Zinc wheel weights are a problem

[bpost1958]

Zinc is overtaking lead alloys for wheel weights. I have many bucket full of wheel weights and am looking for a fool proof way to sort the zinc weights from the desired lead ones. Does anybody know of a good way to tell for sure if the weight is zinc?

[William Yanda]

One at a time, test with wire cutters, the difference is obvious. Tedious, but sure, and makes you appreciate larger weights.

[Budzilla 19]

Do a quick sort, most zinc wheel weights are marked “Zn”, put any suspect weights to the side and test them,but like was previously posted, wire nippers are the only sure fire way to tell.

Good luck.

[MrWolf]

One at a time, test with wire cutters, the difference is obvious. Tedious, but sure, and makes you appreciate larger weights.

This. You will figure out fairly fast which are which from sight and feel. I have smelted over 2,000 lbs that way. Have fun.

[bpost1958]

Thanks to you all. I will sort by the Zn stamp and suspect ones will get the nipper test.

[Recycled bullet]

I bite every single weight with diagonal cutters

[roysha]

I bite every single weight with diagonal cutters

Back in the days before it means what it means today, we called them dikes.

[Winger Ed.]

Zinc melts at a higher temp. than Lead.

When smelting, bring the heat up slowly.
The Zinc ones will float up.

Depending on how hard Lead is to get in your area, save the Zinc ones. They are the future of casting.
There's youtube videos of folks already casting boolits with it.
I've found a couple in my range scrap already.
They'll weigh about 60% what Lead does from the same Iron mold, and you can push them up to jacketed speeds.

In the coming years, Zinc wheel weights may also go away. Some guys are finding steel wheel weights now days.

[frkelly74]

I have one other thing to add. The better the appearance of the wheel weight , the more it is likely it is to be zinc. It has always come to sort them one by one, appearance, labeling, dikes , repeat.

[littlejack]

As stated, Zn marked or dikes will identify easily. I remember when I was a kid helping my dad do different chores on our farm, and he ask me to "hand me those dikes". Back then, there wasn't but one item that had that name. In todays society, there's only one thing named "dikes" and they won't cut wire. Just sayin.

[Carrier]

And for the big weights you will need a diesel dike.

[Rickf1985]

I keep my pot at 700 or less all the time when smelting scrap lead. And I start stirring as soon as it starts to melt so the lead on the bottom does not get hotter than the lead on top. Once I have mostly clips floating I scoop them out with a large wire basket strainer scoop. If there were any zincs missed they come out with the clips. Even the plastic coated ones come out before they melt and make a stinky mess. It is all about paying attention to what you are doing and use a thermometer. I am doing this 50-75 lbs. at a time in a converted propane tank melter. I have never melted a zinc in 30 years of doing it this way. It is a little slower than just cranking the heat to full blast and dumping in the lead but you can have slow and quality or fast and the consequences.

[wmitty]

A quicker way to check a wheel weight to determine alloy is to attempt to bend it with your hand. The lead/antimony alloy is malleable and will bend easily if not too short. The short ones can then be checked with the side cutters. Zinc ww are not soft enough to bend with your hands…
The difference in density of the lead based alloy and the zinc becomes very apparent after a short time of sorting and the need for bending or checking with dikes becomes unnecessary.

[ulav8r]

When I was picking out weights from the barrel at the recyclers, it it was painted I rejected it. If it looked like lead I would tap it on the rim of the barrel. Thunks were accepted, dull thuds were accepted. If there was still a question, I would scrape it across the rim of the barrel. Lead would mark easily and leave a bright scrape, zinc and steel would not scratch. After going through a few the lighter weight of the steel and zinc for a given length was noticeable.

[William Yanda]

Zinc melts at a higher temp. than Lead.

When smelting, bring the heat up slowly.
The Zinc ones will float up.

Depending on how hard Lead is to get in your area, save the Zinc ones. They are the future of casting.
There's youtube videos of folks already casting boolits with it.
I've found a couple in my range scrap already.
They'll weigh about 60% what Lead does from the same Iron mold, and you can push them up to jacketed speeds.

In the coming years, Zinc wheel weights may also go away. Some guys are finding steel wheel weights now days.

Winger
Thanks for the tip. I hadn't considered that, having started with Al molds by Lee. However, having acquired a couple of iron molds, that may be feasible, even a solution for 22 Hornet.
Bill

[fredj338]

THis has been the problem going back about 10y now. Kalif banned them longer than that & Klaif is the largest market for tires in the country. So everyone has gone to something other than lead based ww. Side cutters is slow work but reliable. The other way is melt it all & keep the temp below 700deg. & they float to the top.

[avogunner]

I know there are those that are starting to experiment with casting zinc boolits. Honestly, I really hope that doesn't catch on as I get a lot of my lead from harvesting the berms at my range (makes great boolits too). Dealing with zinc from there would be a PIA.
Semper Fi

[gunther]

Pb is lead, Fe is iron, and Zn is zinc. In my experience, Micro brand have always been lead. If a weight is marked where the shop has removed it from the wheel, it's lead. If it's dinged up, it's almost certainly lead. Zinc is much harder, and usually looks like it's new. Steel or plastic usually are obvious. If not sure, try a magnet on the end, not near the clip

[lightman]

Do a quick sort, most zinc wheel weights are marked “Zn”, put any suspect weights to the side and test them,but like was previously posted, wire nippers are the only sure fire way to tell.

Good luck.

This is pretty much what I do. I pick each one up for a quick look and make a test cut on any suspicious weights. After you do this for a while the Zinc weights become pretty obvious. Back around 2017-2018 I sorted about 5800# of weights this way and only found about a shallow coffee cup of Zinc weights that I missed when we started melting them.

My pot/burner set-up will easily melt any Zinc weight that might get trapped on the bottom of the pot. I always hand sort.

[Rickf1985]

My pot would easily melt zincs at the bottom also if I turned it up but I keep it on low boil so the lead at the bottom slowly melts. I do not load it full with 50 lbs. of lead at first, I put about 20 lbs. in at first and let that slowly melt and scoop out the clips as soon as it gets up to close to 700. Anything questionable comes out with the clips. Than I will add another 20 30 lbs. and let that slowly melt. I also flux with wax right before skimming the clips and this works wonders for releasing the lead from the clips at the lower temps. I have never melted a zinc yet. I have caught quite a few that were missed in the sorting process. The bigger ones are just about all marked zn but the 1 oz and smaller are hard to see. And I have seen my fair share of dirty zincs so do not go by clean or dirty. And even if you do miss one or two, if you are melting 50 plus lbs. and you miss two 1 oz. zinc weights it will not make a damn bit of difference. I am not even sure that would show up on a scan. You are talking about 1/4 of a percent.

[ebb]

I get my weights from a shop that builds hot rod trucks with huge wheels and the occasional car. While I get some zinc weights most is either lead or steel. Following instructions I got here i start but running a magnet over everything that comes out of the bucket. Anything that sticks goes in a steel scrap bucket the rest is lead or zinc, all of that gets the side cutter test. After a few buckets you will get to recognize the stick on lead from stick on steel. It was overwhelming the first time I tried as I was unsure of what was what and wanted to get some good bullets.

[lightman]

I get my weights from a shop that builds hot rod trucks with huge wheels and the occasional car. While I get some zinc weights most is either lead or steel. Following instructions I got here i start but running a magnet over everything that comes out of the bucket. Anything that sticks goes in a steel scrap bucket the rest is lead or zinc, all of that gets the side cutter test. After a few buckets you will get to recognize the stick on lead from stick on steel. It was overwhelming the first time I tried as I was unsure of what was what and wanted to get some good bullets.

Just be mindful that your magnet will attract the steel clip that is in the weight. But I agree, after sorting a few buckets of weights you will be able to ID the steel and zinc weights. I also agree with Rick, a few zinc weights will not ruin a batch of lead, however I strive to not have any in my melts.