For those who think zinc in WW are an urban legend....

[Harry O]

I have seen posts here that question if there are zinc wheelweights and if there are, if they will cause a problem with casting. I melted down about 10lbs of WW I got for free today. I don't know which one or ones had zinc, but I have no question it was there.

The stuff melted beautifully -- just like you would expect WW to do. When I cleaned it and tried dropping it into ingot moulds, the bottom pour spout did OK at first. Then it started going to one side or the other. I would clean the spout with a wire but it did not get much better. Then it started dropping individual drops, then stopped altogether. I poured the rest out the top.

When I saw the yellow cast left on the inside of the pot and on the surface of the ingots after they cooled, I knew I was in trouble. I have had that happen before and the only thing to do is take it completely apart, drill out the spout, then lap it and the pin before trying anything again.

For those who don't believe such a thing exists, pm me with your address and I will send you a pound or two to put in your pot.

[Bret4207]

Since there is varying info on this, I wonder if different zinc alloys work OK and others screw things up. Hard to say without a chemical lab to play in.

[Sven Dufva]

Zinc in ww is very common in Sweden, becuase the goverment have forbidden use lead in most products. 2008 starts a law againts lead in shootguns and bullets. We have no NRA in Sweden so it possible no casting after 2008.
Today are 80%ww in zinc. So here in Sweden its no legend its reality

Zinc ww are floating in the surface and do no harm if the melt not is to hot. If the melt is hot enough melt and blend the zinc you are in trouble. 10 grains of zinc destroy 4 lbs alloy.
The problem with sutch alloy it will not fill out the mould.

[waksupi]

Sven, that is bad news for casters in your country. Hopefully, you can mine some old ranges, and recycle enough to keep you going. I fear that all the rest of us will face this same problem, in years to come.

[Harry O]

Actually, I got a flyer several years ago (back when I was in the transportation industry) that the European Union had outlawed lead wheelweights. That meant Volvo, Saab, BMW, Mercedes, VW, Audi, and all the French, English, and Italian cars had to comply. It gave a multi-year phase-in schedule. I forget the exact details, but I seem to remember that the final drop-dead-date was 2004 or 2005. The WW's I was given were from a place that does a lot of foreign car work. I had just about thought that the zinc warning was an urban legend, based on what I have read here, but I no longer think that. I guess the guys who wrote the Lyman casting books knew what they were talking about.

[ANeat]

Here are a couple of links to some wheel weight manufactures. There are Zinc and even steel wheel weights available. Look at the pics and be on the look out. As others have mentioned, bring up the temp slow and watch for any strange floaters[smilie=1:

Why couldnt they have used Tin instead of Zinc:roll:


http://www.perfectequipment.com/non_lead.php

http://www.plombco.com/zinc.html


Adam

[Randy in Arizona]

Why couldnt they have used Tin instead of Zinc:roll: Adam

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It would have been nice for us though!

[Dye]

Harry O
If you want to sell half or all of that mix PM me your address and the price and I will send you the money.
Be carefull Dye

[Finn45]

Why couldnt they have used Tin instead of Zinc:roll:

Some of the companies do that, probably because they want to use their current machinery instead of dumping it. These are pure tin and exactly similar to older lead alloy versions, only recycling mark is changed from Pb to Sn (few on the right are unmarked, but they are tin too):

http://pyssymiehet.com/casting/tinstickons.jpg