Stick on wheel weights?

[340six]

I have a friend who has a tire shop and he sells mostly large tires/wheels and what he replaces has mostly stick on weights.
How does the lead content compair to the clip ons?

[lwknight]

Clip-on Weights are about 3% antmony and 1/4 to 1/2 tin 96.6% lead
Stick-on weights are about 1/2% or less tin and 0% antimony. 99.5% lead

[340six]

So the stick on types will be harder bullets?
Is it a problem melting the stick on ones down? Just smokey ect?

[rob45]

So the stick on types will be harder bullets?
Is it a problem melting the stick on ones down? Just smokey ect?

The stick-on weights make softer bullets. No problem melting them, and, yes there will still be plenty of smoke as the tape adhesive burns up.

[chris in va]

Stick-on weights are about 1/2% or less tin and 0% antimony. 99.5% lead

I have to interject a little. The stick-ons that say 'T-A-W' melt in seconds like the clip-ons. The slightly thicker version that has '1/4oz' stamped simply won't melt in my pot, but they're really soft. I was told those are pure lead as it has a higher melt temp.

So what I'm saying is those bigger, flatter weights might not be pure lead.

[lwknight]

Suffice it to say, stick on weights have no antimony and very little tin as opposed to clip-ons that have about 3% antimony and very little tin.

[KYCaster]

I've found that stick on weights vary widely in composition and hardness, and the most recent batches I've used had LOTS of steel and zinc weights in them.

Jerry

[runfiverun]

i think some of the newer stick-ons have been made with re-cycled whatever they got.
cause they ain't as soft as they used to be.

[lwknight]

They just put in a little more tin to keep oxidation down. still less than 1% but that will harden them up a little. You will not see the grey funk growing on the sick-on weights like pure lead would have. Even the clip-ons seem to oxidize more than the stick-ons.

[KYCaster]

They just put in a little more tin to keep oxidation down. still less than 1% but that will harden them up a little. You will not see the grey funk growing on the sick-on weights like pure lead would have. Even the clip-ons seem to oxidize more than the stick-ons.


10+ years ago I had chemical analysis done and did specific gravity tests myself. I found wide veriations in composition, hardness and SG then and more recently I've found steel and zinc in stick on WW.

The time is long passed that you could look at a piece of lead and tell what the composition is.

Jerry

[Jim]

I ran a hardness test one time on the stick-ons I was given. Same as straight lead.

[oukelucy]

I've found that stick on weights vary widely in composition and hardness, and the most recent batches I've used had LOTS of steel and zinc weights in them.

Jerry
yes,steel wheel weights are best choice.:-P:-P:-P

[maxvauderk]

Ok what is the correct procedure here, I got some stick ons I got some suspect shinny stuff and I got some cliped led ones ? how do I test for the zinc and should I cull them out?

[fredj338]

Ok what is the correct procedure here, I got some stick ons I got some suspect shinny stuff and I got some cliped led ones ? how do I test for the zinc and should I cull them out?

I sort before smelting, but that is just me. If they will cut w/ side cutters or wire snips, then they are lead based. If they won't, they arezinc based. I am seeing more & more stick-ons that are zibc. They are larger/wider than the lead ones & often marked Zn. Most lead stick-ons are sectioned w/ 1/4oz markings on them. They are almost pure lead & will require temps into 700deg to melt well.

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Ok what is the correct procedure here, I got some stick ons I got some suspect shinny stuff and I got some cliped led ones ? how do I test for the zinc and should I cull them out?

A little Muriatic acid will cull all the zinc ones, quick. They will fizz like crazy. No reaction with lead at all. Use outside and read the label.

Sam :D

[Bob Krack]

Sam,

There is no absolutely correct answer. There are some pure lead stick-ons, some lead/tin stick-ons, some lead/antimony/tin stick-ons, and some zinc stick-ons - and prolly several others I am not up to date on.

Generally speaking though, rule of thumb is that stick-ons are 99% or better pure lead.

Cast a couple of beer or soda pop lids full of known pure lead and of suspect lead (stick-ons), put them face to face (lead to lead), a steel ball of any size between and apply pressure with a vice or c-clamp and the larger diameter, deeper impression will be the softer of the two.

If ya need, I will send you a small sample (or a cap full) of lead and brass' 93.75/4/2/.25 alloy (lead/antimony/tin/arsenic) to use for a harder alloy for comparison.

Bob

[340six]

yes,steel wheel weights are best choice.:-P:-P:-P

:veryconfu

[Bob Krack]

Sam,

There is no absolutely correct answer. There are some pure lead stick-ons, some lead/tin stick-ons, some lead/antimony/tin stick-ons, and some zinc stick-ons - and prolly several others I am not up to date on.

Generally speaking though, rule of thumb is that stick-ons are 99% or better pure lead.

Cast a couple of beer or soda pop lids full of known pure lead and of suspect lead (stick-ons), put them face to face (lead to lead), a steel ball of any size between and apply pressure with a vice or c-clamp and the larger diameter, deeper impression will be the softer of the two.

If ya need, I will send you a small sample (or a cap full) of lead and brass' 93.75/4/2/.25 alloy (lead/antimony/tin/arsenic) to use for a harder alloy for comparison.

Bob
I directed this post to Sam but the offer is open to all (within reason).

I actually lost track of who was asking the question - still am lost (hah! for the first time in my life! :veryconfu ).

Bob

[TAWILDCATT]

lead has the lowest temp,then WW. zinc has high temp.melt at lowest temp and any thing that does not melt discard.

[Bob Krack]

lead has the lowest temp,then WW. zinc has high temp.melt at lowest temp and any thing that does not melt discard.
Zinc melts around 750F or so, Lead at 621F, and clip-on wheelweights of lead/antimony/tin melt between around 460F to 505F depending on the composition.

Your advice is sound, just a typo of lead and ww melting order.

see http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm near the end of the page for reference.

Bob