can you use solder for a source of tin?

[1911fan]

I am new to this forum and to bullet casting and have a question. I have just cast a heap of bullets using indoor range lead, and a just shot my first 100 rounds of it. This is 45ACP 230 grn. RN Lee microband. I lubed it using the Lee Liquid Alox lube. The bullets were much more accurate than anything I have ever fired out of that gun before (Springfield GI) which I am very pleased about, but they did seem to lead up the bore more than I am used to. I used a bore snake twice during the 100 round session. This lead seems softer than the lead bullets I purchase for reloading and I was looking to add some tin to my pot. Would the spool of fluxed solder I have here at the house work for this?? I am going to try a little more lube on the next batch to see if that was the problem. This indoor range sees a lot of 22LR bullets, but they do shoot IPSC type competitions and lots of centerfire pistols used there as well. I did not know though when I was cleaning up the molten lead that the dingy looking scum on the surface was actually the tin and I scooped a lot of that off. Guess you learn as you go.

[Ole]

Yes, you can use tin to harden an alloy, but it's an expensive way to do it.

Try to get your hands on some clip on wheelweights and mix it 50/50 with what you have.

You could also use some type metal (linotype/monotype/etc) to harden your alloy.

[1911fan]

thanks for the info. Where would I look to find linotype/monotype??

[wiljen]

Try Metal Recyclers - Foundrys - print shops etc.

[deltaenterprizes]

Solder will work for your first test batch. The size of the bullets may be causing problems also.
I have a 47 lbs of 40/60 solder I would like to sell if you are interested.

[257 Shooter]

Denver Duck was selling some recently. It is very clean, reasonably price and he ships quickly.

[kawalekm]

Solder makes an excellent ammendment to wheelweights. I have used between 2-5% tin added to wheelweights. I would suggest though that you use "solid core" solder because the fluxing compound in the core can make your lead pot boil up suddenly. Lead-free plumbing solder is the very best choice. Make sure you get the 95% tin solder and not silver solder. The composition is printed on the side of the roll.

I've moved away from solder recently though because I've discovered old pewter as an excellent source of tin. Traditionally, the metal had to be at least 82% tin to be called pewter. Contempary pewter being made today is completely lead-free is is 97% tin, 3% antimony.

A few years ago I collected all my scraps of pewter and solder and melted them all down together to make an alloy that's about 95% tin. I poured 1lb muffins of this alloy and now add one muffin to 19lbs of wheelweight metal. That makes wonderful bullets that closely duplicates Lyman #2 alloy. This is the alloy I use in my Marlin rifle, shooting #2 alloy bullets out of it at 1800 fps.
Michael

[plumber]

What's wrong with silver solder ( 96sn/3.6cu/.4ag) ?

[carpetman]

Plumber----Silver solder is used ONLY when hunting werewolves.

[zxcvbob]

I've heard that the copper in pewter and some exotic solders can combine with the tin and form hard crystals that plug up the spout on bottom-pour lead pots and are very difficult to clear. I don't know if it's true or not, but it's plausible.

Other than that, there's nothing wrong with it (especially in the amounts you'll be using since it's 96% tin)

[1911fan]

where does one find old pewter????

[DanM]

Another easy way to increase hardness is with magnum shotgun pellets. They have a lot of antimony and arsenic, both of which will increase hardness more than tin. I have heard that smaller sizes of shot have more than larger, but I am not sure of that. A tablespoon in a 20lb pot will really jump your bullet hardness if you water drop them. Oven tempering is better, but water dropping them right out of the mold is fine for pistol bullets.

And don't forget that leading is caused more by undersized boolits than by lack of hardness. Make sure that your boolits are .452"+ for your Springer. Sometimes Lee molds (and others) are a bit undersized, but that problem may be fixable if you Beagle the mold....

[RoyRogers]

Don't confuse Tagamet "Sterling' plumbing solder with silver solder - totally different animal.

Here is a chart composistion of fairly typical silver solder alloys:


80Ag, 20Cu
80Ag, 13Cu, 6.8Zn Silver solder, hard
70-5Ag, 20-3Cu, 5-7.5Zn Silver solder, medium
66Ag, 23Cu, 10Zn Silver solder, French
63Ag, 30Cu, 7.5Zn Silver solder, common
55Ag, 29Cu, 12Au, 5.5Zn Gold solder, very easy melt
70Ag, 25Pd, 5Co Platinum substitute (Cooper's)
73Ag, 27Pt Platinum solder
70 Ag, 25Pt, 5Ni Platinum substitute (Cooper's)
66.7Ag, 33.3Pt Platinum silver
40Ag, 40Sn, 14Cu, 6Zn Silver solder, Bu.

A couple of common names of popular silver solders used in HVAC, medical gasses, etc, are Sil-Fos & Silvaloy

Some plumbing solders have 'silver' sounding trade names but are not to be confused with true silver solders as the amount of actual silver they contain is quite small. They also melt at much lower temps than conventional silver solders.

[awaveritt]

I bought some of this the other day to use with my stick-on ingots. What do you think?

http://www.bernzomatic.com/PRODUCTS/SOLDERANDACCESSORIES/PLUMBINGSOLDER/tabid/213/ctl/Detail/mid/1146/xmid/6903/xmfid/3/Default.aspx

MSDS:

http://www.bernzomatic.com/Portals/8/Resources/msdsSheets/eng_Leadfree_Solder_Solid_Wire_MSDS.pdf

[plumber]

Don't confuse Tagamet "Sterling' plumbing solder with silver solder - totally different animal.

Here is a chart composistion of fairly typical silver solder alloys:


80Ag, 20Cu
80Ag, 13Cu, 6.8Zn Silver solder, hard
70-5Ag, 20-3Cu, 5-7.5Zn Silver solder, medium
66Ag, 23Cu, 10Zn Silver solder, French
63Ag, 30Cu, 7.5Zn Silver solder, common
55Ag, 29Cu, 12Au, 5.5Zn Gold solder, very easy melt
70Ag, 25Pd, 5Co Platinum substitute (Cooper's)
73Ag, 27Pt Platinum solder
70 Ag, 25Pt, 5Ni Platinum substitute (Cooper's)
66.7Ag, 33.3Pt Platinum silver
40Ag, 40Sn, 14Cu, 6Zn Silver solder, Bu.

A couple of common names of popular silver solders used in HVAC, medical gasses, etc, are Sil-Fos & Silvaloy

Some plumbing solders have 'silver' sounding trade names but are not to be confused with true silver solders as the amount of actual silver they contain is quite small. They also melt at much lower temps than conventional silver solders.


That's why I specified 96sn/3.6cu/0.4ag
it's not true silver solder, that comes in stick form and is for brazing. What I was refering to was silver bearing soft solder.
Great for socialist zombies!

[ANeat]

1911fan, the bad part about using close to pure lead is the fact that the bullets will come out smaller in diameter. Pure lead is hard enough for 45acp velocities but you need proper fit to the bore.

You can measure a few of your bullets and see what the size is as cast.

If you have a good supply of the range lead it might be worth your while to modify the mold a bit to get a little bigger size if needed.

[odinohi]

You can find pewter at garage/yard sales cheap. At thrift stores for more money. Watch out melting weighted pewter shakers and such, it can be a terrible mess. Dont ask how I know this.

[wiljen]

I bought some of this the other day to use with my stick-on ingots. What do you think?

http://www.bernzomatic.com/PRODUCTS/SOLDERANDACCESSORIES/PLUMBINGSOLDER/tabid/213/ctl/Detail/mid/1146/xmid/6903/xmfid/3/Default.aspx

MSDS:

http://www.bernzomatic.com/Portals/8/Resources/msdsSheets/eng_Leadfree_Solder_Solid_Wire_MSDS.pdf

from the MSDS, it could be 98% Tin so should do just fine.