Metal testing

[webwil]

My son works in a salvage yard and brought me several Chrysler steering wheel counterbalance weights for casting boolits. I'm not sure what they are made out of. Anyone out there run across these and know what they are made of? Any assistance would be appreciated.

[Dusty Bannister]

Until you get a Chrysler mechanic to reply, you might put a piece of known lead and a piece of this counter balance weight on a piece of steel and heat it over a turkey fryer. If the lead melts and runs off the plate, you know it is not pure lead or lead with tin because it would have a same or lower melting point.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

webwil,
Welcome to the forum.
congratulations on your first post.

Years ago, I bought 3 buckets (5 gal size) of battery terminals from the auto salvage yard. There were a couple strange looking lead blocks in there, someone told me they were likely weights used in a steering system. They weren't marked by manufacturer. They passed my 'drop test' for soft lead. Thud. No ringing. While ingotizing them, I blended them with stick-on wheel weights, which are known to be near pure.
Good Luck.

[webwil]

Thanks for the reply JonB_in_Glencoe. I also came across several downrigger weights, do you know if they are a lead blend? They weight about 10 pounds apiece.

[webwil]

Thanks for the reply Dusty Bannister. I did something similar to your suggestion. I use a number 12 dutchoven to process wheel weights and I put two of those balance weights in the pot they melted almost immediately, I hope I did not ruin 30 pounds of melted wheel weights.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Thanks for the reply JonB_in_Glencoe. I also came across several downrigger weights, do you know if they are a lead blend? They weight about 10 pounds apiece.

downrigger weights could be anything...even Zinc.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Thanks for the reply Dusty Bannister. I did something similar to your suggestion. I use a number 12 dutchoven to process wheel weights and I put two of those balance weights in the pot they melted almost immediately, I hope I did not ruin 30 pounds of melted wheel weights.

When playing with unknown alloys, it's really best to have a thermometer. While COWW will melt at 550, your melter could get the alloy much hotter. IF the balance weights are pure lead...and IF your molten COWW alloy was well above 621, then those balance weights would melt lickity split.

[Dusty Bannister]

If the WW metal was already molten and fluid, you did not really find out anything. Without knowing the temp of the melt, if it is very hot, you will have zinc melt quickly. This is usually followed with a mushy/oat meal type of scum floating on the surface. Then things become more interesting. We tend to make suggestions and recommendations for good reason. In this case to prevent contamination of your melt.

[BNE]

And then there is that guy on this forum that does XrF testing... I think it was BNE. Shoot him a PM.