When will "WW" become historical nonsense?

[Drew P]

Constantly see talk about alloy recipes calling for wheel weights. I dunno about you all but those things are all but vanished here. Can't imagine having enough to use as a major ingredient. Wheel weights is steel nowadays ya hear?

[dg31872]

That is not entirely true here in Texas.
I have a deal with a local tire store to take all their weights for scrap price, and about 70-75 per cent are lead.

[DanishM1Garand]

That is not entirely true here in Texas.
I have a deal with a local tire store to take all their weights for scrap price, and about 70-75 per cent are lead.

mexican tires getting replaced? The closer to the border the higher number of lead wheel weights I would think.

[RedRiver]

Here in ND it's still 80% lead. Most of the shops I'm in still put lead on the wheels anyway. I'm not concerned.

[JSnover]

I don't think it will happen anytime soon. We still see references to Linotype, Monotype, Stereotype, Electrotype, and Taracorp.

[TexasGrunt]

I'm in Texas and getting around 60-70% wheel weights in the stuff I pick up. Drew, you're in the PNW. Washington perhaps? That state banned lead wheel weights a few years back. There's your problem, if you're in Oregon and close to the border, again there's your problem. Also California has banned lead wheel weights so being bordered by two states like that cuts down your chances.

Do what I did and leave the Socialist NW and come to Free America.

[dragon813gt]

As time goes on they will become more rare. Eventually the WW manufacturers won't use lead anymore. No new vehicles have them. Many states have banned them. It's a slow process of attrition. How many years for this to happen? We're talking decades. I can still get them for free but the time to process them isn't worth it. I'd rather pay for foundry certified alloy and just drop it in the pot. I'm not alone in this line of thinking.

[mold maker]

Some folks have casting pants with DEEP pockets and little time. Others are blessed with time but have empty pockets. We both manage to shoot our own cast boolits with what time and resources we have. Both are right in how we look at the source problem.
The lead WW supply is slowly transitioning from plentiful and free, to unobtainable at any price. Over the last 50+ years I have hoarded several lifetime supplies, and am still guilty of picking up every one I can find. Not that I had any wisdom of things to come, but it's a part of the inborn instinct to get what you can for free while it's there.
At this point I still have a free source that supplies about what I shoot. The % of lead is slowly diminishing toward not being worth the effort, but is currently at about 65% including the SOWW.
The end is in sight and it's sound advice to gather as much as you can. At some point in the not too distant future, we'll all lament not having a cheep method to feed our habit/hobby. At that point we'll all get to make the decision of buying our alloy or shooting factory made J words. It's up to you to put off that time by hoarding now. Today's prices will be a distant memory when the freebe supply is gone.

[JSnover]

Constantly see talk about alloy recipes calling for wheel weights. I dunno about you all but those things are all but vanished here. Can't imagine having enough to use as a major ingredient. Wheel weights is steel nowadays ya hear?
Actual wheel weights won't be around forever but WW alloy works for so many people, I don't think it will disappear. The recipe is easy to find. RotoMetals (banner at the top of the page) will sell you all the ingredients (clean and certified!) you need and it's not hard to brew your own.

[C. Latch]

I probably have one of the smallest lead stashes of all the members here, but it's probably a lifetime supply. I just lean more towards shooting jacketed rifles, and don't shoot handguns enough to blow through hundreds of pounds of lead in the next 20 years. I shoot seasonally, not really year-round.

[anothernewb]

Even in MN the percentage of lead in wheel weights is dropping. I got 2, 5 gallon buckets from a dealership a few weeks back. and perhaps 50% didn't stick to a magnet, and of that, perhaps 25% were zinc. lot of dirty work sorting - but the price was still right, being free.

I agree the end times are approaching. Our local range has even felt the push. Used to be that we had to pay to get the lead removed from the indoor range. as the WW supply has dried up, it's actually becoming a competition between a few members to scavenge the backstops. The number of local people who still cast, has dropped as well. many are just buying commercial cast.

For people like me - who just discovered casting. it's an interesting split. I can see the end of the "free" and easily available local sources. Those in the area that I've talked to that still cast - have discussed purchasing foundry bulk. Thankfully one of them works at the local salvage place, and is amenable to working a shipment into a regular cycle, mitigating the shipping costs.

Until that time, however - I'm going to start scavenging has hard as I can.

[lightman]

I think Mold Maker is right. I have seen them go from free and plentiful to hard to get at any price. The lead to junk ratio is still holding up ok around here and I continue to collect them even though I have plenty.

[308Jeff]

I got into the casting game very late. I feel very fortunate to have been able to get my hands on as many wheel weights as I have in a short period of time. There seems to be plenty of tire shops out there still willing to give up their wheel weights to private individuals. Some will do it for free, some want a little bit of a handout. On average, I'm probably paying $0.10 to $0.15 per pound of lead. That being a mixture of clip-on and stick on.

The only real challenge I've encountered so far is the chain stores that are obligated to turn over their weights to recyclers. Even then, some of the managers are sympathetic and willing to help out.

[RogerDat]

I debate getting more, have 900# or so and feel like while more would be nice I don't need to invest the money. Don't mean I won't, just means I have mostly tried to buy higher end stuff.

You can buy pretty close to WW lead right now https://rotometals.com/antimonial-lead-ingot-3-5-antimony-lead/ this is close enough to WW to use in most recipes, and Hardball cut 50/50 with plain PB is very close too and varies less. https://rotometals.com/hardball-bullet-casting-alloy-ingot-2-tin-6-antimony-and-92-lead/ Of course several in the vendor section regularly sell COWW lead at good prices of around $1 per pound if you wanted to stock pile some. Purchase 60# every couple of months and it adds up to 360# by years end.

The lead and ingredients should be available for a pretty long time, the price point will go up and scraping and scrounging will get less productive. Having a large cushion or supply purchased at today's prices seems like a good idea. Just so it isn't enough to piss off the wife, or make the garage/shop/outbuilding settle on one side :-)

Edit - make that settle too much on one side, if you can walk across floor without falling into wall then probably still not too much settling from lead stash :mrgreen:

[OS OK]

I think our Grandkids will be posting here in the future...

"How do I mix GrandPa's stash of old Wheel Weights?...Anyone heard of this stuff?"

[bullseye67]

Good morning, HAPPY PIE!!!
I have mentioned this formula before #of pounds cast and/or shot/year X #of years planning to cast/shoot = #of tons of lead needed.
In my case I shoot and cast 300lbs a year X 30 years = 9000lbs. Now my son is shooting more so I have added 100lbs extra/year for him. I figure as I get older I will shoot less and he will shoot more. Now my new calculation is 400lbs X 30 years = 12000lbs + 300lbs X 38 years (to cover sons shooting for life)= 11400lbs. For a grand total of 23400lbs or 12 tons!! Sounds like a lot but, figure out what 12 tons of commercial bullets would cost..... At 150lbs of ingots from a sorted pail of WW that is 156 pails, my average here is $35/150lbs of ingots. I think an investment over several years, of $5500, for my lifetime and my sons is a small price to pay for truly custom boolits and more fun than that amount of money could buy in other stuff. And NO FEAR of not having boolits taxed or banned or any other crazy thing that could happen in the future.....don't ask about powder and primers.....somethings are best left NOT discussed on forums:lovebooli

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I think our Grandkids will be posting here in the future...

"How do I mix GrandPa's stash of old Wheel Weights?...Anyone heard of this stuff?"
Yep, exactly.

I'm sittin on a ton or so of COWW.
I know a couple of other members who are in this region, who are sittin' on a ton or so, as well.
If I were looking to buy more COWW in the Raw, I'd be talking to the Auto-Recyclers, not the tire shops.

[runfiverun]

that's where I got my last batch ^^.
I didn't get as much as I wanted cause he talked me into some lino-type pigs for 65 cents a pound.
I probably should have just bought the pallet of Pigs and started trading.

[Bazoo]

Got about 50% usable ww's round my parts.

[fredj338]

In many states the lead ww is already extinct. Kalif banned them almost 6 yrs ago. A set of tires lasts 3-4 years. So any you may find are coming off granny's old Nova.
I am reduced pretty much to berm mining to get free bullet alloy. 900# is a nice reserve. With bigger bullets, it goes pretty fast.

[dverna]

I am not too worried. Any alloy can be made or purchased. I think more people will find ways to reclaim the lead they shoot and now leave behind. I have my own range so it is easier.

[Virginia John]

I have only been casting for a few years but I manage to find WW. It helps having a buddy who owns an auto repair shop plus there are always people on here selling smelted WW. I think we have a few years left.

[Retumbo]

They are still advertising lead weights in tire story supply catalogs.

[country gent]

Its not so much as when they will be gone but as lead antimony and tin process rise zinkers, steelies and plastics become more popular at the tire shops. Its not they will be gone but sorting for them will become more and more futile

[RogerDat]

They are still advertising lead weights in tire story supply catalogs. Lead is the best from the tire store perspective, smaller the weight in size the easier it is to position for good balance. In states that don't ban them most cars second set of tires will have lead weights installed on the wheels. Manufacture of car is selling in states and countries that don't allow the lead so they all use something else for consistency of supply to their manufacturing operations. All states and countries will accept steel and zinc so new cars come with those.

I find stores that sell used tires or see older cars are more likely to have lead WW's than the places that cater to the new cars. That first set installed after the factory will put lead on but not until the second set after factor is being installed will a lead weight be coming off and going into the bucket. So in typical terms about 75k miles after car was new.

Something to be said for laying in a good supply of plain lead. It can be used to take small amount of richer alloys and dilute it to large amount of usable casting alloy and around here plain lead seems for more common than WW's. 5# of linotype with 15# of plain is 20# pot of very usable lead. Or WW's can be cut 50/50 with plain for most pistol rounds.

[TexasGrunt]

I haven't seen a set of tires on a new car go over 40k. For some people that's a years worth of driving.

[blikseme300]

I quit hunting for WW's a few years ago as the consistency of the alloy seemed poor. Methinks that some of the weights were made with Zinc-tainted recycled alloy.

Thankfully isotope container alloy is quite consistent and relatively cheap. I use this along with mono & linotype & pure to create the alloys I need for rifle CB's. Typical cost is around $2/# and it is much cheaper than factory bullets so it is economical enough for me.

[Rich/WIS]

Last batch I got had maybe 2-3% zinc. My scrap dealer pre-sorts the steel out before tossing it into a barrel. I emptied the barrel last time, about 250 pounds. The supply of lead is definitely dwindling, when he was sorting at least one in five was steel. Fortunately I stocked up on range lead (about 1000lbs) before our club changed the berm locations. Used to have berms at 15, 25 and 50 yards, now only one 50 yard berm across the entire range. The 15 and 25 yard berms were an easy source, bullets concentrated in a small area. At 50 yards bullets are all over and a lot more work to get.

[WJP]

I haven't seen a set of tires on a new car go over 40k. For some people that's a years worth of driving.

I've been lucky then. I've been getting 55 to 60k out of my Goodyears on my rams. Had 7 of them too. I stopped at a shop the other day that had a rack of new lead wheel weights they said they just bought. I got 300 lbs of used for .05 a lb off of them. Still good here in Texas.

[trapper9260]

I go to the scrap yard to get the soft lead and get what I need for the mix of alloy from roto.There is getting too much none lead in the WW now.So for the price of it in the scrap yard is not worth it for me.That is why I just get the soft lead there.Also i have my own range set up for myself now and will go in that after I feel need to clean the alloy out of it.

[TexasGrunt]

I've been lucky then. I've been getting 55 to 60k out of my Goodyears on my rams. Had 7 of them too. I stopped at a shop the other day that had a rack of new lead wheel weights they said they just bought. I got 300 lbs of used for .05 a lb off of them. Still good here in Texas.

You've been lucky if those are the OEM tires. I've got a 2013 Ram 2500 with less than 20k on it. Almost all towing miles. Tires are going to need to be replaced soon. They have been rotated every 5k. Our Tahoe is a 2013 also. It's got 44k and needs new tires, they too have been rotated every 5-7k.

[lightman]

I had to replace a set last year on my truck at 53000 miles. They still had good tread but one of them separated and threw the tread off. Thats the most I've ever gotten on OEM tires. The norm seems to be 20-30K. I keep a watch on the air pressure and they get rotated and balanced regularly. That gives me the chance to raid the weight bucket at the tire shop! :p

[Drew P]

Well it looks like they are still happening for a lot of you. I forgot how big this country is. I'm just surprised that steel weights haven't won out simply for cost reasons. They must be a lot cheaper, and non toxic? No brainer.
But for me here in Oregon, it's very dry indeed. I'll have to brew my own and get out the calculators do do some research to interpret yalls crazy recipes with things like cows and sows and stuff.

when I was a kid the commodity was those chrome tire stem caps. Little did I know that later it would be the weights.

[EMC45]

I was in Tires Plus a few months back and they had heaping piles of lead WWs. Brand new ready to put on tires. I asked the guy what kind of WWs did they use and he said steel, zinc and lead. He said they prefer to use lead. I asked if they had used lead WWs and he said yes, but they turn them in for credit on new lead weights. They sort them and send them in.

[shoot-n-lead]

I am still getting over 70% lead in my wheelweights...I have over a ton and if I ever shoot that up and cannot get lead wheelweights...I will just shoot j-words as I ain't going to buy foundry lead in order to cast bullets.