How to tell the difference in materials

[DCB]

I have a bucket of wheel weight. A lot of different types.
What is the way to tell lead from zinc or other materials

[kevin c]

While labor intensive, nipping each with a side cutter is pretty reliable. It scores, it’s lead; it doesn’t, it’s not.

Some can separate by type or markings, but I’m not sure that’s as reliable.

[DxieLandMan]

Zinc are usually marked with a Zn on them somewhere

[Winger Ed.]

When melting, bring the temp up slowly, or don't let it get above the temp. where Lead melts.

Zinc melts at a noticeably higher temp. A couple hundred degrees higher or so.
Don't be bashful with stirring. Any stowaways you missed will float up to the top of the Lead.

You might want to keep the Zinc. As Lead gets harder and harder to find,
Zinc is in the future for casting.
There's youtube videos of guys that have already switched over to it.

[lightman]

I look at each one and make a test cut on the questionable ones. After a while you develop a sense and feel for them. The Zinc usually have a Z or Zn on them and the steel have Fe on them. All other letters deal with either the makers name or the type wheel they were made for. Congratulations on the score!

[ulav8r]

Spread them out and use a magnet to remove the iron weights first. That way you don't have as many to test. The magnet will pick up some of the smallest lead and zinc weights because of the steel clips, so you will need to check the small ones to be sure you don't throw away lead with the iron weights. Has been a while so I am not sure what size lead weights the magnet would pick up, but the were nearly an inch long.

[Dusty Bannister]

Here is the link to the sticky on sorting WW.

https://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?139839-Guide-to-Hand-Sorting-Wheel-Weights

[MrWolf]

I use the snips. After awhile you can almost tell every time. Even checking what I think are every one, I still would end up with one or two that got by me. Watching your temp catches those.

[JeepsAndGuns]

I just sorted some for the first time a couple days ago. It was really simple, like mentioned above.
I just used a large pair of wire cutters. I just pinched them at the ends and if you can dent them with the cutters, they are lead. The steel/zinc ones, I could not dent with the wire cutters.

[Winger Ed.]

After you've done a few, you might be able to sort a little faster by feeling the weight of one.

Zinc is something like 60% as heavy as the same size piece of Lead.

[oley55]

Identifying steel/Fe weights are easy. With some practice you can usually identify the zinc, but there are some which have the look of zink but the hand pruning nips said otherwise. So I nip everything except the steel.

I'm sure ratios are different by local and type of tire store/source, but my metal types average out to:
steel 39%
zinc 8%
co lead 45%
so lead 8%

percentages are by weight so in reality the percent by volume works out to much more "other than" lead, if that makes sense. Just an FYI for what to expect.

[DCB]

Wow thanks, I give ita go. Seems the pliers are the go to method. there are quite a few that are flat
thanks again

[oley55]

Wow thanks, I give ita go. Seems the pliers are the go to method. there are quite a few that are flat
thanks again

I would NOT think plyers will work for you. Some of those lead weights are much harder than most. You need a sharp edged tool. Hand pruning nips (like grandma uses for pruning roses n such) work pretty good and they are spring loaded and have comfortable grips. Though I can still generate a blister when doing a big batch. I probably should be wearing gloves. They are nasty dirty.

[Dave W.]

Drop them on the floor, one at a time, the lead has a dull sound, while zinc will ring. After sorting some, you will start to identify the different ones visually. Cutting them works, but it is slow and hard on the hands. Enjoy the journey.

[MrWolf]

Drop them on the floor, one at a time, the lead has a dull sound, while zinc will ring. After sorting some, you will start to identify the different ones visually. Cutting them works, but it is slow and hard on the hands. Enjoy the journey.

Hehe you must be young and still able to get up and down :groner:

[lightman]

I would NOT think plyers will work for you. Some of those lead weights are much harder than most. You need a sharp edged tool. Hand pruning nips (like grandma uses for pruning roses n such) work pretty good and they are spring loaded and have comfortable grips. Though I can still generate a blister when doing a big batch. I probably should be wearing gloves. They are nasty dirty.

I use a pair of cutters that electricians call dykes. I keep a dedicated pair at my sorting area. My hearing isn't good enough to do the drop thing.

[bangerjim]

Yes dykes..............not standard old slip-jaw Pliers! The dykes (diagonal wire cutters) are standard electrician tools and can be had at any big box lumber yard. I have at least 8 pair scattered around. I could not survive without them......and that is NOT cutting WW's!

I quit messing with COWW's over 3 years ago when 85% of them turned to zinkers!

[Kylongrifle32]

I sit down on a 5 gallon bucket turned upside down. Then stack two concrete blocks. Both should be sideways on top of each other. The finished side up. Pour your weights out on the ground and rub the like a piece of caulk across the block. The lead ones will drag along and wear down the end. The zinc and other materials will just skate across the block. With a little practice it goes fairly quick.

[DCB]

Thanks for the ideas tomorrow is the sortin day thanka again

[lightman]

Thanks for the ideas tomorrow is the sortin day thanka again

Good Luck! Hope a high % of them are lead!

[zarrinvz24]

Another way is by the sound they make when dropped on a concrete floor. Ring = zinc. Dull thud = Lead. If your not sure don't worry just keep going, you will figure it out soon enough.

[Rickf1985]

I have had a few recently which are interesting. You can cut them with side cutters like lead but they crumble or snap when you do. The effort to do that is the same as lead. Thinking this was just hard alloy lead I tossed them in the pot but I always keep my melt at or below 700 degrees since zinc melts at 750 plus. Well, those questionable ones floated and were just thinking about melting at 700 so out they came. I don't know what they are but from now on when I hit them they go in the zinc bucket and will be used for zinc ingots.

[DCB]

I am set to go through the bucket of wheel weights. Im going to try three or four methods to start.
Use a magnet to check for steel, drop test and I have my lead pot to check for melt.
lead should melt around 630* zinc around 750*
Il use a pair side cutters as well.
Ill let you know how I did.

[oley55]

I'm late on this suggestion since you are already into it and have received plenty of suggestions here, but a YouTube search for "sorting wheel weights" will generate some really good/useful videos.

[DCB]

Thanks 55 ill check them out

[Rickf1985]

Wheel weights will melt quite a bit below 630, they will pretty much all be melted by 600. I will watch the pot and as soon as I can start scooping clips out I do. I don't wait for it to get up to 650, if it is liquid I am scooping and getting clips and anything else that is not melted out. You may pull out some stick on's that are pure lead and they will melt at a higher temp but you will see what they are and you can put them back but I always play it safe and I have yet to melt a zinc.