Wheel weight sources

[dunkel]

So I've seen where a lot of reloaders/casters use wheel weights. Some pay for it, some don't. I'd like to get in on some of that action, so I went by a local Tires Plus today and asked. Was told that they send their weights to Interstate Battery, who in turn melt them down to make battery terminals. Kind of a bummer, but informative.

So are there particular chains that are more accommodating for requests for wheel weights? Some that just don't do it? Some that will rape you on the price or just give it away free? Are local shops better targets compared to big chains?

Thanks for any info. I've been a lurker for a while, but finally have some reloading equipment coming, so figured I oughtta register and get involved.

[fredj338]

I found it's more the store manager than the store. There is a Midas shop across form my office, go there occasionally for oil changes. I always ask about ww, always tunrned down. New manager the other day, I had some work done, asked about ww, 2-5gal buckets free. Go figure. It jsut never hurts to ask, but alos never hurts to be a paying customer too.

[mac1911]

I live in SE Massachusetts, Im finding most shops already have someone in the shop who takes them or a regular. The fishermen who make their own weights are also out there scooping them up. I bumped into one of the fishermen who makes down rigger weights and custom casting net weights. He tells me he hits about 30 shops a week in the area. Actual lead he tells me is down about 35% in the last five years. Lots of shops are switching to steel.
Zinc seems to be less and less also. I hit 5 shops today
3 said already accounted for
1 said I make decoy weights out of them
last shop asked me "what cal do you cast" I did get his stick on weights and zinc weights about 20lbs mix. " Thats about 6 months worth of saving, I dont do a lot of tires" He sorts his wheel weights pretty good.
1 bucket was lead clip ons 3/4oz and larger for his personal stash
1. was the smaller lead WWs-for his friend
3. was the stick on and zinc weights
He says it takes him about 6-10 months to get any amount worth casting.
He also says he will get some off the guy who takes his junk cars and engine blocks a few times a year.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

you just gotta ask,

some shops it's better to ask a manager,
some shops it's better to wander in the back door as ask a tech.

Not sure where you are located,
if it's a conservative area, bring common caliber ammo to swap, like 9mm or 38 spl.
if it's a liberal area, tell 'em you casting fishing weights or toy soldiers.
Jon

[dunkel]

you just gotta ask,

some shops it's better to ask a manager,
some shops it's better to wander in the back door as ask a tech.

Not sure where you are located,
if it's a conservative area, bring common caliber ammo to swap, like 9mm or 38 spl.
if it's a liberal area, tell 'em you casting fishing weights or toy soldiers.
Jon

North of Atlanta. I'm pretty sure 9mm would be acceptable bartering material ;-)

I suppose it's just going to be trial and error, asking around, and hoping to get lucky.

[imashooter2]

I've been turned down all over the area. Then one day my wife goes to get a tire repaired and POOF, the same shop that's turned me down several times suddenly has weights.

Apparently, the secret is to be wearing a skirt when you ask.

[dunkel]

I've been turned down all over the area. Then one day my wife goes to get a tire repaired and POOF, the same shop that's turned me down several times suddenly has weights.

Apparently, the secret is to be wearing a skirt when you ask.

I'll have to borrow my wife's razor, but I reckon I'll try anything once.

[Superfly]

Dunkel
I just threw up in my mouth


Puke

[44fanatic]

Hit all the big chains...they turn their WW's over to the battery companies.
On the side note of that, I have one major name that sells me their WW's at the current recyling rate. Just found another major name that gave me a bucket the other day, can come back for more. Both of these places are privately owned.

My best luck has been with the Mom and Pop type places. Have one place that I get about 30-40lbs from each month. Soda and donuts coming their way.

The other luck Ive had...3 places, the owners casts their own. 2 places, the owners casts sinkers. 1 place, the owner has a race car...makes weight for the car (there was 2 55gal drums I was drooling over).

Whole bunch of other tire shops that reuse their WW's. I have wondered about dropping a bucket their for the clipped ends, bad WW's and stickons.

[skeet1]

The tire store I get my wheel weighs from also told me that they send them to Interstate battery but were happy to give them to me because it saves them time and money to give them to me.

Skeet1

[Ole]

You just gotta ask. In my experiences, you'll get turned down 9 times out of 10 but that one place that says OK makes it worth all the trouble.

It's not a terrible thing to have to pay for lead if it's good stuff. Figure at $1/lb it's still a heck of a lot cheaper than buying bullets.

[mold maker]

$1.00/lb is too high for raw WWs. At that rate your also paying $1./lb for the clips, valve stems, lug nuts, etc. I would pay that for smelted ingots though.
I get mine free from the place I buy tires etc. A large Pizza about every other month helps them remember who their saving them for. I also provide the bucket with my name on it.

[mongo]

I was getting a five gal bucket for 20 bucks. Now the guy at the tire shop says his guys just toss them in the trash as it isnt worth his time to keep telling them to put them in a bucket. Everyone else sells them to local fishermen who makes fishing weights. Next pot I smelt will be from the backstop of the indoor range I shoot at. All you want for Free. Lead dust, jacket scraps and all. I smelt at the outdoor range anyway so I dont have to tote the scrap around.

[Rangefinder]

I've got one tire shop that keeps me pretty taken care of. The first time I showed up the manager told me they recycle them, but whoever is supposed to pick them up hadn't shown up for a while. "So I guess if you want to haul them to recycling as a substitute driver, they're over there..." There was about five and a half 5-gallon buckets. Ever since then I just show up about once a month with an empty bucket or two, take whatever is in the buckets behind the balancing machine, and not a single tech has ever glanced at me twice. They fill my buckets, and I make sure they have buckets to fill. I'm kinda thinking the techs just think I'm the recycling guy and the manager is just happy to get them out of the way before they start tripping over them. Works out on both ends.

[dunkel]

There's quite a few decidedly not-big-chain tire shops around my area, so gonna give them a shot. Would definitely be worth a pizza and 6 pack of beer a month or whatever to get basically free bullets.

[skeet1]

I usually drop by a dozen fresh baked doughnuts. The first time I did this the tire shop manager could not believe it. No problem since getting wheel weights.

Skeet1

[slim1836]

How about all the automotive junk yards? I doubt they take them off the wheels and perhaps they will allow you to.

[a.squibload]

I asked at the "Pull & Save" a few months ago, he said I could look around and pick up what I wanted
but at that time he would charge 40¢ /lb.
They had a 55 gal drum full of WWs and wanted to sell me that,
would even load it in the truck with their forklift, but no telling what was in there
covered up by the WWs.
Also had a smaller drum full of battery terminals, which I found out are more trouble to process than WWs,
won't buy them again but wouldn't turn down free ones.
I ended up getting some WWs out of the big drum, less trouble than carrying a bucket around the yard and searching.

PS the tire shop a month ago that gave me a free almost-full bucket, last week they didn't have any,
but he did say try again.
Another place was out, said they can only give me the bad ones, they re-use most of 'em and last time he got in trouble
for giving them to me. He showed me where the bad bucket will be and said if I see any there I could just take 'em.

Uh oh long post. I know a guy at a chain store, will sell me WWs for $5/box, about 50 lbs /box, not bad but
last time they had a lot of **** in 'em, even found a broken wrench and socket. They're all taped up so can't check
what you're getting. They're supposed to give 'em to Interstate so it's kind of a covert deal, but if they charge me something
the manager is OK with it. Get's 'em out of their way I suppose. Good news: they load 'em in the truck!