What year did zinc WW star showing up?

[madmtt]

I have some race car ballast that was melted down in the early 90's. Back then we would fill up an old valve cover with wheel weights and hit them with a torch till they bonded (clips and all). Would it be safe to think they were all lead? Just getting started on casting and don't want to start off with a mess.

[lightman]

Probably not. I don't know when they started using zinc for wheelweights but I'm pretty sure that I had a few back in the 80's. I didn't know what they were back then, but I remember melting weights and having an occasional one float to the top and melt slower than normal. Thats the way zinc weights do.

I would melt those counter weights and cast them into ingots. Then cast a few bullets and see how well they fill out. A small % of zinc won't ruin a batch of lead, although the less the better. You could also test those ingots with acid (I use the stuff you treat swimming pools with). If you get good fill, call it good. If not, you can add some tin or you can dilute them with other lead.

[runfiverun]

they were around back then.
the percentage was super small though.
you'd maybe find one or maybe two [at most] in a bucket of lead and could go 5-6 buckets before seeing one.

[madmtt]

Thanks for info. I think I will make them into small ingots and see how they do.