unknown type metal

[Catch]

A friend gave me a small bucket of unkown alloy which I thought was linotype. I was wrong. It is in type with letters and words on it which appeared to be used for printing in some form. I melted some of it and it makes absolutely beautiful bullets but they have a purple tinge, and they are brittle and will break in half if you put one in a vise and hit the top. The broken area seems almost crystal like. They seem to be somewhere between 10 and 15 percent lighter than the metal I have been using. (wheelweights and linotype) and they don't seem to group as well as the ordinary bullets that are cast in the same mold. (at least in the ones that I have tried) I tried to mix it with my other alloys thinking that I could make a harder alloy but the stuff doesn't seem to want to mix well unless you only use a tiny amount. I did just recently have some sucess with some 100 grain 30 caliber stuff that ended up only 90 grains or thereabout out of this alloy. It shot quite well in my Broomhandle Mauser pistol.

Does anyone know what this stuff is? Any thing you can tell me about it would be appreciated as I don't really know what I am doing with it at this point. Thanks for the help............Catch

[runfiverun]

monotype.
you just gotts flux it in,use a carbon based type of flux.
your type was probably in large block type letters? hence the name mono

[lwknight]

Antimony is expensive. I would cut it with 2 parts pure lead and still get hard boolits.
Six percent antomony makes some plenty hard boolits.

[ReloaderFred]

Yes, it's monotype. I just traded for 200 pounds of it. It's a great source for antimony.

Hope this helps.

Fred

[hammerhead357]

I have never seen mono type with words, only letters. But I do know that the copper content in monotype or foundry type will freeze in the pouring spout if you don't dilute it enough or freeze it out of the melt. Not hard to do but it will take extra time when freezing it out....Wes

[lwknight]

If by "freezing it out" you mean letting the pot cool till you can dip off the slush, would be a mistake. Thats your antimony.

[lwknight]

Foundry type is 24 percent antimony. it will plug your spout at any temperature. Its not really useable till you cut it to around 12 percent or use a really high tin content.
Foundry type has 14 percent tin as well. One pound if foundry type will dilute with 7 pounds pure leead to make 8 pounds of clip-on-WW equivilant.

[Catch]

What type of flux should I use that contains carbon? Is this a brand name type of flux or a chemical compound that is used for other things too. I have some Marvelux. Will that work?
Normally I just flux with parafin wax. Thanks for the help. Catch

[lwknight]

Parafin wax is a hydrocarbon.
Just about anything that burns is carbon based.
As far as that goes even bacon grease is a carbon.
Some things would be just too nasty to use.

[runfiverun]

sawdust or wood ash is fine, stir with a paint stick.
i save the marvelux/borax as a oxygen barrier when casting in the garage.

[454PB]

But....you can use Marvelux if desired, I do it all the time.

[runfiverun]

you can use the marvelux if thats what you got. i've used it to mix straight antimony in.