wheel weight sorting dilemma

[HVACscott]

just shorted 3..5gal buckets and only got 1/2 bucket of lead (lots of iron stickies, and valve stems) but got a lot of weights with MC on them they seam heavy, soft to cut with side cutters, but sound funny when dropped. can anyone tell me what the MC is and do i want to use them? also had lots with MC ZN lighter than the MC and sound tingy when dropped, figured they had lots of zinc and are trash.

any help would be greatly appreciated!!

[Winger Ed.]

MC is the clamp style of the weight, and refers to what kind of rim it will fit.

Do a web search for 'guide to wheel weights on Cast Boolits'.
It'll take you straight to a old thread here in this section that has more info. on wheel weights than you probably want to know.

[Bazoo]

If you can cut the weight with dikes, there is no doubt as to it being lead. I cut pert near ever weight I melt.

[poppy42]

+1 what Bazoo said

[Omega]

If you can cut the weight with dikes, there is no doubt as to it being lead. I cut pert near ever weight I melt.

Maybe not, there were some stick-ons in my last bucket that were soft, but were kind of grainy, as if there was something else mixed in with what may have been lead. I decided not to chance it, luckily there wasn't a lot in there.

[lightman]

just shorted 3..5gal buckets and only got 1/2 bucket of lead (lots of iron stickies, and valve stems) but got a lot of weights with MC on them they seam heavy, soft to cut with side cutters, but sound funny when dropped. can anyone tell me what the MC is and do i want to use them? also had lots with MC ZN lighter than the MC and sound tingy when dropped, figured they had lots of zinc and are trash.

any help would be greatly appreciated!!

ZN and FE are about the only letters that you have to worry about. Any other letters are either the manufacture or the type of wheel that they are made for. And you don't have to worry about the ones with FE too much because they are steel and won't melt at the temps that casters use.

Like Ed says, there are a few good stickies on sorting weights and the XFR test that BNE posted are very useful. Well worth the time to read.

[Bazoo]

Maybe not, there were some stick-ons in my last bucket that were soft, but were kind of grainy, as if there was something else mixed in with what may have been lead. I decided not to chance it, luckily there wasn't a lot in there.
Oh yeah, I've run across some that were like spongy. I didn't melt them either.

[HVACscott]

i read lots before starting to sort but the MC seamed unusual and wanted to ask.

[dbosman]

I'd be cautious with the odd ones. I once did half a bucket of weights that cut, but not as easily as pure lead. The melt started at too low a temperature (I don't remember what it was) but was nice shiny liquid at 700 degrees F. Bullets came out over weight and over size. I keep those ingots separate and use them for holding down tarps and such.

[remy3424]

Oh yeah, I've run across some that were like spongy. I didn't melt them either.

I thought those seem to be some sort of composite or plastic...heavy for what they are, sure don't seem to be a metal. With the trash is where I store those.

[1Papalote]

Valve stems eh? Run a wire thru them, bend it to hold them and burn the rubber off. Put them in a bucket with other brass scrap. $1.40/#

[remy3424]

Threw a pile of valve stems in the melt ONCE, the stink and smoke was about what you get burning a tire....won't do that in town again....maybe not anywhere again. They went with junk cases and bullet jackets to the scrap yard.

[1Papalote]

We burn trash and have a fire going weekly. Easy to burn them that way.

[Conditor22]

I only worry about the ZN (zinc) I'l pull Fe (steel) IF I see them but don't waste much time on them because they won't melt and just float to the top (Just a little more skimming )

I'll take all the "MC's", even pay shipping :bigsmyl2::bigsmyl2:

[farmbif]

someone did a thread back a few years I think that is truly outstanding with all types of wheel weights photographed clearly and identified. im not sure how to find it but its here somewhere.
plastic covered ones will pinch with a pair of dikes, those I throw out, but any and all other that dent easily with pair of dikes go in the melting pot.