WW's with thick plastic coating

[Oklahoma Rebel]

it is a grey plastic, not marked with a z anywhere but I cut one in half and the metal inside seemed pretty hard, failed the fingernail test, but it was a small broken surface so scraping it with my nails was hard, would be hard to see. does anyone know what these are?

[swamp]

Could be zinc or steel. Try cutting with side cutters. If it cuts, lead.

[vzerone]

I doubt it's lead as there is no reason why they would alloy it so hard. The alloys are expensive. You said you cut it, how? For that matter zinc is pretty expensive too. Does it feel heavier then a piece of steel that same size? If so more then likely is zinc. If that was lead wouldn't you have a mess smelting that with the plastic on it, wow!

[Retumbo]

take your plumbing torch and melt one own. lead should melt pretty fast

[JSnover]

If it's that hard, it's not lead. Got a grinder? If it's steel it will throw sparks.

[MrWolf]

I ran accross a few of those. Don't remember what they were made of but decided not to bother with all that plastic. Think they were zinc.

[Oklahoma Rebel]

it didn't cut so much as a controlled break it just snapped, the cutter didn't sink into it like lead, so I think out they go! to the trash that is.

[scottfire1957]

Never worried about 'em. Just tossed 'em.

[kentuckyshooter]

I know this is an older thread but i have came across the plastic wheights as well. They stuck to my magnet so they went in the bucket with the fe wheights and clips.

[Scooby]

all the ones I have encountered have been steel on the inside of the plastic, not to say that there are not zinc ones out there but that is what I have seen first hand.

[RogerDat]

Yep, having a magnet handy to test the tip of the weight can resolve some issues. Have to stay away from the clip since they are all iron/steel so the magnet will grab there even on the lead ones. From what I have seen lead will always "nip" a dent and cut along the edge with the tips of a pair of dikes. Zinc will not without extreme force. Magnet eliminates steel.

If you have a lot of unknown you could set them aside and when melting the batch of lead ones set the questionable ones on top. See if they melt at lead temps, if not scoop them out with a slotted spoon. Some people don't sort and just skim the zinc and steel ones out of the big pot of melt. They will float on molten lead. Only problem is if zinc ones get trapped on the bottom they can sometimes melt from being pressed against hot bottom before the lead ones melt. That is why I suggest setting them on top. Works better I think in big propane tank pots where even if a few zinc get trapped it gets so diluted that it does no harm.

[Wis. Tom]

Brand new to WW, just had 95 lbs. given to me. Just want to make sure, zinc won't cut with side cutter, right? Just asking because I also found some with heavy plastic on them, but some cut easy, most didn't.

[Scorpius]

New to WW as well I cut open three myself and non were lead. I tossed the other 20 or so automatically.

[lightman]

Tom, zinc will cut but will be much much harder than lead. It depends on the quality of your pliers. The best thing that I can recommend is to find a known zinc weight and cut on it. After you sort several hundred pounds you sort of get a feel for the zinc weights. They look a little different, feel different, and some have distinctive shapes. The iron look very different, but if you miss a few of them it won't hurt anything. Check out the stickies on sorting wheelwrights and on the different stick-on weights. Lots of good info!

[Tenbender]

I have run into lots of lead weights with heavy plastic cover. If you are worried take a small propane torch and put the heat to them. They will melt and splatter all over. Throw them in the melt and the plastic will float. Just skim and pour your ingots.

[David2011]

^^^^ What Tenbender said. I've melted lots of coated plastic WW. Always assumed it was for environmental reasons. They've never caused any problems. I use a thermometer to keep my "smelting" pot at about 650 degrees F. so zinc doesn't melt and the few that I've missed bobbed to the surface without meting.

David

[RoadBike]

I know this is an older thread but i have came across the plastic wheights as well. They stuck to my magnet so they went in the bucket with the fe wheights and clips.

That is my experience as well. I put them in my growing steel collection.

[LAGS]

I had one or two get mixed in with my COWW's.
They were all steel inside, and the ones that ended up in the pot by mistake, gummed up the sides of my pot, and didn't want to scrape off for nothing.
Toss them.