

I was a PADI certified rescue diver in my earlier years. The rule of thumb for dive weights, in my experience, is that if the edges of the weight are very round they are commercial cast weights and USUALLY pure lead. If the edges are square then they are home, or shop cast and can be anything under the sun. It was always a pain in the tookaas to buy a 4 pound square edge weight and find it didn't actually weight 4 pounds. Same with 3s etc. When you already knew what weight you needed for your particular buoyancy and then have to add weight because the squared junk was off, the flip side is it will remind you in the future not to forget your weight belt at home :p

GoodOlBoy

[Static line]

Seems to be a few PADI instructors on here.I was a PADI diving instructor myself.Now you guys have me thinking about my lead weights.My edges are rounded,much easier to feed through a nylon web belt.I will have to check the BHN on the weights tomorrow.

[GoodOlBoy]

I have 60+lbs of old sea pearls brand pure lead dive weights from back in the day. I look at them now and then, think about what could be made, then I just lock the footlocker back up and head to the salvage yards :p Just can't bring myself to melt them down. Just sentimental I guess, although at least 1/3 of them are dive finds from popular spots around Texas and Oklahoma. If nothing else I will always know where they are if I need them.

GoodOlBoy

[kweidner]

Wow PADI rescue diver myself. 2 specialties. Miss those days. My wife is not intested but my daughter is a water bug. Maybe when she gets a bit older she might want to try it. Would have to probably get all new gear........Or really have it gone through.

[GoodOlBoy]

Wow yeah I noticed I am hearing from alot of PADI guys which is great. Not to dis the NAUI guys. I did open, advanced open, and rescue (you know the track) for specialties I did night, deep, wreck. And for non-wet specialties I did Equipment Specialist through Seaquest, Medic, and Field Surgery. Field Surgery one was just an option I took because the Marine Corpsman teaching the class needed one more. Wow that was alot of years ago. I barely trust myself to remove a splinter these days :p

GoodOlBoy

[kens]

I was SSI certified in the Philippines. Subic Bay, Cubi Point, etc,
I bought all kinds of equipment from guys, tanks, regulators, etc.
I bet I got 100lbs of weight belts that I could melt down if the Zombies started invading.

[Static line]

Had a patient drop these off this morning. They don't thud and tink similar to wheel weights. What do you think?

108796
Doc,
Did you take the pliers or side cutters to them like you would checking wheel weights?

[osteodoc08]

Doc,
Did you take the pliers or side cutters to them like you would checking wheel weights?

To be honest, theyre still sitting in my office along with 2 empty plastic coffee cans and some other stuff. I did call the guy and thanked him for them. I'm hoping to get to do something with them over the weekend when I get off work Sunday.

[Combat Diver]

Another diver here (go figure, log in)

I got dive qualified by the US Army in 85', then applied for my YMCA Advanced Open Water cert. Got a US Navy Dive Card around here too somewhere. Went to Little Creek VA for Dive Supervisor Course ran by SEAL Team 2, then got my YMCA Dive Master card. Got PADI Advanced Open Water along the way with some other certs. Took Open and Closed Circuit Repair out at San Diego CA (another SEAL school). Have my stash of dive weights to be melted down to bullets if zombies attack also, or could just swing the dive belt! Used to dive monthly around the world for 15 yrs straight.

CD

[kryogen]

diver here also, but there is nothing to dive in here other than brown lakes in which you cannot see your flashlight in front of your mask.... sooo it's all getting coated in dust.

[mold maker]

Dive weights have been made of anything that would melt, including lead contaminated with zinc. A quick check with muratic or sulfuric acid will save you a lot of grief. If it fizzes or bubbles mark it with a big Z, and leave it be.

[Tar Heel]

Commercial dive weights are made of antimonial lead since pure lead is way too soft and the weights will get deformed. They traditionally run 3-5% antimony. They should "tink" some when you hit them together. Pure lead won't.

Homemade diving weights were made from anything heavy that melted. We don't make our own dive weights anymore folks. We stopped doing that in 1980 when commercial weights became readily available.

[kryogen]

We don't make our own dive weights anymore folks. We stopped doing that in 1980 when commercial weights became readily available.

at 4$ a pound.... and I need 22 pounds for drysuit diving. got owned.

[Bullwolf]

You really never know what is really in diving lead weights.

I have a diving weight mould that I sometimes I use as sort of an alternate ingot mould.

http://www.lilmacmolds.com/Images/Products/A-Series/Belt_Weight_Mold/215000.gif

I have cast a few diving belts out of my mix of Lino/Monotype. They weigh a tad less than scavenged pure lead belts I have obtained, but the high tin alloy also does not seem to oxidize as much pure lead alloys do.

If somebody else finds the em after I've passed, they are sure gonna be happy once they figure out what they are made from!




- Bullwolf

[DeputyDog25]

I am a newbie to casting, have not even cast the first bullet yet, just getting my equipment setup. I don't even have any molds yet as I am not sure what to buy. I did buy 17lbs of diving lead cast into ingots that the man said test at a 5 on SAECO, is this good enough to cast or do i have to add to it to make boolits?

[kcajeel]

If it really tested 5bhn it is really soft lead. In the original mix you could use it for muzzleloading balls, as they use pure lead. If you're planning to mold some bullets you'll have to get some tin or antimony to harden your mix up or you'll lead your barrel up quickly. I'll include a good link to get you started on casting information.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_3_alloySelectionMetallurgy.ht m

Good luck, jack

[DeputyDog25]

Thank you so much Jack, I really appreciate the link and I am looking forward to learning all I can






If it really tested 5bhn it is really soft lead. In the original mix you could use it for muzzleloading balls, as they use pure lead. If you're planning to mold some bullets you'll have to get some tin or antimony to harden your mix up or you'll lead your barrel up quickly. I'll include a good link to get you started on casting information.

http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Chapter_3_alloySelectionMetallurgy.ht m

Good luck, jack

[el34]

Taught SCUBA for 10 years, PADI also. Around a year ago a friend gave me about 20lb of weights he cast himself in the 70s using solder his dad gave him, leftover from contract jobs. I determined them to be 50/50, melted them into small ingots and use them as my source of tin.

[bangerjim]

I am a newbie to casting, have not even cast the first bullet yet, just getting my equipment setup. I don't even have any molds yet as I am not sure what to buy. I did buy 17lbs of diving lead cast into ingots that the man said test at a 5 on SAECO, is this good enough to cast or do i have to add to it to make boolits?

As said, 5 could be asking for trouble in pistols....a bit too soft. And possible poor fill-out in you boolit molds.

You need some Sb rich alloy (COWW, hardball) for hardness and some Sn (solder, pewter, pure) for mold fill-out.

Download the free spreadsheet on here to calculate your mix. Do a search on here.

Pure Pb is always nice to get, but you need other "stuff" to get the hardness you need for standard pistol use. Just mix it to get to where you want to be.

And check out the stickies on here on powder coating your boolits. You will love it! No investment in grease lube machines, no smoke for burning grease, and no leading! PC also allows you to use softer lead to conserve your alloys.

And get the Lyman Cast Bullet book! The bible for load data.

Lee molds are very inexpensive and readily available from several on-line sponsors/providers listed above. Check out a Lee 4-20 electric bottom pour casting pot. Inexpensive and very fast!

Have fun with the new habit!

banger