Lead prices dropping

[1johnlb]

I just went to my local scrap yard to see if he had any lead come in. What he's had for the last month required way to much work to sort out the lead from steel and zinc. But today, there was 40lbs of fresh brand spanking new lead wheel weights right on top[smilie=w:[smilie=w: and I was excited about that. So, I went to make sure of the price at the office and they had to call the boss, I thought uh oh. The price had been 65cts for coww and 70cts for clean, but the price dropped 45cts coww and 60cts clean [smilie=w:[smilie=w: . Needless to say I grabbed all that I could easily get to. I hope this is a new trend and the price stays low. I might have to go back next week when I have more time.

[lightman]

Thats a nice score and a nice price.

[BattleRife]

I hope this is a new trend and the price stays low. I might have to go back next week when I have more time.

Careful what you wish for, the price of all engineering materials is dropping because the world is sliding into recession. 60¢ /lb looks rather expensive to the unemployed! Of course, we are all in different circumstances, and it's going to work out better for some of us than others.

[bangerjim]

Yes! Metal prices dropping is an omen of bad things to come. I am more than happy to pay $1/# for lead and alloys at my local yards. But all primary metals are going down and that is not good for the economy......unemployed or not! I work a lot with the copper industries here in AZ and they live and die based on the Cu price index. Look at silver. I am amazed any of my customer even bother to recover it since it's production cost is far above the spot market $$.

Be careful what you wish for!!!!!!!!!!! :violin:

banger

[DR Owl Creek]

Yes! Metal prices dropping is an omen of bad things to come. I am more than happy to pay $1/# for lead and alloys at my local yards. But all primary metals are going down and that is not good for the economy......unemployed or not! I work a lot with the copper industries here in AZ and they live and die based on the Cu price index. Look at silver. I am amazed any of my customer even bother to recover it since it's production cost is far below the spot market $$.

Be careful what you wish for!!!!!!!!!!! :violin:

banger


Yup!

Dave

[RogerDat]

Between Greece and the Euro zone, China slow down I'm not surprised at the drop in commodity prices. I think these days speculation drives prices more than actual demand. China economy is still growing but slower growth and that is enough to drive the futures and speculative market.

[odinohi]

I bought 3 buckets of new lead WW's. Sorted and trading to tire shops. Really stretches the ww lead

[RogerDat]

Will be interesting to see if there is a price reduction next visit to the scrap yard. If there is a price reduction it might be a good time to get some plain lead.

My guess is they will say that they paid the old price for the lead in the bin so can't sell it for a reduced price that reflects current market price. And when prices rise they can't sell it for a reduced price because they can get a higher price on the general market. Coming or going they got you. On the other hand a drop of 10 or 15 cents a pound on a hundred lbs. is a nice chunk of savings a fellow can hope right?

[1johnlb]

Will be interesting to see if there is a price reduction next visit to the scrap yard. If there is a price reduction it might be a good time to get some plain lead.

My guess is they will say that they paid the old price for the lead in the bin so can't sell it for a reduced price that reflects current market price. And when prices rise they can't sell it for a reduced price because they can get a higher price on the general market. Coming or going they got you. On the other hand a drop of 10 or 15 cents a pound on a hundred lbs. is a nice chunk of savings a fellow can hope right?

I think, I caught my yard on one of those good days. I was set to never go back there after the last time. They are a bunch of grumpy airheads. The young guy running the office Saturday has always been fairly respectable. I got 40lbs of coww and 37 lbs of sheet lead because that was all I could easily get to and he told me 40 bucks, I paid him and didn't hesitate. They have been known to change their mind/price right in the middle of the sale. I don't even use pure lead but been buying it almost every chance and probably have 150 to 200 lbs and nothing to shoot it in. Time for a cap and ball pistol, I think.

[Beagle333]

Cap and ball pistols are great. Get a nice ML rifle too and sling some round balls. It's addictive! ;)

[dragon813gt]

We're losing tens of thousands at work due to a drop in commodity prices. It's almost not worth it to pay a kid $10 an hour to break down HVAC equipment. But we were making a lot of money when copper was above $3 a pound so it is what it is. If the price of lead falls enough I will most likely order enough half ton of certified alloy from a foundry.

[bangerjim]

I think, I caught my yard on one of those good days. I was set to never go back there after the last time. They are a bunch of grumpy airheads. The young guy running the office Saturday has always been fairly respectable. I got 40lbs of coww and 37 lbs of sheet lead because that was all I could easily get to and he told me 40 bucks, I paid him and didn't hesitate. They have been known to change their mind/price right in the middle of the sale. I don't even use pure lead but been buying it almost every chance and probably have 150 to 200 lbs and nothing to shoot it in. Time for a cap and ball pistol, I think.

I buy GOOD clean pure Pb whenever I find it. I do NOT shoot BP. Pure can always be mixed with alloys to get what you want. People need to get over the mind-set of "I use COWW's and nothing else". It is extremely easy to mix any alloy you want using the alloy calc on here. Invest in a little hardball or superhard and some pewter and you will be able to mix with your pure! ( I have over 1200# of pure)

That is how I have been doing it for over 2 years now since the WW's have pretty much all turned to Zn/Fe.

banger

[1johnlb]

I buy GOOD clean pure Pb whenever I find it. I do NOT shoot BP. Pure can always be mixed with alloys to get what you want. People need to get over the mind-set of "I use COWW's and nothing else". It is extremely easy to mix any alloy you want using the alloy calc on here. Invest in a little hardball or superhard and some pewter and you will be able to mix with your pure! ( I have over 1200# of pure)

That is how I have been doing it for over 2 years now since the WW's have pretty much all turned to Zn/Fe.

banger
:shock: ml
Well, you just blowed my excuse right out the window. Need to delete this thread before my wife sees it.

[Mauser48]

Shoot hopefully shot prices go down from $50 a bag.

[John Allen]

We're losing tens of thousands at work due to a drop in commodity prices. It's almost not worth it to pay a kid $10 an hour to break down HVAC equipment. But we were making a lot of money when copper was above $3 a pound so it is what it is. If the price of lead falls enough I will most likely order enough half ton of certified alloy from a foundry.

Dragon, keep an eye on it. If drops more we should split a load.

[dragon813gt]

Dragon, keep an eye on it. If drops more we should split a load.

Will do, I'm thinking there might be a price break at a ton. Not like I paid a lot last time to begin w/.

[RogerDat]

Heck one can cut COWW's with plain Pb 50/50 and have a decent pistol alloy, especially if adding some tin. BHN an easy 10+ as is or can water drop for magnum.

I tend to pay less for WW's than for plain but I don't turn down a good price on sheet lead, not passing that up when it can be added to anything else I have and stretch out the useful alloys.

[mfraser264]

Metal prices retracting back to the levels seen in the early 2000's. China drove the scrap and primary metal prices up after 2003 for certain. In the casting industry, we had to add surcharge costs to the cost of the castings to cover the increase in base material prices. Sooner or late the prices had to move down.

Have a friend whose family owned a scrap yard for 40 years. He talks about paying .10/pound for lead for years and years. Great for manufacturing but hard on the the "scrappers" when prices drop.

[bld451]

Speaking of shot, scrapper had a couple hundred pounds of shot in cans behind the desk the other day. I asked, and he let me look. $1.00/lb, he says. I noticed two cans of 71/2-8 shot, and they weren't mixed up yet. I had a bucket of jackets to sell, and ended up trading my jackets and about $8 for 40# of nice shot. Ran home and put it in some bags I had laying around, and voila! Ready to load some clays ammo! Can't beat turning $35.00 scrap and $8.00 into about $80.00 worth of shot.... By the way, how much lag time between lead spot and shot prices. Seems like a while...

[PbHurler]

Shoot hopefully shot prices go down from $50 a bag.

No kidding!!

[Silverseas]

Yesterday on my way to Shooters Supply I stopped at the scrap dealer where they were very helpful. We pawed thru a bin of lead pipe and other soft scrap and came up with some ingots marked Lavin and sons Inc. Dropping them on the concrete floor they rang like steel as opposed to the thud of soft lead. I bought 35 pounds for $35, took them home and they tested 27 BHN. Mixed with my range scrap I can now cast good rifle bullets. Might this be monotype?

[1johnlb]

You might want to test for zinc, before adding it to your alloy.

[Silverseas]

thanks, I will have to look up how to do that.

[LongRangeAir]

I have exactly the opposite problem. My neighbor who use to cast before becoming too ill to do so, gave me around 60 lbs of corn bread ingots cast from wheel weights. Problem is, I cast for a big bore AG and need pure that I mix tin in.

Hopefully I take it to my local (60 miles away) scrap yard to see if they will trade for some lead roof flashing's.

Been here a while, but read to learn. Rarely post, (ears open, mouth shut), so not enough post to put up for trade here. Grrrr!!!

KnifeMaker

[RogerDat]

Pool acid or drain cleaner (HCL acid I think) will fizz on contact with zinc. Someone that can provide the exact acid type or better yet a brand of drain cleaner would be good. I'm drawing a mental blank all of a sudden.

[Silverseas]

I got muriatic acid from Ace Hardware, this is a potent acid. A couple drops on the ingots and very little happened. A few small bubbles appeared but no foaming as described in earlier posts so perhaps no zinc in the mix. However, to cast ingots and bullets the mix has to be very hot, full scale on the Lee dial and the bullets do not fill out well until all is hot enough for them to be frosted.
Also, the alloy (mystery ingot and range scrap) at a lower temp is thicker then I have with wheel weights or range scrap. Very little slag, dirt or grey powder to remove and the hot melt is shiny with no odd colors. It is making good hard bullets for my 8mm mauser so I am pleased with that.
More trials today after a gym workout.
Steve

[hydraulic]

Last month I ordered 2 boxes of gas checks from Midway. Paid somewhere around $32 per box. Got a flyer from Midway today; gas checks @ $23.99 per box.