Tellin zinc fr lead

[4thebrdz]

Any method for tllking the diffrence betweew zinc and lead/
THANKS

[imashooter2]

Zinc will react with hydrochloric acid (available in hardware stores as muriatic acid), lead will not.

[D.Mack]

Try scrathing with a ice pick or knife, lead will grove, zinc might scratch alittle, but no groove. zinc usually will have sharp corners, and look like little ingots. you can also try to shave a sliver off the side with a knife, lead shaves, zinc won't cut. after a little practice you usually tell just by looking, but if you miss a few, zinc will float to the top of the melt, so if it doesn't melt with the other lead, chuck it. DM

[AlaskaMike]

The few that I've found all have "Zn" in the middle of the weight just under the clip.

Mike

[bmblong]

I have had limited experience with this problem. The two ways I tell is #1 bounce it off the garage floor it kind of tinks instead of thuds and bounces instead of just stopping. #2 is take a pair of pliers and squeeze it. If it marks really easy its lead. One more thing every zinc wheelweight I've found is shaped different (squared off). I know that isn't very scientific but that's what I've found.

[klausg]

Most of the clip on zincs I've come across are riveted to the clip, for the stick-on variety they just look "wrong", too squared-off; they also won't bend for beans. I just keep my smelt temps to the low side & skim off the ones I missed.

-Klaus

[4thebrdz]

Thanks!! I have also tried the tap on the floor method and hear a different tone to some that are on the square side lookin. I'll look for the rivets and try the scratch method also. I did notice a lighter weight compared to the lead ones.
I don't need to dump a pot at this point.

How bout lead sinkers? I kinda know that they are lead because eyes on them are VERY soft. should be about 20+ yrs old. Would they be good for round ball?

Tape weights are also in my collection and should be lead. gonna use them for round ball.

[Finn45]

All riveted that I've found so far have been iron, I've found many of them. Zinc weight variety has some perfect copies of lead alloy weight and many lead alloy weights are coated with plastic or such to make it look like zinc weights. Normally zinc weights are marked Zn here in Europe because of the circulation rules. Knife and cutting pliers will tell the difference, but it's lot of work in big batches.

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=2268

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=6484

[4thebrdz]

That helps more. Thanks Finn!

[The Double D]

I'm willing to dispose of that zinc for you, no charge. Just put it in the mail to me.