identifying ingots?

[rondog]

A few years ago I cast up a bunch of 1lb. ingots. A bunch of COWW ingots, and about half that many of pure lead from some counterweights. I separated them into different .30 cal. USGI ammo cans, but like a fool I never got around to stamping the ingots with PB or WW. Now, the cans have been shuffled around, so I have no idea which can has what kind of ingots in it, although they all still have either one type or the other. I have eight .30 cal ammo cans full.

Is there some simple, easy way to test these ingots to tell which is which? Some acid or chemical test? I don't have a hardness tester, and can't afford to buy one anytime soon.

I recently cast up a bunch of different bullets, and the .44 mag bullets deform a little when I seat them, so I'm concerned I grabbed pure lead bars. Haven't shot any yet. If I have to melt them all back down I'll be sad, but so be it.

Anybody here in the Denver area with a hardness tester, by chance?

Thanks!

[Omega]

Just drop something like a cross tip screwdriver from the same height, which ever dents the most is the PB. Or get some staedtler pencils to get a closer idea of BHN.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Drop test.

Drop an ingot on a concrete floor,
near pure lead will "Thud"
and COWW will "ring".

[NavyVet1959]

If there are only two choices -- pure Pb or WW -- it's pretty easy to determine which is which since the pure Pb is so much softer. Even scratching it with a pocket knife will tell you.

[LAGS]

Look at page 4 in this thread for the "Billy Bob lead hardness tester".
You can make one and you can test your lead ingots at home

[rondog]

First thing I did was try the knife, couldn't tell enough difference.

Concrete floor, got one! Definitely will try that!

The BBLHT sounds good too, I've probably got most of that stuff already. Scale and drill press for sure, might have to buy the ball and screw. Steel plate, hmmmm.

[NavyVet1959]

If you happen to have a scanner around, you can scan the indentation of the lead and using an image editor like Infranview, determine the number of pixels across the indentation. Since you know the pixel resolution (i.e. dots per inch) of the scanner settings, that will let you calculate the distance across the image of the indentation.

I don't remember where I read about this, but I tried it and it works pretty good.

I had an scanner that was free (i.e. rebate for the entire cost of the scanner just so that they could get you hooked into buying their ink jet cartridges), so after the ink ran out, I used it for this in my reloading "shack" attached to a retired laptop. Besides, I use a laser printer if I really need to print something.

[rondog]

Drop test.

Drop an ingot on a concrete floor,
near pure lead will "Thud"
and COWW will "ring".

You, sir, are my HERO!!! Took me less than two minutes to ID which bars were in which cans! Thank you for that simple solution, my simple mind loved it.

I'll be labeling those cans and stamping the bars for sure now.

[aap2]

All good ideas for sure. When I got serious about casting one of the best investments that I made was a fairly inexpensive 1/4 inch stamp set and I use this code: PB pure lead
L linotype
2 lyman #2
RS range scrap
SN pure tin
1-10 one part tin in 10 parts lead
When the piles of ingots grows, this stamping is a lifesaver. Also when I'm done casting I fill the melting pots with allow for the next session and scratch the alloy code on the top of the cooled alloy with a screwdriver since memory isn't what it used to be.

[runfiverun]

my system is even more simple.
the soft lead goes on the left of the stars bench.
the ww alloy goes under the casting bench.
the lino-type goes under the master casters bench
and the 4/6/90 alloy goes to the right under the storage rack.

[Springfield]

I keep saying I am going to stamp them but right now 5 different ingot mould styles keeps them identified.

[RogerDat]

I keep them separate and label with a sharpie. Is possible a sharpie will fade or oxidize or whatever on the ingot. But if the container label is readable, OR any ingots in the container then I know what is in that container and the others with it in that location.

The thing that keeps me away from stamps is having a lot of batches from scrap around with assorted alloy ratios. Many of those just get poured into larger ingots, labeled and then figure out what to do with them later. Mostly I try to keep those down by using the alloy calculator to work them into other "common" alloy batches.

[bangerjim]

I have at least 7 differen alloys. I stamp them with HF 1/4" stamps with a 1 or 2 letter code I have established.

All pure is cast in an RCBS labled mold. All others are in Lyman/Lee molds.

Then I stack them in an about 1 foot high pyramid and spray the ends lightly with a unique color tinting lacquer for each from my wood shop. That way I can see at a glance what the pile is. You could use plain old spary paint because the tiny amount disapears in your casting pot.

All are presorted based upon x-ray analysis when I bought the stuff B4 making 1# ingots.

banger

[w5pv]

When I go to store the ones that are on the floor,I do the pencil scratch test and take awll and scratch on it the result.I find that from the same batch of wheel weight or other lead there will be some ignots that a soft and some that is some harder and mark them as such.