Mystery Ingot???

[KenH]

Hello all, I've got a mystery ingot - can anyone provide any info?

150922

The top line: Hoyt Metal Co St Louis
middle line: Genuine-A
Bottom line: Not Genuine without Signature E K Kout

The size at base is 5.5" long; 2" wide"; 1" high with sides tapering to provide ease of mold drop.

Weight is 2lb 6.8 oz; metal is MUCH harder than lead, but no so hard as iron.

Any suggestions?

Thanks, Ken H>

[JSnover]

Sounds like Babbitt.
http://www.finishing.com/107/70.shtml

[JSnover]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?156795-hoyt-metal-co-genuine-A
Here's a thread.

[KenH]

Now why didn't I think to do a search on "hoyt metal co genuine A" - that does turn up a good bit of info. Could well be babbitt, but seems to be a good bit harder than babbitt would be. The ingot looks exactly like this one on ebay, and they "claim" it's nickel.... but we all know ebay claims.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/351545195958?

Thanks - you have provided the answer I was looking for.

Ken H.

[JSnover]

It should get you close. Babbitt comes in different flavors, though. My tin babbitt is quite a bit harder than lead but it isn't Hoyt's A.
Bear in mind, all I really found was a couple of threads from a couple of boards, nothing from anyone who could say "it absolutely is [lead/tin/copper/etc]."

[bangerjim]

Remember.......search engines ARE your best friend!

[RogerDat]

Remember.......search engines ARE your best friend! Unless you can find a friendly scrap yard with an XRF gun..... One good reason to be regular customer at any and all scrap yards that will sell to the public, having enough of a relationship that they will test stuff for you.

[bangerjim]

You are 100% correct, but so many on here complain when I say "ScrapYard" and "X-RAY "in the same sentence, I don't even bring it up anymore. My yards do it for free.......and they sell me as much lead and alloy as I can buy when I need it. Unfortunately many on here are not that fortunate to have yards that sell to the public. Liberals running the places/states/cities, I guess.

[KenH]

I was not familiar with a XRF gun - looking on ebay I could have my own for "only" $10K {g}

Thanks to all for info,

Ken H>

[bangerjim]

Real ones go for around $40K according to my guys at the yards.

Who knows what those things are on evilbay. I never go there.

[KenH]

Yes, those guns when from $10K to well over $40K on fleabay. I remember back when ebay first opened in early '90's. I looked the site over for computer stuff, said it will never work. Stuff was too expensive - I could buy new for less in many cases. Look where it is today! My motto is never buy anything more expensive than you're willing to lose on ebay.

Ken H>

[RogerDat]

I have heard the same price range of $40k or more, on up to $100k for that XRF equipment.

All you can do is ask, and don't forget jurisdictional boundaries can make a big difference. What the city law does not permit or requires an expensive license for the county or township may allow or license cheaply. Scrap yards located across boundaries can have different regulations that influence decision to sell to the public.

When you are at a yard that will sell you lead, and have the cash to purchase a good size chunk of some unknown scrap, just ask "is there any way to tell exactly what this lead alloy consists of?" Or "is there any way to know this is pure lead and not some harder lead alloy?" What constitutes a good size chunk can vary but figure if you are interested in giving them $50 to $100 depending on what that unknown lead is..... they have an incentive to test it for you. Helps if it is not a super busy time. Be prepared, the seller might suddenly want higher price for solder or printers lead once it is tested and a known commodity.

Some yards simply won't have the equipment, or will be a small yard that is part of a larger company that will send stuff in to home office for testing when they purchase and may not send it in for selling it to you.

[KenH]

Thanks Roger - there is a scrap yard in Mobile, AL (across the bay from me) that does sell to the public. I've been planning a trip to buy some aluminum, and now I think I'd add in a "few" pounds of lead - and maybe take this Hoyt Metal ingot and see if they might have the ability to test it for me. It would be interesting to see just what it is - Babbitt or Nickel.

Ken H>

[madsenshooter]

BHN of 28.6! It is for sure a babbitt. Genuine babbitts don't contain lead, just the other goodies we need.

[RogerDat]

Glad you have an option Ken. I know I'm lucky that at least some scrap yards around here sell, but some don't. I tried to tell them lead is NOT dangerous but I don't out rank the boss or their lawyers. Well when you think about it I should probably say lead is not dangerous until AFTER I get through making it into bullets. At which point being up to evil and unable to run faster than about 800 fps in my surrounding 30 yard crime free zone..... yeah that could be considered dangerous :-)

I have a Babbitt ingot. I don't plan on using it short of zombie apocalypse. Use it as a paper weight on my reloading bench. Or to make the base of a powder dispenser heavier. Took a while to find out what it was but in the end it is a pretty neat item to have around no matter what alloy it turns out to be made of.

[typz2slo]

It may be too late but I have an XRF analyzer if you want it analyzed. You can send me a sample and I will let you know whats in it.

[KenH]

Email sent!

[bigjake]

Reading this thread reminds me when my father brought home these discs of babbit that were the size of a frizbee and weighed about 40 lbs. A few months later he comes home with a Colt Thomson sub machine gun. He gave 600 bucks for it new. we quickly turned that babbit into .45 cal. boolits, many,many boolits. you talk about fun! Ever heard the saying "filling the air with lead"? haha.

[KenH]

Jake - talk about FUN!!!! I'll bet that was fun. Much like with my Dad and his brothers... "fertilizing" the field with 50 lb bags of ammoniate mixture..... talk about a real "bang". One of my early memories as a kid (8 to 10 yr or so) was at Christmas we'd take the few sticks of dynamite left from the year. Dad would set a stick up with fuse 'n cap, I'd climb a tree on a hill top, tie stick to top as high as I could get it, light fuse, climb down and RUN!!! Boy, did that noise roll from hill to hill top those clear cold nights! That was back when you could buy the stuff at the local farm supply store.

edit: I should have mentioned Dad always cautioned me to "climb down fast after I lit the fuse".

Ken H

[RogerDat]

KenH - Today no one would get the joke about the fellow who moved out to the country and wanting to get a boulder out of a field went to the local farm & feed store asking for dynamite, after the clerk brings his purchase of several sticks, some fuse and caps up to the counter the fellow asks about putting the dynamite on a tab with his other items. Clerk tells him that depends, you ever use dynamite before? Nope? Then what you say we make this a cash sale.

[KenH]

you ever use dynamite before? Nope? Then what you say we make this a cash sale

I LOVE that! smart clerk!