Stamping Plant Lead

[bouncer50]

Years back i worked at a stamping plant that made parts for ford motors company. Their molds they made for hot stamping they used to pour lead in them to check them for size. I was allow to take about 500 pounds of it before they found out i was making lead bullets so they told me no more because of a fear i would shoot someone and a lawsuit against the company:sad: I still have about 100 pounds left. I was wondering what type of lead this is. Its a lot harder then my wheelweight that i use.

[Scorpius]

Lesson....you cast fishing sinkers if asked.

[scottfire1957]

We don't know. You will need to have it analyzed. Several members will do the analysis for a small amount of lead.

[Ironmike5585]

If u cast about a quarters size piece mail it to me I will get it positive material identification test done . Need to be as wide as a quater or so. Let me know.

[country gent]

WHat we had in the shop was closer to cerrosafe than lead or a lead alloy. A heat gun would warm the station up enough to get wrinkle free castings with the alloy. The alloy also melted at a very low temp. For checking the dies clearences we used dead soft lead wire or on close dies ( tin plate for cans and ends) plastigage.

[bangerjim]

X-ray analysis is the ONLY way to know. Either take some to your local scrap yard or send some to one of the people on here that will do it.....do a search.

Sorry, my crystal ball is cloudy and my psychic powers have been short circuited (like HillBillary's brain) as of recent to know what you have!

banger

[PBaholic]

Check the hardness:

173917

[bangerjim]

Hardness is one thing. Knowing the exact % make-up of an alloy is what is really needed when using the FREE alloy calcualtor on here.

I use it all the time....I KNOW what the exact % contents of all my alloys are from x-ray analyses from my scrap yards. I do not ever buy alloys without one.

A hardness number can be made from any number of combinations of % alloys of Pb/Sn/Sb/Cu/Bi....even Zn! I go by % and not hardness when mixing my alloys. The hardess is derived from the % calculated mix.

banger

[6622729]

Years back i worked at a stamping plant that made parts for ford motors company. Their molds they made for hot stamping they used to pour lead in them to check them for size. I was allow to take about 500 pounds of it before they found out i was making lead bullets so they told me no more because of a fear i would shoot someone and a lawsuit against the company:sad: I still have about 100 pounds left. I was wondering what type of lead this is. Its a lot harder then my wheelweight that i use.

I just changed the batteries in my crystal ball and had a vision. It's likely foundry lead and has some copper in it to keep it hard for easier handling. Those probably had to be kept for documentation and they didn't need someone dropping the test cast after the die had shipped and losing their sample. Get it X-rayed and see how I did. Lol.