Is Linotype always 4% tin, 12% antimony and 84% lead?

[cajuntec]

I've got plenty of "pure" lead - as close to it as I'll probably get. I just purchased 10 lbs of "Linotype lead... made from large and small numbers". I'm going to test it with the pencils (first time doing that as well), but just wanted to see ahead of time:

If Linotype letters are melted down and nothing else added, is the 4 / 12 / 84 percentages usually the same most of the time (or close to it)?

Please forgive me if this was asked before. I did a couple of searches. Found out typing "Linotype" and variations of it will give me hundreds of posts to review. Still a newbie.

All the best,
Glenn

[Dusty Bannister]

Linotype in the original form is supposed to be 4/12/84.
Small or large individual numbers or letters are not linotype.
Melted down scrap linotype (lines of type) may include spacers that can be of softer alloy so will not be 4/12/84.

More information can be found on the LASC web site which has a banner display at the bottom of most pages of this forum.

[cajuntec]

Linotype in the original form is supposed to be 4/12/84.
Small or large individual numbers or letters are not linotype.
Melted down scrap linotype (lines of type) may include spacers that can be of softer alloy so will not be 4/12/84.

More information can be found on the LASC web site which has a banner display at the bottom of most pages of this forum.

My first post, and already I'm confused. My apologies. I checked the LASC website a few times. I'm just not seeing the info.

What exactly do you mean by "Small or large individual numbers or letters are not linotype"? If they aren't, then what are they made of?

The picture below is what I purchased. I was hoping to mix this 1 to 1 with my pure lead to make "hardball alloy" for casting bullets - I read that description on Rotometals under their Linotype. Was hoping this was the same / similar as what Rotometals was selling.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Greatly appreciated. Thinking I should have just bought actual Hardball alloy or the Linotype from Midway or Rotometals to start. This was the same price for twice as much... Maybe not such a good deal after all. Worse comes to worse... I can always use it to pour fishing lures!

All the best,
Glenn

[243winxb]

I bought linotype ingots , years ago from a closed print shop. It had been used. The repeated use of the type depletes a small percent of the tin.
The flux the guy gave me was in a tin jacket. A hacksaw was used to cut off a piece. Flux & add tin at the same time.

Don't over think it. Many different alloys work well.

Flux-

[Chill Wills]

Your doing Okay and as said, don't worry and then over think this. I don't know what you will be casting and loading for but often a real good casting and shooting mix can be made with small amounts of the lino, .... or mono-type or foundry type added to pure lead works fine.
Or, mixed with range scrap if you get your hands on some of that.

A little goes a long way and you have good metal to work with.
Keep asking questions - cast a little and see how it goes, and in no time this will be easy.

Welcome the forum!

[cajuntec]

Thanks everyone. I appreciate the kind responses. I've poured fishing lures (lead jigs and spinnerbaits) for years. Always been interested in making my own bullets, but at the cost I was finding pre-made and powder-coated for a while, it just didn't seem necessary. That's starting to change now.

I'm getting into pouring my own lead slugs (and will powder coat them) for 20 gauge, as well as buckshot in several different sizes. I will eventually be pouring bullets - mostly for .38 Special, .357 Mag and Max, .44 Special and Magnum, and .45 Colt. Might do 9mm later on as well.

All the best,
Glenn

[ulav8r]

Linotype in the original form is supposed to be 4/12/84.
Small or large individual numbers or letters are MONOTYPE.
Melted down scrap linotype (lines of type) may include spacers that can be of softer alloy so will not be 4/12/84.

More information can be found on the LASC web site which has a banner display at the bottom of most pages of this forum.

Made a slight correction.

[NyFirefighter357]

My first post, and already I'm confused. My apologies. I checked the LASC website a few times. I'm just not seeing the info.

What exactly do you mean by "Small or large individual numbers or letters are not linotype"? If they aren't, then what are they made of?

The picture below is what I purchased. I was hoping to mix this 1 to 1 with my pure lead to make "hardball alloy" for casting bullets - I read that description on Rotometals under their Linotype. Was hoping this was the same / similar as what Rotometals was selling.

Thanks for any guidance you can provide. Greatly appreciated. Thinking I should have just bought actual Hardball alloy or the Linotype from Midway or Rotometals to start. This was the same price for twice as much... Maybe not such a good deal after all. Worse comes to worse... I can always use it to pour fishing lures!

All the best,
Glenn

The quick answer

Individual blocks of letters, numbers or images are Monotype
- 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead

Lines of words, short sentences or blank lines are Linotype
- 4% tin, 12% antimony, 84% lead

www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

[JimB..]

There is an alloy calculator around here somewhere, maybe a sticky. It has roughly correct data for many common alloys and allows you to input weights of each to get to the blend you want. The math isn’t complicated, but it’s convenient to have it in an excel file.

[cajuntec]

Made a slight correction.

Ahhh! That makes sense. Thank you!


The quick answer

Individual blocks of letters, numbers or images are Monotype
- 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead

Lines of words, short sentences or blank lines are Linotype
- 4% tin, 12% antimony, 84% lead

www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

Now I'm getting it. Sorry if I'm a little slow on digesting all this. But now that I have multiple people explaining it in slightly different ways, it's making much more sense. Thank you very much!

All the best,
Glenn

[cajuntec]

There is an alloy calculator around here somewhere, maybe a sticky. It has roughly correct data for many common alloys and allows you to input weights of each to get to the blend you want. The math isn’t complicated, but it’s convenient to have it in an excel file.


I'll look for it. Thank you.
All the best,
Glenn

[Minerat]

This might help you find the calculator.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

[earlmck]

It looks like you have some very fine material there, probably monotype rather than linotype. Since you have nearly pure lead to work with, if you'll cast your favorite boolit with the pure lead, and then cast the same boolit using the new metal, there is enough difference in composition between linotype and monotype to tell them apart by weighing the resulting boolit. Linotype should be about 94% the weight of the pure lead boolit, but monotype would produce one about 89% the weight of the pure lead one. And if your stuff happens to be foundry metal (which can also be in individual letters) it'll come in about 85% of your lead boolit. The tin and antimony are both considerably lighter than lead so the more of them on the mix the lighter the resulting boolit.

[m37]

""Individual blocks of letters, numbers or images are Monotype
- 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead"""

that's what the internet says but there are 5 grades from 7-15 to 12-24 by my asm metals handbook
matweb says 7 http://www.matweb.com/search/QuickText.aspx?SearchText=Monotype this has the % of alloys

foundry type will usually have a "plowed" groove in the foot
https://www.circuitousroot.com/artifice/letters/press/noncomptype/identifying-metal-type/naming/index.html


mike

[Conditor22]

https://i.imgur.com/mu2v5oO.png

[cajuntec]

This might help you find the calculator.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?105952-Lead-alloy-calculators

Thank you!


It looks like you have some very fine material there, probably monotype rather than linotype. Since you have nearly pure lead to work with, if you'll cast your favorite boolit with the pure lead, and then cast the same boolit using the new metal, there is enough difference in composition between linotype and monotype to tell them apart by weighing the resulting boolit. Linotype should be about 94% the weight of the pure lead boolit, but monotype would produce one about 89% the weight of the pure lead one. And if your stuff happens to be foundry metal (which can also be in individual letters) it'll come in about 85% of your lead boolit. The tin and antimony are both considerably lighter than lead so the more of them on the mix the lighter the resulting boolit.

I like that description a lot. Might try that this weekend. I appreciate the information!


""Individual blocks of letters, numbers or images are Monotype
- 9% tin, 19% antimony, 72% lead"""

that's what the internet says but there are 5 grades from 7-15 to 12-24 by my asm metals handbook
matweb says 7 http://www.matweb.com/search/QuickText.aspx?SearchText=Monotype this has the % of alloys

foundry type will usually have a "plowed" groove in the foot
https://www.circuitousroot.com/artifice/letters/press/noncomptype/identifying-metal-type/naming/index.html
mike

Thanks.

All the best,
Glenn

[bangerjim]

As said, reused lino (that is LINES_O_TYPE, not individual letters) will deplete in Sn. Old printers used to refresh their lino melts, but rarely controlled the % exactly. The only time you can know exactly what the alloy actually is made of is if you are melting original lino pigs from the foundry.

I have several hundred pounds of lino I use but also have a hundred pounds or so of pure Sn I used to adjust the mix until I get the exact pour qualities I am looking for. Sn lowers the surface tension of your mix and allows better details, edges, and grooves in your boolits. That's why we use it. Sb is for hardness.

[cajuntec]

Thanks again for all the assistance here.

All the best,
Glenn

[bangerjim]

You do NOT need hardball for a 9mm or a 45. I use 9-12 hardness and then PC everything. Today "fit is king" not hardness as in the olden golden daze. PC allows you to shoot softer lead with ZERO leading worries. And no greasy messes. Use the hardball and "lino" to sweeten your pure lead to what you want, as per the free alloy calculator found on here.

Good luck.............and do not get lost in the weeds in the details.

bangerjim :guntootsmiley:

[MaLar]

What you might have is foundry type. It comes as individual numbers and letters of different sizes.

286290286289

You can make very good alloys from this.

[Hahndorf1874]

Have been using what I call depleted Lino for years,letters spacers etc, Lee tester indicates 19 Brinnel. Casts perfectly and shoot pretty good. Mal.

[dale2242]

Check this web site for info on mixing alloys, casting, and other cast bullet articles.


http://www.lasc.us/