WW Score

[ScottEslick]

Went to my local tire store 2 weeks ago and asked about ww he said yes we have some, they were closing so I said i would come back, went back got 2 5 gal buckets about 2/3 full, i asked how much he wanted, he said sort out what you want bring what you dont want back and we will talk about price... i sorted both buckets and got 95# of lead wws, gonna go back saturday, see how much and get more. [smilie=w:

[Winger Ed.]

Cool.

That's how it's done.
Get the word out that you're scrounging Lead, and it will come to ya.
Garage & estate sales sometimes have some big fishing sinkers if the people have moved in from the coast.
I've seen partial rolls of solder for cheap at them too.

[Sasquatch-1]

Don't forget to take a dozen doughnuts. I might get you a better price and consideration in the future.

[Soundguy]

Great score.

[Dusty Bannister]

I hope this works out for the OP. Sorting without a set selling price would make me nervous.

[Soundguy]

Same here... I would buy with a price up front.

[lightman]

It sounds like you may be on to a good contact. I'll 2nd taking some donuts back when you go. Hope it works out well for you.

[Rickf1985]

Scott, you were lucky! I just went to my store and I was given everything they had. The owner told me that the lead weights were few and far between anymore. She was right. I got roughly 500 lbs. total and after going through about 300 lbs. of it I have about 20 lbs. of lead, 100 lbs. of steel and the rest is all zinc. I will not be doing this anymore. Simply not worth the time and effort, even for someone who is retired!

[Rickf1985]

Final tally was equal split of zinc and lead at 48 lbs. each, about 30 lbs. of trash and plastic weights in the trash can and the rest was all steel. There was about 350 total to start with, I was off on my initial weight guess. So that leaves 224 lbs. of steel weights minus a couple dozen lug nuts that got tossed in there. I will give all the steel to a guy around the corner that runs a load of scrap every day. I will have to see if I want to keep doing this or not. The separation of the weights was not hard, I got into a system and it went pretty smooth and quick. I will see how well the zinc melts into ingots and decide from there. But if I start seeing any more steel I am done with it. Simply not enough value in scrap steel to justify my time and money for fuel to get the weights and then to run to the scrapyard.

[Winger Ed.]

Don't forget to take a dozen doughnuts. I might get you a better price and consideration in the future.

Years ago, my tire shop buddy traded me 6 five gallon buckets of old school Lead wheel weights for:
"Make me a 30 pound or heavier 'Lead head' sledge hammer my guys can break the bead with on earth moving machine tires".
Then gave me the steel handle from a worn out floor jack.
I welded it to a empty fire extinguisher shell filled with molten Lead.

I did that, and also brought a big bottle of Crown Royal for their Christmas party.
Afterwards, when ever I was in for tires, he'd toss in whatever weights were around the tire machines.
I'd ask him, "How much"?
He say, "Don't worry about it, you'll think of something".

[RogerDat]

May be that you aren't the only one that will show up asking. If however the guy that appreciates it with the thank you of some donuts or a pizza it can certainly help make you the guy they hold them for.

Like much of life treating others well can make a big difference. People may forget what you said or did, they seldom forget how you made them feel. It doesn't really take much to make someone feel appreciated.

[ioon44]

Went to my local tire store 2 weeks ago and asked about ww he said yes we have some, they were closing so I said i would come back, went back got 2 5 gal buckets about 2/3 full, i asked how much he wanted, he said sort out what you want bring what you dont want back and we will talk about price... i sorted both buckets and got 95# of lead wws, gonna go back saturday, see how much and get more. [smilie=w:

Welcome to the Forum. I would want an idea of the price before I went to all that work.

[ScottEslick]

Update....I went back today to pay and get some more..I gave back the bucket of steel and zine , he asked how much lead I got told him 95 lbs he said he usually gets .45 a pound..I handed him a $50 and ask if that was ok. Also got another bucket

I'm happy

[lightman]

That sounds like the start to a regular source! Congratulations!

[Rickf1985]

That sounds like about a 75% lead rate! That is pretty much unheard of in today's times. And you certainly can't beat the price. Stay with that place as long as you can. You must be in a state that has not outlawed lead weights yet. My haul was closer to 18%! 18% lead and 18% zinc and the rest steel and trash.

[ScottEslick]

I got my second bucket and got 81 lbs out of it

[oley55]

That sounds like about a 75% lead rate! That is pretty much unheard of in today's times.

that's a fact, my best ratio was/is 55% with 49-50% being the norm.