Nub question

[Krh1326]

I got into casting , only recently. I try to read as many posts and explanations as possible, or until my head hurts.

I read that a very popular alloy, especially for HP, is 50% WW + 50% pure lead. I do not have wheel weights, starting this late in the game, and the tire places near me don’t have anything even remotely lead, anymore.

I do have a large supply of lead, tin and antimony …. And I can create alloys following the percentages.

I haven’t seen this 50/50 on any of the alloy charts ( not confusing with 50/50 solder) that I’ve seen so far, or at least that I recognize as the 50/50 alloy.
Does the 50 WW + 50 lead have other names, that I might find on these alloy charts?
Or even easier… what is the lead/ tin/ antimony percentages of the 50/50 alloy?

Thank you for squashing my confusion, lol

[Minerat]

Try this link it will better explain alloying .

http://www.lasc.us

and here is a lead alloy calculator

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

Hope they help.

[Krh1326]

Thank you Minerat! I do use that chart, and I don’t see “ what I would recognize “ as 50% WW + 50 % lead. That’s why I ask if that alloy has a different name, listed on the left column. I do realize that it’s a calculator, but I don’t haz a computer, just this smart phone. I can’t figure out how to make it work on phone, so I just have to use the visable info.

I can just make a batch of WW equivalent, then add its own weight in lead….. was just trying to figure out what that finished alloy’s final percentages are.

[oley55]

if you have a smart phone you should be able to access this calculator: http://www.weatherby.dk/bhn.htm

select even amounts of clip-on and stick-on should be close enough. if you can't I got: 0.38% tin, 1.5% antimony, 98.13% lead equals 10.09 BHN

[Rickf1985]

If I remember correctly Wheel weights are roughly 1%SN, 3%SB and 96%lead. So you can use that in the calculator to make something up. Or you can do some more math after that to figure out what ratio you need of the tin, antimony and lead and just go from there using something like Lyman #2 or Hardball from Rotometals as your sweetener. Wheelweight mixes with pure usually come up short on tin and some tin needs to be added for good fill out.

[Bazoo]

95 lead
2.5 antimony
2.5 tin

Makes a very sweet casting alloy, similar to ww+Sn but without the bad. Saying characteristics associated with WWs. It’s a useful all around alloy for handguns. That’s where I’d start, if I had the resources to make it.

Welcome to casting and the forum too!

[Minerat]

According to my calculator WWs are
96.3% pb, 0.5% tin, 3.0% antimony and 0.25% arsenic.

So a 50/50 would be
98.1% pb, 0.25% tin, 1.5% antimony and 0.13% arsenic BH~10.1

A close mix. Has 1.0#-lino and 2.0#-#6 mag shot and 7.0#-pure lead
97.4% pb, 0.4% tin, 2.0% antimony and 0.25% arsenic. BH~10.6

2.5#hardball, 7.5# lead gets
98.0% pb, 0.5% tin, 1.5% antimony and 0% arsenic BH~10.1

:bigsmyl2:

[Krh1326]

That calculator works on my phone! Don’t laugh… this is a modern technological breakthrough for me. A real game changer!


You guys….. each and everyone of you… even those who stealthily answered by PM, absofreakinlutely rock.
Thank you for the education, and your patience.

I wish I could buy you all a frosty beer!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I got into casting , only recently. I try to read as many posts and explanations as possible, or until my head hurts.

I read that a very popular alloy, especially for HP, is 50% WW + 50% pure lead. I do not have wheel weights, starting this late in the game, and the tire places near me don’t have anything even remotely lead, anymore.

I do have a large supply of lead, tin and antimony …. And I can create alloys following the percentages.

I haven’t seen this 50/50 on any of the alloy charts ( not confusing with 50/50 solder) that I’ve seen so far, or at least that I recognize as the 50/50 alloy.
Does the 50 WW + 50 lead have other names, that I might find on these alloy charts?
Or even easier… what is the lead/ tin/ antimony percentages of the 50/50 alloy?

Thank you for squashing my confusion, lol

You've been given a bunch of good answers so far. Many of us use wheel weights because we could get them free or very cheap in the past, hence the recommendation you found. Really, the precise alloy mixture or hardness for non-HP cast boolits isn't that critical. Typically you want enough hardness so the Base doesn't get deformed as the boolit is launched...so that makes it load dependent (ie: Chamber Pressure).

BUT, to better answer your question, as you asked about HP (hollow points), that is really a hole nudder thang. Using a binary alloy (Lead-Tin), instead of a ternary alloy (Lead-Antimony-Tin) is likely a better avenue to go down, whether you have weight wheels or not. Any of the following binary alloys, 16:1, or 20:1, or 30:1 might work fine and is dependent on your caliber and loads...Testing them is really the best way to find out how to get the desired expansion.

[oley55]

That calculator works on my phone! Don’t laugh… this is a modern technological breakthrough for me. A real game changer!


You guys….. each and everyone of you… even those who stealthily answered by PM, absofreakinlutely rock.
Thank you for the education, and your patience.

I wish I could buy you all a frosty beer!

I just love feels good happy endings..LOL

[ShooterAZ]

Keep an eye on the Swap and Sell section. WW gets posted for sale fairly often, and the same goes for the lead Isotope containers. These are close to WW in composition, and make for some really clean casting lead.