approximate wheel weight alloy

[ohnomrbillk]

I know there is a great deal of variation on wheel weights, but I can't find any writings on a ballpark of the alloy contents.

I have a recipe I want to try that mixes wheel weight alloy with pure lead

I'm considering just ordering this alloy from the foundry, but need to know content to know what to order.

Thanks in advance.

[lobowolf761]

What type of bullets do you plan to cast? I use WW also. I use it as it is for my Black Powder and have recently done a 50%WW 50%Linotype mix to make something real close to a #2alloy. I haven't tested hardness yet though.

[Mike W1]

Here's a little bit of a file of Bill Furgason's.


Assumption is WW is reasonably current (1980) common wheelweight with 0.25%
tin, 0.15% arsenic and 3% antimony BEFORE smelting. I am listing some
compositions from a table called " Common Bullet Metals Hardness/Obturation". I know the gentleman that compiled it (he is a customer) and we have discussed the list. He said he took the best information he could find on various alloys and also results from a fellow shooter who was interested in the project.

'Obturation Pressure in CUP (BHN x 1400)'
. CUP is copper units of pressure, 1400 is a constant (I have read of other 14++ numbers as the constant)

As I am not proficient enough to make a table I will put the data on
separate lines:
Lead % 100 BHN 4.2, all following lead is balance
1% Antimony BHN 7
2% Antimony BHN 8
1/40 tin 2.5% BHN 8.2
1/30 tin 3% BHN 9
1/30 3% antimony BHN 9.1
1/20 5% tin BHN 10
1/16 6% antimony BHN 10.6
1/16 6% tin BHN 10.6

Obviously some calculations or test readings were rounded off. This is a
first attempt to provide information to judge how much antimony is in WW
after smelting. The 1/30 antimony entry at BHN 9.1 is close to WW.

[Mike W1]

Another file.


From: Jim Colburn

From Lyman's The Cast Bullet Handbook:

Composition & Hardness of Common Bullet Metals
Alloy Lead Tin Antimony BHN
Linotype 86% 3% 11% 22
#2 Alloy 90% 5% 5% 15
16-1 94% 6% 0% N/A
10-1 91% 9% 0% 11.5
Wheelweights 95.5% 0.5% 4% 9
Pure Lead 100% - - 5

While its interesting and useful information, I have to question the
info on wheel weights. As best as I can determine, their information
was gathered 20 or more years ago. From some tests I had done in '96:

Test 1: Clip-on wheelweights. These are the ones everyone thinks
of as 'hard'.
Lead 95%
Antimony 2.5%
Tin .5%
Arsenic .1%
Trace elements 1.9% (Cadmium, calcium, silver, copper, etc)

Test 2: Adhesive wheelweights. These come in strips, and are stuck
onto mag wheels.
Lead 98%
Antimony .25%
Trace elements 1.75% (Arsenic, cadmium, calcium, copper,
silver,tin,etc).
Note: this was confirmed by a recent (Aug 98) analysis of unused
adhesive
wheelweights.

Test 3: Plumber's lead (caulking lead). The stuff usually
recommended for ML use. Bought from a local plumber in factory ingots.
Lead 98.3%
Antimony .20%
Tin .10%
Trace elements 1.4% (Cadmium, calcium,copper, silver, tin)

Test 4: Salvage lead (from houses built about 1930-1950). Lead
flashing, caulking, pipe, shower and tub liners, etc.
Lead 97.8%
Antimony .21%
Tin .10%
Trace elements 1.8% (The usual stuff).

[bangerjim]

Download the free alloy calculator spreadsheet on here! All those "what if I do this" questions will be answered, now and in the future.

bangerjim

[Mike W1]

One more old file. You get to pick and choose!


Subject: [CB-L] Wheel weight alloys
To: cb-l@lists.best.com

Hello folks-
I just ran across some old info that I thought might be relevant to
our perpetual discussion in Re: wheel weights. The data is from a few
years ago, but I had found no change in the alloys as of summer '97.

A few words of explanation first. At the time these tests were run, I
had a small cast bullet business. My wife was involved in metals
testing at the University of Nebraska, and had access to the lab there.

I alloy my lead up in 20) 50# batches, then take one 1# ingot from each
batch to make up a 20# lot. I took advantage of a local metallurgical
lab and had some analysis done.

Test 1: Clip-on wheelweights. These are the ones everyone thinks
of as 'hard'. Lead 95% Antimony 2.5% Tin .5% Arsenic .1% Trace
elements 1.9% (Cadmium, calcium, silver, copper, etc)

Test 2: Adhesive wheelweights. These come in strips, and are stuck
onto mag wheels. Lead 98% Antimony .25% Trace elements 1.75% (Arsenic,
cadmium, calcium, copper, silver,tin,etc).

Test 3: Plumber's lead (caulking lead). The stuff usually recommended
for ML use. Bought from a local plumber in factory ingots. Lead 98.3%
Antimony .20% Tin .10% Trace elements 1.4% (Cadmium, calcium,copper,
silver, tin)

Test 4: Salvage lead (from houses built about 1930-1950). Lead
flashing, caulking, pipe, shower and tub liners, etc. Lead 97.8%
Antimony .21% Tin .10% Trace elements 1.8% (The usual stuff).

As a test, I also had a test run on 'pure' lead from a chemical supply
house. It came back as lead 99.8% lead.

The dead-soft lead used for pipes, flashing, etc, that is so nice and
soft when found in the junk yard was extruded, not cast. One source
said tin and antimony were controlled to give more desired
characteristics in the extrusion process. When lead is extruded (or
swaged, as in sizing a cast bullet or swaging a ball) it softens. It
pays to be aware of this when scrounging for lead.

I really can't see any difference between the salvage adhesive ww, the
plumbers lead, and the salvaged lead pipe. Cost is a major factor. The
ww runs (locally) about 10 cents/pound. The salvaged plumbers lead
runs about 13 cents/pound at a local salvage yard. The lead from the
plumber was around a buck a pound.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Now, as always, take this info FWIW, OK? I use the adhesive WW for
balls to shoot in C&B revolvers, with no problems. I also use it for
minie balls in the horse pistol I borrowed from Ivan a few weeks ago.
Seems to work well in both applications.

[ohnomrbillk]

This is from a gentleman on the singleactions forum for casting hollow point bullets:


Forgot, the alloy I'm using is my 70/30 alloy, thats 70% WW's & 30% pure lead. I've gave this out before but here it is again. We'll start at 1000 fps.

1000 fps===70% WW's & 30% lead

1100 fps===80% WW's & 20% lead

1200 fps===90% WW's & 10% lead

and then going down from 1000 fps

900 fps===60% WW's & 40% lead

800 fps===50% WW's & 50 % lead
For HP lead bullets I have used this formula since the 60's.

Remember, in the 1800's many million of buffalo, deer & elk were killed with pure lead, many from single action Colts at about 900 fps.

[RogerDat]

Test 1: Clip-on wheelweights. These are the ones everyone thinks
of as 'hard'.
Lead 95%
Antimony 2.5%
Tin .5%
Arsenic .1%
Trace elements 1.9% (Cadmium, calcium, silver, copper, etc)


I think the alloy calculator has the antimony at 3% but I think some xrf gun checking of current WW's has confirmed they are generally under that by a small amount.

So if I understand the original question you want to know how to make COWW lead from store bought materials. Going to be hard to hit it exactly and different ways of getting there but one would be...

5# magnum shot (#6 or #9) for arsenic + antimony.
1# super hard (30% Sb) for antimony
1/8# of 40% tin solder
13.5# plain lead

Yields 19.6 lbs @ .25 Sn, 2.55 Sb, .32 As, 96.9 Pb - This formula brought to you by the free downloadable alloy calculator.
Little under the "official" Sb for COWW's but probably close to what you would see in the real world. Can always add a bit more super hard.

The small percentage of arsenic which helps with heat treating and water dropping might be optional but that would require recalculation of the Sb percentage. Swapping and Selling post wanted to buy and you can have plenty of COWW's in ingots at good prices. Less than you will pay to buy plain lead from a business.