Why are my balls chrome?

[Stopsign32v]

Well I'm throwing together some 36 cal round balls out of pure lead and was expecting them to come out dark gray like the ones you see at Cabelas but mine came out looking like chrome ball bearings. What caused this and is this normal?

Edit: I can post pics if you guys want to see my balls. But they are just shiny round balls.

[Winger Ed.]

Its new fresh cast.

Give them awhile and they'll oxidize some and turn gray if they aren't alloyed to highly.
Any added tin will turn gray too, just slower.

[rancher1913]

the store ones probably have graphite on them to prevent oxidation.

[44Blam]

Should gone with the title:
"Why are my balls shiny?"

[flyingmonkey35]

most store bought ones have a wax graphite coating. to prevent oxidation.


but you should really seek professional medical advice for shiny balls.

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[Three44s]

The temperature of your lead will make your balls either shinny or frosty. If the molten lead is poured hot that leads to frosty ones.

Three44s

[Petander]

Do they look like these seven years old bullets I just found?

Some of my 10+ year old bullets are still chrome looking because of high tin content. This is 50/50 WW/Mono -mix.

245629

[6bg6ga]

I prefer brass ones myself.:shock:

[Stopsign32v]

Do they look like these seven years old bullets I just found?


No, they literally look as shiny as little ball bearings.

[WRideout]

Same thing happened to me. I cast some .490 round balls out of what I thought was pure lead. A year later, they still looked chrome plated. Is that a normal appearance when casting pure Pb? I had assumed that it wasn't pure, but some alloy with tin in it.

Wayne

[Stopsign32v]

Same thing happened to me. I cast some .490 round balls out of what I thought was pure lead. A year later, they still looked chrome plated. Is that a normal appearance when casting pure Pb? I had assumed that it wasn't pure, but some alloy with tin in it.

Wayne

This is pretty much it, this morning they are just as shiny as last night.

Wayne I'd like to compare your balls to my balls.

[mdi]

As explained above, commercial lead balls are coated with some material to keep them corrosion free. If your balls are shiny after a while good, if they are dark gray, good, if they are covered with white fuzz/powder, bad (and see your Doctor :shock:)...

[dondiego]

This is pretty much it, this morning they are just as shiny as last night.

Wayne I'd like to compare your balls to my balls.

Size matters too!

[Conditor22]

The store-bought balls I've seen appear to have been tumbled/rolled by something.

[Stopsign32v]

Size matters too!

How? Regardless how big they are, once you push them into the hole a layer of your balls get scraped off anyways.

[Stopsign32v]

At least it seems I have normal balls. That is a relief

[9.3X62AL]

You heathens are having far too much fun with this thread. You must put a halt to this heresy, and resume the usual quiet and reserved ambiance this site is known for.

There--that's better. :-)

I cast pure-lead RBs and bullets on occasion, and they fall from the moulds nice and shiny like Linotype castings do. Like me, over time they become gray and dull-looking. And like me--they shoot fine in either condition.

[7br]

Have you tried hanging them off of your truck?

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[robg]

At least you didn't make a balls up.

[Traffer]

I prefer brass ones myself.:shock:

I was going to say " You have chrome balls because you are an exceptionally hard man".:drinks:

[mdi]

While I've not researched much (I haven't used many balls since '70), I have noticed mention of some manufacturer's "swaged" balls. The only balls I have used was from a mold I got for Wrist Rocket ammo, but the balls dropped at .432" so I shot some in my 44 Magnums...

[Mica_Hiebert]

Pure lead cast very shiny, and will usualy dull over time but usualy not dark like the store bought ones come. They are dark from some form of additive most likely to creat a consistent apearance for all the balls in the package or resulting from a secondary process such as tumbling them to remove any sprue marks in the balls.

[OldBearHair]

Well I would smash some balls, at least two or three and should they just flatten out with no cracks or shatter into pieces, then just load and shoot. . Be Happy Go Lucky with your "Chrome" Balls.

[Golfswithwolves]

I have cast some bullets recently from foundry lead/tin, and these came out as shiny as chrome. I don't know why for sure but suspect that there may be fewer impurities in this alloy.

[Texas by God]

If you kick me in the balls I cough up dust.

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[RED BEAR]

How lucky mine are only brass.

[megasupermagnum]

Pure lead cast very shiny, and will usualy dull over time but usualy not dark like the store bought ones come. They are dark from some form of additive most likely to creat a consistent apearance for all the balls in the package or resulting from a secondary process such as tumbling them to remove any sprue marks in the balls.

Any store bought round balls I've seen have been pure lead swaged. The only thing they do to them is tumble them in graphite. Both tumbling and graphite give them a dark appearance, and further oxidation makes them more dull.

[Beerd]

Any store bought round balls I've seen have been pure lead swaged. The only thing they do to them is tumble them in graphite. Both tumbling and graphite give them a dark appearance, and further oxidation makes them more dull.
what he said ^^^

Store bought from Hornady or Speer are this way.
Track Of The Wolf, and others, sell lots of in-between sizes that are cast lead and show a sprue.
New cast and shiny is nothing to worry about.
..

[OldBearHair]

Also just give them some Hi-tek coating and you don't get lead residue on your hands. I have even Hi-tek coated with Old Gold of course some .177 pellets, and a 16 inch pigsticker knife home made of course. Joe tells me that it probably would not keep the knife from rusting, but it hasn't yet........