Odd WW alloy

[chris in va]

I *just* started casting this week and love it.

The local recylcer down the road sells WW for .60/lb. I sit there in the shop and hit every one with my pliers to weed out the zinc and iron/steel. When I got home to start melting, I had a problem with some stick on WW that just wouldn't melt. They were very soft, passed the pliers test and were heavy like lead. No 'ringing' sound when dropped either. You can see my pliers mark on the left.

Just to be sure I left them in the melted lead for a good 10 minutes, came out just as solid as they went in.

http://img406.imageshack.us/img406/8167/imgp4865.jpg (http://img406.imageshack.us/i/imgp4865.jpg/)

Top one doesn't melt, and are slightly thicker than the bottom one that melts in about a minute.

[waksupi]

Chris, they are most likely pure lead. It has a higher melting point than an alloy.

Welcome aboard!

[chris in va]

Ah, ok...thanks. I thought a discovery of a mystery metal had been found!

[Shiloh]

Yep, They are pure lead. I get some of those in buckets of wheel weights that I am fortunate to acquire.

Shiloh

[fredj338]

Yep, if they pass the cut test, just leave them in longer. They will go at about 700deg or so.

[randyrat]

WWs melt or are molten at just over 500-550 degs
Pure lead melts at 621 degs
Zinc is something just over 700 degs
If you lok at the stickies above your thread Wijen has melting temps of a bunch of different alloys.
The temps may very some by manufacture and what they use to alloy