Encountered a new isotope lead

[sqlbullet]

I spent some time in front of the dutch ovens on Saturday. Finished the day with about 1500 lbs of ingots. A good day if a bit hot.

As most of you know, I process a bunch of isotope lead. The page at fellingfamily.net is mine.

Posting today because I encountered something not just new, but enough different I wanted to call it out in case you see them.

169744

I had about three or four of these in the lead I processed this time. I see new shapes of vials all the time, but generally they are obviously isotope lead that doesn't deviate significantly from the known samples. This one does.

The color and texture were odd for lead. I thought it was high polish stainless steel or chromed steel, with some lead liner on the inside. I tossed it in the pot expecting to pull most of it back out after the lead melted out. To my surprise on the first one it all melted.

The top cap and insert are both pure. Melt like ice cubes with no "mushy" phase. The main body seems to be normal isotope lead, except it is a little softer than most other.

Another interesting find from one of them. I ended up with a piece of non-lead metal. Not unusual. Except....

It didn't float on top my melt. It sank straight to the bottom and stayed there.

As you know, there aren't a lot of metals that are denser than lead, especially that just show up. Based on some calculations on density, which are pretty raw as it was small and irregular which made it hard to get real accurate on volume, it is a tungsten alloy called Wolfmet. It is commonly used as shielding which explains how I got it, but in all the years and many, many tons I have processed it was still a first.

So, there you have it. I have updated the website with information on the silver apparatus as well as a new grey cylinder that had some brass fixtures in it.

http://fellingfamily.net/isolead/

[C. Latch]

Fascinating.

What will you do with the Tungsten alloy?

[WFO2]

Question what do you mix with your ISO cores to make them cast ready ?

[OS OK]

Description
Tin %
Antimony %
Arsenic %
Copper %
Silver %
Lead %
Weight (lbs)
Hardness

Unit Price ($ / lb)
Price ($)











Isotope Lead (lg. cores)
1.00%
3.00%
0%
0%
0%
96.0%

Brinell 11

$1.11
$0.00


Isotope Lead (ingots)
2.50%
2.50%
0%
0%
0%
95.0%

Brinell 11

$1.17
$0.00



from our calculator found on this forum.

[johnho]

Let's see now, isotope cylinder. something inside sinks in lead. Looking at periodic table. Oops. Not much good going to the bottom. Do you have any idea what that stuff is? Is your cat glowing (oh, that's a dog :) )? Don't mess with that dog.

[sqlbullet]

I add about 1% tin. I have about 100 lbs of pure tin on hand and about 100 lbs of 63/37 solder. Most of this I sell to commercial casters of bullets or fishing weights.

Johnho, the mystery metal was a tungsten alloy. I mention it in the post above.

[6622729]

I add about 1% tin. I have about 100 lbs of pure tin on hand and about 100 lbs of 63/37 solder. Most of this I sell to commercial casters of bullets or fishing weights.

Johnho, the mystery metal was a tungsten alloy. I mention it in the post above.

I'm glad it didn't melt into the pot and ruin the batch for you! I love isotope lead. I have a bunch in ingot form put away. It is the cleanest stuff and the last I will use up! I too have tin and solder put away to adjust it into a great boolit alloy which it pretty much is already.

[OS OK]

I add about 1% tin. I have about 100 lbs of pure tin on hand and about 100 lbs of 63/37 solder. Most of this I sell to commercial casters of bullets or fishing weights.

Johnho, the mystery metal was a tungsten alloy. I mention it in the post above.

What do you suppose, was it's function in those containers? Was it mixed evenly throughout the lead or was it an insert, like a bottle bottom on the old 3 piece bottles of old.

[johnho]

I missed that, sorry. But that dog got to me. that is one neat dog. Can you pet it?

[OS OK]

My Dog…that's 'BUBBY', coolest dog I ever had. Won't let me go anywhere without being with me. Sits next to me in the living room and leans against my leg, wants me to scratch inside and out of his ears. Really smart, will come get you and lead you to what he wants, his cookie jar (jerky treats) or to the front door so he can go out to pee. Loves the truck, always rides shotgun. Has 5 cats here that love him, they rub all over him, he just looks at them. The wife taught him to sit in her lap when he was young, still wants to do that with her now, he's too dang big!

[Don Fischer]

interesting. I never heard of this type lead before. Where do you get it?

[sqlbullet]

OS OK, I only found one and I don't even know which container it was from. Or even if it was in a container or just loose in the pile. The typical haul looks something like this:
169960

Tungsten does make good radiation shielding, and is more durable than lead. Also much more expensive.

Don, if you search my posts here I wrote one a couple years back about what it takes to pursue isotope lead as a source. The short version is these guys aren't swayed by a beer like the boys at the tire shop. And they don't want to mess usually with someone who is just looking for the occasional score. A radio pharmacy will generate about 1,000-2,000 lbs of scrap lead a month, and they want someone who will handle all their scrap. It took me several painful years to get where I am now, with both steady supply as well as a similar demand.

My webpage is mainly intended for guys who find this lead at the scrap yard. That would be your best place to look if you just want some for recreational boolit casting. Learn the photos and you will have a good idea of what it is when you see it.