Good haul today!

[lead4me]

Well I stopped by the local tire store yesterday & got TWO 5 gal buckets heaping with WW's. I almost lost a toe in the process, lifting one of the buckets into the bed of my pick up the handle let go & the bucket came down and landed on my shoe. Thank God I'm to lazy to spend much time shopping for tennis shoes an the pair I had on where a bit to long and the rim of the bucket pinched open space.
I digress, anyway after melting & pouring I ended up with 298lbs of WW alloy and almost 15LBs of pure "stick on " ingots.
The thing that most surprised me was that I had almost NO zinc weights!! I did have a few steel weights but even that was minimal.
I ran the pot at 625 to make sure their was no contamination, took a little longer but beat the **** outta sorting with pliers.
I ran out of paraffin wax & didn't want to use my bees wax to flux so I grabbed a bottle of 140 weight gear lube, MAN does that stuff STINK but as a flux it works GREAT. Coated the top of the melt did not burn off and kept the melt smooth on top, no need to do any skimming after the first cleaning.

[Doby45]

i hate you




































Not really, good job and sweet haul.. :)

[Eagles6]

I scored like that almost exactly last week.
Ain't America great?

[a.squibload]

I've been asking at tire stores, no luck, they re-use 'em or have a "recycler" who picks 'em up.
Had some time, went to the junkyard, $2 to get in. They have WWs scattered all over.
The guy up front said "what about that big drum, he wouldn't have to pick 'em up?"
I was led to a 55-gal drum full of WW. Trouble is they want 40¢/lb for 'em.
I scooped a bunch of WWs out of that drum and got some battery clamps from another, weighed 140lbs on their scale, settled for $50.
About a bucket and a third.
He offered to forklift the drum into my truck but said there is some "other stuff" under the WWs,
not sure I want to pay for a pig in a poke. Might be more battery clamps.
He estimated 600 lbs, I'm guessing more like 900, I didn't have the money for that much. Might go back and haggle.

PS: Lead4me, you didn't mention payment, did they GIVE you those? That's a REAL score!

[lead4me]

No they did not give em to me. Everyone is maximizing their profit potential these day's, can't say I blame them. I gave them 30.00 a bucket so I paid .10 a lb for WW alloy. Still a good score in my book, I only have one other place left that I pay 20.00 a bucket for WW.
I'm getting all I can afford to buy right now, who knows what is going to happen in the next 5-10 years. With the auto companies going "green" an hybrids being more in the lime light lead prices might skyrocket.
If not I'll have enough to shoot for the rest of my life & the wife can sell off my stash to supplement her retirement. [smilie=s:

[a.squibload]

Yeah, investment strategies: lead or gold? Hmmm...

[jr81452]

I'm getting all I can afford to buy right now, who knows what is going to happen in the next 5-10 years. With the auto companies going "green" an hybrids being more in the lime light lead prices might skyrocket.

off topic, but I never understood the reasoning behind this kind of statement. As far as I understand, the hybrids use LiPo or Li-ion batteries, not lead acid. So when the car companies stop using PB in WWs, why would the sudden excess of available Pb on the market cause prices to go up? Current stockpiles of Pb are at a 4 year high (heck, the price/Lb has has dropped $0.20 in the last 30 days alone), and states are talking about banning Pb in both WWs and sinkers. So while the availability of WW may drop, I foresee the price of virgin alloy and Pb scrap dropping like a stone.

[cptinjeff]

and states are talking about banning Pb in both WWs and sinkers. So while the availability of WW may drop, I foresee the price of virgin alloy and Pb scrap dropping like a stone.


Banning pb in WW and sinkers.......probably either preceded or followed by a lead projectile ban.....then what?:veryconfu


BTW: Great to hear about your haul lead4me

[fredj338]

So when the car companies stop using PB in WWs, why would the sudden excess of available Pb on the market cause prices to go up? Current stockpiles of Pb are at a 4 year high (heck, the price/Lb has has dropped $0.20 in the last 30 days alone), and states are talking about banning Pb in both WWs and sinkers. So while the availability of WW may drop, I foresee the price of virgin alloy and Pb scrap dropping like a stone.
As bad as the world economy has been, I haven't seen alloy prices dropping much if at all. I doubt you'll see the bottom drop out of any commodity soon. Kalif has banned lead ww as of last Jan & they are tough to come by. I would gladly pay 40c/# for known ww. Even after smelting, you'll be paying 50c/# for useable alloy. PRetty good price IMO.
I did recently score about 180# of useable ww for free from a local shop that turned me down last fall. New manager, new attitude I guess. SO I brought him a 12pac of his fav beer. Hopefully that keeps me in what ever lead based ww are left here for the next year or so.

[WILCO]

Great job! Always feels good when you score. :grin:

[kbstenberg]

Yesterday i picked up 200+ pounds from a new supplier. He said after i had contacted him an made a deal on his weights his Firestone dealer came in an wanted his WW. he refused to give them up saying he had finalized the deal with me.
He said i could have all his weights from now on. I asked how often he could fill another 2 buckets. Its a tiny shop an way out of the way, so I figured 2 years. he said to give him 6 months an he would probably have the same amount for me.
I guess i could force myself to go back. NOT
Kevin

[lead4me]

off topic, but I never understood the reasoning behind this kind of statement. As far as I understand, the hybrids use LiPo or Li-ion batteries, not lead acid. So when the car companies stop using PB in WWs, why would the sudden excess of available Pb on the market cause prices to go up? Current stockpiles of Pb are at a 4 year high (heck, the price/Lb has has dropped $0.20 in the last 30 days alone), and states are talking about banning Pb in both WWs and sinkers. So while the availability of WW may drop, I foresee the price of virgin alloy and Pb scrap dropping like a stone.

At least two lead-acid/ultracapacitor *technologies are now poised for *market release. Battery giant East Penn Manufacturing Co., in Lyon Station, Pa., licensed the technology for the UltraBattery in September from Furukawa Battery, in Yokohama, Japan, which has already begun *manufacturing the devices. Researchers at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), who invented the UltraBattery, tested it early this year in a Honda Insight hybrid, which ran for 160 000 kilometers. So you see the lead acid battery is not dead in fact it is poised to become the next advance in hybrid technology.

[jr81452]

At least two lead-acid/ultracapacitor *technologies are now poised for *market release. Battery giant East Penn Manufacturing Co., in Lyon Station, Pa., licensed the technology for the UltraBattery in September from Furukawa Battery, in Yokohama, Japan, which has already begun *manufacturing the devices. Researchers at Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), who invented the UltraBattery, tested it early this year in a Honda Insight hybrid, which ran for 160 000 kilometers. So you see the lead acid battery is not dead in fact it is poised to become the next advance in hybrid technology.

True. But with the ultra battery also being tested for use with solar cells, it may also have the effect of reducing Pb consumption due to the following excerpt I located:

"has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50% more power than conventional battery systems. It is also about 70% cheaper than the batteries currently used in HEVs, and uses 37% less environment harming lead than a conventional deep cycle battery of equivalent size”

You didn't think the hippies would trade lower emissions for a "toxic" substance like Pb without some "green" changes did you? And volvo is working on the same concept but with NiMh and LiPo cells in place of the Lead-Acid. Depending on how those perform, the ultrabattery may never even be adopted for widespread use in HEVs. Guess we will have to wait and see.

At any rate, I don't see Pb prices skyrocketing anytime soon.

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2476/spotlead5ylarge.gif

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5673/lmewarehouselead5ylarge.gif


Sorry for the thread hijack.

[lead4me]

Not at all, no need to apologize for the different direction you took us. The statement of lead as an investment was really just humor, but...at .20 cents a lb or .40 a lb vs 2.00 a lb for alloy buying it now while I'm still working will off set a future price hike down the road.
Who knows what is to come with the rampant "greenies" out there. I'd rather have a stash of lead now than wait for a huge tax on Firearms & reloading equipment, to pay for some government entitlement program.

[jr81452]

Can't argue with that logic :-)

I just think that sometimes in this lifestyle, people are overly paranoid. Many times we as a group cause our own problems with all the fear mongering (like last January). I prefer to look at things logically, and let others get worked up about the little things.

As an aside, I found about 45lbs of WW at an intersection this morning. My city has been cutting back and one of the cuts was street cleaning (I wish I knew someone who worked wherever they dump those trucks). I think I'm going to do some driving around this week and see what I can find :lovebooli

:hijack:

[jimmeyjack]

Can't argue with that logic :-)

I just think that sometimes in this lifestyle, people are overly paranoid. Many times we as a group cause our own problems with all the fear mongering (like last January). I prefer to look at things logically, and let others get worked up about the little things.

As an aside, I found about 45lbs of WW at an intersection this morning. My city has been cutting back and one of the cuts was street cleaning (I wish I knew someone who worked wherever they dump those trucks). I think I'm going to do some driving around this week and see what I can find :lovebooli

:hijack:

You don't think it has been a nightmare already? Just wait guns ARE on the agenda!

[sailinon]

Good morning Lead4Me, I have a "noob" question. I'm certain to begin pouring my own bullets for my Combat Elite .45 as I have recently checked bullet prices and they jumped 4 fold since the last time I purchased.

Your statement ".....I ended up with 298lbs of WW alloy and almost 15LBs of pure "stick on " ingots."

to the noob in the crew, could you explain the difference between the 298lbs of WW alloy and the 15LBS of pure "stick on"?

Thanks in advance,
Sailinon

[evan price]

Stick on wheel weights- the kind that attaches to fancy wheels with double-sided foam tape- are made of nearly pure, soft lead. Great for muzzleloaders or to alloy with hard lead for centerfire bullets.

Clip-on wheel weights (the kind with the, well, clip...) are a harder alloy with antimony in them. These are about the best hardness for most centerfire pistols.

[*Paladin*]

True. But with the ultra battery also being tested for use with solar cells, it may also have the effect of reducing Pb consumption due to the following excerpt I located:

"has a life cycle that is at least four times longer and produces 50% more power than conventional battery systems. It is also about 70% cheaper than the batteries currently used in HEVs, and uses 37% less environment harming lead than a conventional deep cycle battery of equivalent size”

You didn't think the hippies would trade lower emissions for a "toxic" substance like Pb without some "green" changes did you? And volvo is working on the same concept but with NiMh and LiPo cells in place of the Lead-Acid. Depending on how those perform, the ultrabattery may never even be adopted for widespread use in HEVs. Guess we will have to wait and see.

At any rate, I don't see Pb prices skyrocketing anytime soon.

http://img30.imageshack.us/img30/2476/spotlead5ylarge.gif

http://img27.imageshack.us/img27/5673/lmewarehouselead5ylarge.gif


Sorry for the thread hijack.

I'm glad someone else thinks like I do. I asked nearly the same question a couple of weeks ago. In my eyes, the large surplus of lead SHOULD bring the price down. I'm not saying stop collecting WW's, because I haven't either, but unless PB is banned by the politicians, I think the supply vs. demand is going to work in our favor. A buddy of mine is big into investing, financial analysis, etc.. and he laughed about lead. Said he wouldn't touch it as an investment. But, we shall see...

[squid1230]

With a planned reduction in consumption, there may be a proportional reduction in production. depending on the degree of production it is conceivable that the price of lead will go up, with less consumption. In other words it's a **** shoot.

[468]

Its been a year since the original post regarding LME pricing trend vs. LME inventory for Lead. price is UP about $0.23 per lb.

Spot Lead on the LME is at $1.20/lb. LME pricing not always based on inventory and demand. Lots of speculative traders are involved. Aluminum and Copper tend to "pull" other metals along their trend. Difficult to predict actual pricing based on market fudamentals.

"In other words it's a **** shoot. "

[Tom R]

Dont forget other country's have cars as well and they need wheel weights. China buys most f our scrap as it is now.