Price for scrap lead?

[eagle4g63]

I tried to do a search but didn't exactly answer my question. I've been trying to scrounge for quite some time and now I am going to start casting. After striking out at almost every tire joint around me for WW I decided to try my local scrap yards. One said no way on selling off any scrap to me. The other however said OK, what they want is $.70 a pound! I looked and most of what they had today was roof vent sheet lead( you know the old lead pipe flashing) or water supply line. My question is: Is this a good price since I still have to smelt it or is it better to just move on?

[richbug]

Wholesale spot price on lead was $1.13/# today. 70 cents is pretty fair in comparison, both would yield 90% plus when cleaned up.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I got mine from Muddy Creek Sam, who is on this site. There are others here who also sell lead. Ingots, ready to be cast for around a buck a pound. Not bad at all. I really like Sam's Isotope lead. Real clean. Check out the swappin & sellin section of the forum.

[eagle4g63]

That's what I'm talking about, I can find guys with the rigs that sell the stuff for around a dollar a pound and all I have to do is put it in my melter and start casting. The scrap means I have to find, buy, or beg for equipment(I know it isn't much but...) and then take the time to smelt it. To me $.70 sounds like I'm not going to really see any savings for quite some time. If I buy equipment it looks like about $100 on the cheaper end I will have to smelt over 300 pounds of lead at that price to just break even. Wait that didn't include any tin to harden it!!

[zuke]

At those price's you might want to check out rotometal's.

[lwknight]

At $0.70 per pound, roofing lead is a bargain.

[eagle4g63]

So I should buy the roofing lead? What is the main difference in the roofing lead as apposed to the lead pipe? I thought they were both pretty much straight lead(real soft). You would think that I would have been smarter about my business....I've been a general contractor for 13 years. The real kick is that about two years ago I replaced my roof and took out three large pieces of lead vent booting and also replaced all my cast pipe about 4 years ago and didn't keep any of the lead from either!!!DOH!!

[GabbyM]

A few weeks ago 2/6 alloy was $1.38 per pound FOB. It's only gone up since then.

If you have green backs in abundance lead is a better place to have some commodity investment in the amount you may need for personal consumpion.

[badbob454]

TRY THE e b*y for lead ingots .. they sell for @ 1.oo per lb . clip on w/w are the best for smokeless handgun bullets... ask the seller if they seperated the zinc before the melt before you bid ... i take a new 3-5 gallon bucket to tire stores and a 12 pack of beer and ask to swap for a full bucket of ww's some will go for it i have @ 1,000 lbs this way

[badbob454]

So I should buy the roofing lead? What is the main difference in the roofing lead as apposed to the lead pipe? I thought they were both pretty much straight lead(real soft). You would think that I would have been smarter about my business....I've been a general contractor for 13 years. The real kick is that about two years ago I replaced my roof and took out three large pieces of lead vent booting and also replaced all my cast pipe about 4 years ago and didn't keep any of the lead from either!!!DOH!!
i would buy it for now, then scout for better deals . at least if the supply dries up as in kalifornia , no more lead w/w 's ,. you will have some.. linotype , tin, ww, clip on type. and monotype and stereotype, all will help harden your soft lead supply
both roofing leads are @ 95-99 % lead soft and pliable great for muzzle-loaders or low velocity boolits .. if any doubt scratch it with your thimbnail , if it gouges a line its soft enough .. :bigsmyl2::cbpour: