mfraser264
09-11-2010, 10:15 PM
I have been interested in what percentage of zinc and iron weights are in my buckets from the tire store. Labor Day weekend I was able to melt 4 - 3 1/2gallon buckets down. My process allows me to melt down 8-9 pounds of weights per charge and fill a 7 cavity ingot mold in very short order (ingots are round and 7/8 of a pound).
To the point, as fast as I can hand sort and weigh up 8-9 pounds of weights, the previous charge is ready. As I am inspecting all the weights by hand, it is easy to determine the loss. Less than 5% of the weights are iron or zinc at this time. Keep in mind this is in Michigan.
I have a local tire dealer close to home and through keeping my end of the bargain, they hold all the weights for me. I then return the buckets washed including the sockets found from time to time. It doesn’t hurt when friends and family mention my name when they visit the store either and you put 4 new tires on a van while picking up the latest buckets.
THE FURTURE FOR LEAD WEIGHTS IS SHORTING!
My tire store is indicating from their wheel weight supplier that zinc is being bypassed already and the industry is going to Iron weights!!! Tire store not happy about this as they are being told that they will have to stock a greater variety of weight increments and then the rust issue. They will use lead as long as possible.
I'll make an effort to post findings in the future as the newer buckets arrive. Still working on 5 3-1/2 gallon buckets, 2 - 6 gallon metal pails and another 200 + pounds. At a given point in time the effort to reclaim the lead weights may not be beneficial.
To the point, as fast as I can hand sort and weigh up 8-9 pounds of weights, the previous charge is ready. As I am inspecting all the weights by hand, it is easy to determine the loss. Less than 5% of the weights are iron or zinc at this time. Keep in mind this is in Michigan.
I have a local tire dealer close to home and through keeping my end of the bargain, they hold all the weights for me. I then return the buckets washed including the sockets found from time to time. It doesn’t hurt when friends and family mention my name when they visit the store either and you put 4 new tires on a van while picking up the latest buckets.
THE FURTURE FOR LEAD WEIGHTS IS SHORTING!
My tire store is indicating from their wheel weight supplier that zinc is being bypassed already and the industry is going to Iron weights!!! Tire store not happy about this as they are being told that they will have to stock a greater variety of weight increments and then the rust issue. They will use lead as long as possible.
I'll make an effort to post findings in the future as the newer buckets arrive. Still working on 5 3-1/2 gallon buckets, 2 - 6 gallon metal pails and another 200 + pounds. At a given point in time the effort to reclaim the lead weights may not be beneficial.