Shrimp / Fishing Net Weights?

[Kron]

I was given a bucket of lead today that had about 40# of weights from either old cast nets or shrimping nets. The weights are about 1 - 1.5" long and about 1" diameter. Fingernail check shows them to be about as hard to scratch as WW, maybe slightly easier.

Any way to check hardness short of buying and using a tester?

Bucket also had 25# of plumber lead in 5# pucks, and a few # each of WW and old shot.

Just trying to get a clue as to what those weights are before I mix them in with anything and contaminate good alloy.


Thanks!

[357maximum]

I have torn a few large nets and seines apart...the weights have varied from pure lead to ww to steel to pure zinc......there is no easy way you are going to know FOR SURE without a lead BHN tester.

If you melt them down by themselves and make into ingot form and compare to other ingots you may get close by dropping on concrete. Using the roundball steel bearing between a known sample and the Unkown Weight sample in a vice is another way to compare apples to apples.

[Kron]

The weights in question can be scratched by fingernail. Not quite as easily as the plumbers lead, but definitely a noticeable scratch. A pair of channelock pliers puts a much larger dent/scratch in them when used on the weight.

Am fairly certain I would not be able to do so with steel, but is zinc markable by fingernail?

Looks Like I'll just smelt these up into their own ingots and end up using a BHN as advised.

Will probably end up buying one in the next couple weeks to do so. Just not sure if zinc is soft enough to mark by hand.


Thanks!

[sargenv]

Any Zinc WW's I tried to scratch and crush with a pair of sidecutters resulted in only a sore hand for me.. so I doubt highly that zinc can be even scored with a fingernail..

[Muddy Creek Sam]

Stay undeer 700 degrees and zinc will float to top, Also can check with Muriatic acid, will fizz on zinc, no reaction with lead.

Sam :D

[357maximum]

If you can score PURE zinc with a fingernail you need to lower your iron intake.[smilie=l:

But what if....the weights in question are not pure zinc but a zinc lead alloy of some sort. What if the yayhoo making the weights just dumped them into a vessel and cranked up the heat zincers and all.

More than likely the weights are ww's (clip on/tape on mix) that have been recycled, but you cannot know for sure. WW is/was one of the largest scrap sources available to whomever was making all them weights for nets very likely.

I would keep them seperate and cast with them to see what ya got.....I have always done the same with ?????? alloys. Tiptoe in and use it.

[docone31]

Long ago, in a better time, I worked with a person who made fishing supplies. He lived on Montauk. We made it all. Bluefish Drails, net weights, sounding leads, etc.
Let me assure you, he did not pay much for his "lead", and it was comprised of almost anything you can imagine. As long as it would melt, and was heavy, it went into the melt. The fishing charter people, and head boats, as well as commercials also melted anything they could get their hands on. No one cared. Fish don't care about zinc.
The best Bluefish Drails we made were "lead" that was cast with a rig in it, spray painted either international orange, or yellow. Once dry, we sprayed WD-40! Fish love it. The keels of schooners, cat boats, and working sharpies were also what ever. If it melted, it went in.
A lot of keels were concrete, but that is not the issue here.
If it melted, it went in.

[mold maker]

The muriatic acid test will show a reaction on a zinc/lead mix. It will just take a little longer and not fizz as much. There should be no reaction with lead or lead WWs.
You will not mark a zinc WW with your fingernail, unless your Captain Hook or Edward Scissorhands.

[dhansen]

A friend of mine here in Maine came up with a bucket of weights from an old seine net. One evening he was running a batch of bullets and decided to add a couple of the weights directly to his pot. Turns out one of the weights had an internal void that had filled with water. You can imagine the results. He got out of it with only a few minor burns.

[Shiloh]

Any Zinc WW's I tried to scratch and crush with a pair of sidecutters resulted in only a sore hand for me.. so I doubt highly that zinc can be even scored with a fingernail..

It can't.

SHiloh

[WHITETAIL]

Yep! Your best bet is to melt all new lead out side.
When and only when you are sure that the lead
has no surprizes then make ingots.:holysheep

[skimmerhead]

having been a shrimp boat owner and captain for near 40 years now i can garrantee you thier not zinc, not heavy enough and too hard. typical lead on a shrimp net down here in the Gulf of Mexico is round or oblong in shape and is open on one side so as to open and close it depending on the size of your headrope. this was done with channel lock pliers.often we had to add or remove lead depending on bottom condition this with large screwdriver and pliers, so soft lead it is. i have a bunch laying around will melt them one day with some linotype i came across. don't know the bhn but would like to. hope this helps.

skimmerhead

[cptinjeff]

I'm just parroting what I've read elsewhere on this forum but depending on what other known ingots you have you can smash ingots together to get a relative hardness. "This is harder than that one but softer than that one... ect."

[hammerhead357]

Skimmerhead I drove through Golden Medow La. today. Lots of boats and such. I don't know much about shrimp boats any chance of going out and learning a little about them???? Wes

[DLCTEX]

I am so prone to sea sickness it's unreal, but I still went shrimping when I lived in La. I'd lay down and look at the sky while we were trawling, then sit up and focus on the sorting of the shrimp. My inner ear would be out of sorts for several days. I real love/hate relationship. I love shrimp/hate sea sick.

[cajun shooter]

Hey skimmerhead, Been going to Leeville area most my life. I'm 62 now and good friends for many years with Terry Serigney and Gail for many years. Although they are not together in the bait shop now. I also leased a spot from Ms. Layus next to Boudreaux's until Katrina hit then move to base of bridge. I do know that Terry would get his lead wheel weights from a man in Golden Meadow to make his weights with at times. Welcome to the forum.

[hammerhead357]

I guess I used the wrong wording. I just want to look at the boat and the equipment. I have no desire to go shrimping, probablly be sick. Plus get to talk casting and shooting too....Wes

[skimmerhead]

hey there hammerhead no problem will give you a tour let me know when your back in town. you can e-mail or pm me.

[skimmerhead]

hey there cajunshooter must know you i had boat dock and camper their since 1985 but sold my boat and left their a couple years ago. terry and i went to school together, knew his dad well also, well know everbody down there. my brother lived back there by mr. layus you might know him Autry cheramie, we were good freinds with the Barkley's that had a camp at the end of the street on the left. it sure is good to hear from ya'll. let me know next time ya'll around. i sure hope hammerhead slows down when comeing thru here if ya'll ever get stopped give me a holler i'll get it taken care of. nice to here from both ya'll feel free to contact me anytime for any thing will be glad to help. skimmerhead!

[skimmerhead]

hammerhead357 spent a lot of time in your neck of the woods, from brownsville all the way to sabine pass,lived in Port Arthur for nine months on nine'th st. skimmerhead!

[skimmerhead]

kron when i posted about i may have left out some info that maybe will better help you, in my last post i left out that all areas are not the same when it comes to nets, the east coast use different type gear as does Fla. Ala. Miss. and Texas. having fished these waters at some point in my career and repaird many broken nets having learned at a young age and hence became a master net builder. the point im trying to make is not knowing where these weights come from i would be very careful when melting. you could come across some voids filled with water. i think i would maybe just put a handfull at a time then pour into ingots until you have them all melted then you can melt and mix as you please without fear of a blowout. hope this helps!

[hammerhead357]

skimmerhead, thanks I'll let you know. I will be gone back to South Texas on vacation for about 5 weeks and then be back in LA. to work. We'll see if we can get together.Wes