History lesson needed about a lead ingot.

[PCB115]

Hello folks, I am new to casting and before I jump in and start purchasing equipment I want to establish a steady supply of lead. I was given an ingot of lead, 60lbs. with the name FEDERATED stamped on one side. My friend said that it had been sitting in their basement for as long as he could remember, at least 30 years. His understanding was that this ingot was the raw lead that was used by the refineries to add lead to their gasoline in the past. If that is the case, would this be pure lead or an alloy of some sort? My thumbnail can scratch the oxide on the ingot but does not seem to leave much of an imprint. Would a scrapyard be able to determine what this bar is made of? I just want to be sure it is safe before I start melting it down. Pictures have been added at frame #9.
Thanks

[dtknowles]

That must be an impressive ingot. Personally I would try to trade it away to other lead just because I don't like having to cut up big chunks.

Tim

[Petrol & Powder]

Tetraethyllead was used raise the octane rating of gasoline. "leaded" gas refers to Tetraethyllead and not simply pure lead. On its face your friend's story sounds rather bogus. That being said, it is probably close to pure lead if you can easily scratch it with your fingernail.

[jabo52521]

If got some federated bigots. Turned out to be 60/40(lead/tin) solder. Knock a small piece off and take to a scrap yard to have it gunned. Think you have a good friend.

[websterz]

Federated bigots? Are you in DC?

[mold maker]

A 60 lb ingot is the kind of problem I'd like to have. Just a minor challenge. Chain saw and tarp = 6 smaller pieces and lots of lead shavings. Poured into small ingots it will treat lots of WWs. Thats over $300. in tin.
Buy your friend a case of what ever he likes.

[PCB115]

Sounds like I better treat my friend very well. So now I need to get wheel weights and the tin in this will harden the WW lead. Would the combination of my tin/lead ingot and wheel weights be appropriate for bullets that would be cast for the WWI/WWII military rifles?

[runfiverun]

pick it up and drop it.
federated also made pure lead ingots.

if it goes thud on the cement you got lead.
a plink pa tink sound indicates you got sumthin besides lead in there.

break off a hunk, if it's crystalline in there you got antimony.
if it creaks and groans and bends smoothly and gives when you bend it you got tin.
the melt temp could give you a clue as to how much tin you got.

[PCB115]

I broke one of the handles off the ingot. It took some doing but after bending back and forth several times a crack started at the base of the handle and it broke off. I was surprised to see the lead start to separate into layers. Looks to my inexperienced eye like there is some crystal formation in the ingot. It can be seen on the half that broke clean away instead of the part that was worked by the hammer. I'll try and find a scrap yard in my area that can test this piece for it's composition.

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[Toymaker]

There was a Federated Mines & Milling Co. out in Missouri. As I recall, they mined lead and zinc there. I think the company is still active, but I don't think they're mining lead any more.

[RogerDat]

Melt that chunk you have a picture of, lead or lead/tin with or without Sb will melt lower temp than plain lead and zinc would not make a clean melt, it would be like oatmeal. Or test that sample with acid, which will bubble if there was zinc in it.