I need pure soft lead for casting

[nvreloader]

Hi Guys,

I know you'll think, I am nuts, for asking this question, but here is is anyhow,
And I have been reading thru this section, on pg 40 now, and have not found the answers yet, [smilie=b:

I have about 200+ #'s of lead, 95%+ is coww's, and various odds/ends etc.

I need to know best/easiest way to make pure lead from the WW's,
as I am about to start casting pellets, using this mold, http://noebulletmolds.com/NV/product_info.php?cPath=24_573&products_id=5431,
for my 22 cal PCP air rifles etc.

I have casts lots CF R/P bullets for yrs, 22 cal thru 45 cal, (it's been 20+ yrs) since the last time,
using a small pot on a 2 burner stove converted to propane, which is the shop some where, LoL.
I also have a very OLD electric Lee pot, not sure the weight, 10#?.

If IRR, when I made pure lead for the zink based washer Protect-a-bore? bullets,
for my 357/44's, I got the lead hot as possible,
and kept skimming (without fluxing) of until I got the Blue/yellows colors showing on top?
It's been long time, from the early 60's doing this, so I may be wrong........Lol.

I also have a complete shop with lathe and mill, metal power saw, welder etc.

I was just given a small propane cylinder that is about 8+" diameter x 12"+ tall,
was thinking of making a melting pot, from it etc.

Your thoughts or suggestions...on making pure lead from ww?

It would be greatly appreciated.

Tia,
Don

[retread]

I have more pure lead than I need. Seems like a swap would be easier. PM me if interested.

[rancher1913]

you can make soft lead harder by adding stuff but the only way to make hard lead soft is to dilute it with a gob of soft so your better off trading for soft and forgetting the alchemy.

[Edward]

Buy soft from members here, ,at a buck a LB + shipping that"s a lot of pellets (60 LBS in a flat rate box) Ed

[lightman]

Once lead is alloyed its almost impossible to separate the alloy back out of it. Like the others I suggest buying or trading for some soft lead.

[GhostHawk]

Look for Stick on wheel weights not clip on, also roof flashing, lead pipe, x-ray lead. All tends to be very close to pure and soft.

I would trade a bunch of your COWW for soft.

[Neverhome]

If I read the original post correctly, it appears you want to oxidize off any alloying metals from your coww. While this does happen over time it might be a bit impractical to actively do it.
Regarding casting pellets with pure lead, I cast airgun bullets with as close to pure as possible but I'm not anal about it as long as they are consistent from batch to batch. 100% pure isn't really necessary though. I've run bullets through my Condor with a BHN all the way up to 12. The only issue was more difficulty loading. Now with pellets the aim would be obturation of the skirt. Crosman pellets are HARD and work excellently in many many guns. Though I haven't tested them I'd bet they are 8-9 BHN.
You might actually have a better time casting those thin skirts with a 40-1 or so mix and they'll still be soft enough for the skirts to obturate.

All that being said, that coww might be better off traded or diluted.

[Mitch]

I would just go find some pure lead.The local scrap yards and recycleing center might be a good place to start.i am sure someone will have some sheet.sheathing or pipe that should be pure or close enough for your use.Most of the lead I find here is pure or realy close. I tell every one I know I buy lead solder and pewter.while a person you know may not come up with the mother of all loads of lead,You might be surprised what comes your way.and as sais above swaping some of yoru ww lead for pure here ia also a good idea.

[RogerDat]

Yeah swap a SFRB (Small Flat Rate Box) worth of COWW lead for Soft plain lead postage will be around $7.65 with both paying their own shipping and a full SFRB is over 20 lbs. MFRB (Medium Flat Rate Box) runs around $13 and change shipping. Holds around 60# of lead. Post office won't take at 70 pounds so you have to stay under that. Depends on your needs as to which is the right amount for a swap. Could have your lead in a couple of days doing a trade.

Only a couple sources I know of for "pure" soft lead. Xray wall and equipment shielding because the standards for how thick the lead has to be for the amount of radiation are based on almost pure lead. Or foundry purchase (see Rotometals link with site sponsors top of page) There are a lot of "plain" lead sources. It was used in water pipes, roof boots around the vent stacks, stick on WW's, sheet lead that is soft. Water pipes may have soldered joints to cut out to keep the lead as free of alloy as possible. Rotometals also sells the 40:1 lead tin mix.

Me I would do some swapping. Nice to have some plain lead on hand to cut COWW's with for hollow points, or hollow base wad cutters, muzzle loaders and of course air guns. Might even come in handy for mild loads to get a good bore seal from obturation without the power load behind the bullet. Yep can be handy.

[BNE]

Look for Stick on wheel weights not clip on, also roof flashing, lead pipe, x-ray lead. All tends to be very close to pure and soft.


Exactly. It is very difficult and impractical for us to separate the mementos at home.

[NyFirefighter357]

Plumbers lead https://i.imgur.com/YAnT3Pf.jpg

[RogerDat]

oops I did forget plumbers lead ingots in the above picture as one of the few good sources of pure. Does show up in scrap yards from time to time. I see the round and 6 sided ones on the left in that picture more than the small squares. Find it in spurts. An old plumbers stash gets sold to scrap yard and there will be a pile of whatever they used in the bin. Then none of it for awhile until the next batch. Surprised I forgot that source I just found and bought 25# of them.

True to stamped weight scuba diving weights are probably pure lead. The 1# mold is sized to hold 1# of pure lead, the 2# is sized for 2# of pure. Can be sort of a hassle because a lot of scuba weights are home cast in a garage using whatever for lead but an alloy such as WW's will weigh a little less than the pure weight the mold was built to cast.

[NyFirefighter357]

That's where I got those along with NOS lead waste lines, drum traps, 50/50 solder & toilet lead bends. It was about 1,200lbs total plumbers stash headed to the scrap yard. Check Craigs list as well.
https://i.imgur.com/tINyD0z.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/qLQ2yZX.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/tINyD0z.jpg
https://i.imgur.com/ULnhwZY.jpg

[nvreloader]

Thanks Guys

Questions for you, that want to trade, WW for pure soft lead.......

On COWW,
Do I need to cut off the steel clips, I have both car and 18 wheeler weights,
I would need to use the bolt cutter for them, as they are very large in size etc.

I only have a bathroom scale, small Dr's beam arm type, for weighing etc, would that be accurate enough for trading?.

What would be the best way to ship the WW's, in a FR box, put the WW's in a plastic bag and securely wrapped with tape etc,
as to make sure the contents don't bust open etc, as the Pony Express rides by here and throws it off,
from the results I have received lately, they look like they have been ridden hard and put away wet? LOL

As for finding good soft pure lead around here, lots of luck, the only source I have is the local tire shop, which will give it to me,
they had a 5 gal bucket full, and they told me if, I could pick it up and carry it to the truck, it was mine, it is now mine....
after I cut washer of my south end, so I could set down, that was before both hands/wrist went sour,
so I now, I have to use lighter/smaller weights.

As for finding a scrap yard dealer, it's 50 to 100 mile drive, one way, to any source, that I know of,
so every WW found is finders keepers, and the local dump guys also save some for me, when available,
I have 2+ 20mm cans full of ww's, plus other lead of unknown types, I'll have to sort thru it all, to get the best, for trading.

Your thoughts or suggestions......

Tia,
Don

[jdfoxinc]

Go to the Florida pan handle. Lots of sail boat wrecks. Lead keels.

[NyFirefighter357]

You need to sort the lead ww from the zinc (Zn) & steel (Fe) ww. If your not sure use a pair of cutting pliers/dikes to test if you can cut through them easily you have lead. I would think you could just add 5%-10% more for clean lead ingots as opposed to raw COWW. You leave the clips on they float when the lead melts. I use a beam type bathroom scale & it's dead on. Up to 70lb ships USPS Med flat rate is under $14 but you need to reinforce the box. I start by cutting another box & adding another full sized cardboard bottom. The small flat rate boxes fit inside on edge, fill them & seal them with the address and pack into the MFRB. I strengthen the corners on the inside with cardboard as well. The key is also taping all seams & corners. I also tape the bottom seam inside & out. Heavy boxes get abused by the postal workers as no one wants to carry or deliver them. It may take longer than the normal 2 day priority mail.

[nvreloader]

NyFF357

Thank you for the info.

Question,
What does one of those ingots weigh, (from the photo's), have never seen or held one before, 10 Lb's, are the big truck WW usable also?

I'll sort out the lead and see just how much is usable, and will post the info etc.

This new casting setup is turning into a project all by itself, then add the lead sorting, what have I got myself into? LOL

Thank you,
Don

[NyFirefighter357]

For the most part plumbers lead comes in 5lb ingots for a total of 25lbs, either 4 ingots together with an attached 5lb handle or 5 ingots attached. None of mine have handles. If the truck weights are lead which they should be, yes but the cutting pliers will tell for sure.

[nvbirdman]

Hey, where in Nv are you? I'm in Fallon and could swap a few lbs. of pure for ww.

[nvreloader]

NvBirdman

I am 55 miles North of you, a wide spot on the road, called Lovelock,
where a husband and wife get divorced, they still are bother and sister,
or you Cadillac in and Hitchhike out. LOL

Tia,
Don

[nvreloader]

Nyff357

Thanks for the info,
back to the sorting.........

We had freezing temps last night, froze the water tank troughs, first time this yr,
good bye, fly's and mosquitoes and the lead is Cooooolld. LOL

Tia,
Don