Socket metal?

[fatelk]

Anyone know what this is? I assume some kind of babbit or something.

It says "Bunker Hill Socket Metal", weighs about 3 1/2 pounds, and seems too light and hard for lead.

[lwknight]

According to an old article I found on google:
Bunker Hill Metals in Idaho mined mostly lead and silver. They shut down in early 60s because lead prices fell to $17.00 per ton.
Anyway, I bet its old whatever it is.

[7of7]

I found an old advertisement for it for sale, zoomed in on it..
It is metal that is used for bonding the socket end of a wire rope... used in the oil industry.
It melts at 750. says it is a lead alloy.. Bhn of 64...

[Bad Water Bill]

I wonder how fast you could shoot those boolits?

[Caveape]

Hey fatelk!
The Lyman handbook speaks of babbit, which is most likely what you have. It has some copper in it and can be removed by not getting the melt too hot and scooping the unmelted copper off the top like dross. It should have a lot of tin in it too.
You might give "the good book" a look![smilie=l:

FWIW,

Caveape

[Marlin Hunter]

... They shut down in early 60s because lead prices fell to $17.00 per ton.



$17 a ton. The good old days.

[runfiverun]

hmm,, melts at a higher temp than lead and is bhn 64.
sounds like a lead/silver maybe or sumthin, alloy.
zinc melts at what? 750ish...
tin's bhn is in the 50's iirc. copper is harder still like 54-56.
but 64 is up there.
try some muratic acid on it and see if it bubbles at least you'll eliminate zinc if it don't.

[7of7]

The only other information I can find indicates that zinc was also used for the assembly of the ends of wire ropes..
So, I would venture to say that this may be an alloy containing lead, zinc, and maybe even tin...

[fatelk]

It seems to be really hard, harder than linotype (lots of zinc?). I need to get some muratic acid eventually, but I think for now this thing is just a paperweight.