tin at the scrap yard

[sljacob]

I was down in the city yesterday, and I took along some copper and stainless steel to sell for scrap. While doing so I noticed a box with 5 bars of 40/60 and one marked 63/37 solder inside, I asked the atendent what he would sell it for he told me $1/lb. (the price for scrap lead) As I dug deeper in the box there were 11 1lb bars marked SN 50B, very malable won't break
( not sure what the 50B stands for),
10 lbs of thin strips of mystery metal, shiny, light, malable yet breaks (sn and sb?) the bottom was full of linotype, total weight of the box, 48 lbs. Why not take a chance? 27 lbs of known aloy and possiably 20 more lbs tin or tin aloy So I payed the man and took it home.
With no real way to test the mystery metals I took samples of each and melted watching melting time compaired to known samples (no casting thermonitor) melts @ low temp good sign next I cast several boolits of each from a lee 255gr 452 rf mold and some from lead free solder(the closest thing to pure sn I have for comparison)

lead free solder boolits weigh 172grs
SN50B boolits weigh 180.5grs
mystery strips boolits weigh 189.5grs
pure pb boolits weigh at 261.5
40/60 solder at 213grs

they cast very shiny bullets and fairly hard ( no bhn tester either:roll:) so I do not think I have pure tin in the mystery metals but have a very high content. All in all I don't think I did bad @ $1/lb.


any thoughts?

[jsizemore]

When I buy pewter I expect to pay about $2-3/lb. If you paid $1/lb, you did good. I'd check that scrap yard on a regular basis.

[lwknight]

I think that you made out like a bandit.
Thats what for keeping those peepers open.

[GLL]

You had better wear a disguise next time you visit ! ;) ;)

VERY nice find !

Jerry

[Ole]

Very nice. :mrgreen:

I scored 17lbs (5 different lots) of "vintage" 50/50 solder off ebaY today for $35.xx shipped. I was happy because I bid on many lots to combine shipping costs and I didn't get stuck only buying one or two with the $11 shipping.

[lylejb]

$1/ lb mannnnn, next time bring ME

[runfiverun]

those strips that break could easily be linotype spacers.
i got about 30 lbs from the scrap yard that way. they were in the "dunno, but it's 40 cents a lb"
Bbl.

[sljacob]

those strips that break could easily be linotype spacers.
i got about 30 lbs from the scrap yard that way. they were in the "dunno, but it's 40 cents a lb"
Bbl.

that is a good posability, the same box also had linotype in it. these strips vary in with from very thin to close to .25 inches.