Shortage of lead wheel weights..

[stare-decisis]

Hi,
Newbie here, I recently have gotten all the equipment I need to start casting but I have one problem..I was able to mooch maybe 5 ILBs of WW from a friend but after calling about a dozen tire stores no luck. Most of the major brands (Sears, Belle Tire, Sam's club) say they don't sell the lead but send it out..the smaller outfits "have a guy who contracts or picks it up on a regular basis.."
I was thinking of maybe going to one of the smaller outfits in person and offering maybe 50$ a bucketful, try to bid up for it? Any other ideas?
Ebay maybe?

[mold maker]

Check large trucking co. The WWs are a different alloy, but cast great boolets.

[montana_charlie]

I was thinking of maybe going to one of the smaller outfits in person and offering maybe 50$ a bucketful, try to bid up for it? Any other ideas?
Going in person is a good plan. It's just too easy for them to say 'no' to somebody on the phone.

But $50 per bucketful?
Do what you need to do, but that might be a bad precendent to set...
CM

[Down South]

Going in person can make all of the difference in the world. I'm like MC, $50 is a lot to offer for a bucket of WW. I have been caught paying $20 a bucket before but that only happened a couple times.

[MT Gianni]

Its a lot like fishing. Any place you go someone will say " You shoulda been here last week. They were really biting."
In your search for WW it was always easier before haz-mat, hi-lead prices and more casters. That doesn't stop one from fishing and shouldn't stop you from looking. Any asset is worth what it worth to you. 10 cents a lb is long gone but I hope $50 a bucket isn't here yet. Gianni

[Old Ironsights]

Do up an "official" looking business card that declares you to be a "haz-mat recycler" that specializes in heavy metal alloys.

You would be suprised what a man with a clipboard and busines card can get away with... ;)

[mtgrs737]

I agree, you must keep trying, I have lost all but two sources for WW's out of the six I started with. However, one of those two is my best and provides me with a solid 1 bucket a month. Keep looking, talking and remember a 5 gallon bucket of iced down beer at around quiting time is a wonderful "thank you" in this 100 degree heat we are having!

[chrisx1]

You have to go in person, no question....

Also, talk to the right guy, make sure you are talking to the manager or owner, not a mechanic or tire changer that just wants you to go away. Then when you find the manager, talk to him a little. Tell him what you are doing with the lead, and that you are not just looking to make a quick buck taking the stuff to the scrap yard. Also, find out if he does any shooting. The one that you can trade with is the one you want. All it takes is one good supplier, and you are good for the forseeable future. I have a tire shop owner that shoots a caliber that I don't, but for the price of the mould and reloading dies, I'm locked in to a steady supply. He gives me empty brass and a bucket of WW, I give him 2 boxes of 9mm.

:mrgreen:

[stare-decisis]

Thanks for the suggestions Gents.

[imashooter2]

Unless you have a license and pay excise tax, bartering ammo you make for goods is illegal. You've got some liability exposure there too...

We're all adults, do what you want, but know the rules and risks.

[Jimlakeside]

I have gone IN PERSON to nearly every single tire store in my city with very little luck. I finally made a trip to the metals recycling facility and purchased 120 lbs of ww for $60.00. That's still plenty cheap compared to ordering boolits on;ine from a commercial caster.

[jawjaboy]

The key to ww accumulation is not to get discouraged. You just have to keep at it. I try to maintain 2,000 pounds of ww's on hand, and have let over a thousand pounds of them pass through my hands on to friends and give-aways, as some here will attest.

IMO and experience, the little Mom 'n Pop tire stores are the ww gold mines. Everyone hits the chains and big dealers, that's why they rarely have any. Just my 2 cents.

[Ghugly]

My son and I have one day a week that we dedicate to our hobby. We treat it like a business. I never go to a shop looking for, or expecting, anything for free. If the shop says that they have a guy who picks up the weights, I ask, politely, what they're being paid for them. Often, I can beat the price. More often, after hearing what we want them for, we're told that they would rather sell them to us, at the same price. It's been my experience that, If they have a choice (and some of the big chain stores don't), most of the shops would rather sell the weights to a local, for a hobby, than to a re-cycler.

They are businessmen. Selling is what they do. Your job is convincing them that they would rather sell to you, either because they like you more or because you'll pay more. I always carry a few of my handloads with me. You'd be surprised at the reaction that a nice, .44 Special hollow point gets (and I don't mean the ones that I'm carrying in my .44). Often, I think, that seals the deal. Now that I think about it, I guess if I showed them the ones that I'm carrying in my .44, that might seal the deal too (be kind of tough on repeat business tho).

[targetshootr]

Looking is for ww is half the fun. Smaller shops are the best bet. And your local range probably has ripe boolits laying all over the berm. I pick a pail every trip and in the last year I bet I've got 300 lbs waiting to be smelted.

[Willbird]

If all else fails, have your WIFE, sister, mom call and ask for you. That has gotten me a bucket or two here and there from even the chain stores that aren't supposed to do that ;-)

Bill

[Ghugly]

If all else fails, have your WIFE, sister, mom call and ask for you. That has gotten me a bucket or two here and there from even the chain stores that aren't supposed to do that ;-)

Bill

Nice! I haven't tried that one.

[Nueces]

Hey, this could be a great gig for last year's media hottie. We could start a reality show and have them compete to get WWs from shops all over the country. We, of course, would properly dispose of the metal. Dibs on the sunscreen job.

Mark

[Heavy lead]

Hi,
Newbie here, I recently have gotten all the equipment I need to start casting but I have one problem..I was able to mooch maybe 5 ILBs of WW from a friend but after calling about a dozen tire stores no luck. Most of the major brands (Sears, Belle Tire, Sam's club) say they don't sell the lead but send it out..the smaller outfits "have a guy who contracts or picks it up on a regular basis.."
I was thinking of maybe going to one of the smaller outfits in person and offering maybe 50$ a bucketful, try to bid up for it? Any other ideas?
Ebay maybe?

I don't know where you're at exactly up younder, but I'm downstate about 20 miles east of Lake Michigan on the I-94 correndor I stop by 3 different Belle Tire's locally and usually get a 5 gallon bucket for a box or two of dognuts. After you get to know them, beer works too. Even those store managers Belle hires are regular guys, give it a try.

[azrednek]

Go in person, bring your own buckets and a bathroom scale. Offer to pay cash per pound. If they say they have somebody picking them up, ask how much does he pay, up the offer and make certain they know you are paying cash.

The chain stores are usually contracted and it is a waste of time. I talked with the manager at Pep Boys. He told me their wheel weight supplier picks up their weights for recycling to new weights. What ever the price per pound they get, it is deducted from their order of new weights. If an employee sells the weights and pockets the money, not only will he be fired they will also prosecute for theft. I got a similar story from Sears and Discount Tire.

[copdills]

Good Luck in your Quest , Hard to find in my area too

[James C. Snodgrass]

I don't tell any of the places I get them from they are for bullets. I always say I'm making sinkers and it don't hurt to take the cute little girls or boys with you either and tell all and the sundry how much they love to fish, Also I do give sinkers to the boy scouts every now and then and point that out also. And if that doesn't do the trick I resort to $$ but am pretty cheap as rule.[smilie=1:

[stare-decisis]

I checked w/12-15 places over the phone. Stopped in person to 3 places so far (which I had called previous). I did find a little mom and pop type Auto repair where the guy was willing to deal. I scored about 100 LBS of WW for 50$. Cash too which I was fine w/.

This was right after I won an ebay bid for 65 LBS WWs for 50$ and change.

So its a start...

[472x1B/A]

In my area here I try to strike up deals with the local recyclers. Like trade junk metal for lead pipe, roof vent caps, battery cable ends, etc.. Some times my neighbor who works at a lumber store brings me some vent caps from roofing contractors. Nowadays you really have to sweet talk some of thoes tire shop owners out of the weights.

[Just Duke]

Unless you have a license and pay excise tax, bartering ammo you make for goods is illegal. You've got some liability exposure there too...

We're all adults, do what you want, but know the rules and risks.

Does this still apply if you load for a life long buddy?

[kingstrider]

I haven't had too much trouble obtaining free wheel weights but have begun to hear funny stories to accompany the occasional "no". My favorite is "I'm sorry but we reuse them". I asked if the guy was serious and he said that they cleaned them in solvent and reused them again. Its a small mom and pop type place so I guess they are trying to cut corners anywhere they can. I won't be using them for tires in the future however.

[imashooter2]

Does this still apply if you load for a life long buddy?

If you are bartering for goods it still applies.