picking out zinc wheelweights?

[Dieselhorses]

I've sorted about 200lb now and it's easy to spot the zinc. The handiest thing for my last lost was just screwing a magent to a 6" piece of dowe to pick up handfuls of the smaller steel bits. That shaved heaps of time off my sorting.

Magnets are a life saver! Sometimes I use a magnet in the course of sorting and other times I do the manual thing. I forgot to mention all the other interesting things you might find in a bucket of weights. I found six sockets, 19 valve stem covers, 23 nice chrome lugs, a Snap-on mini screwdriver, a few misc. bolts etc.

[mfraser264]

Hard to get away from hand sorting. However hand sorting keep the trash, valve stems and such out of the pot. I'll keep my natural gas fired rig to maintain 650 F. and if a few of Zinc through they float.
Seeing less Zinc, seems a trend of more steel in each bucket. My source says the steel weights new cost less than Zinc but they have to be careful as to what rims they put them on. Rust stains aluminum rims.

[Burnt Fingers]

The following pics are for those not familiar with weights. Personally if I ever went blind (and I'm sure many of you with tons of WW experience would agree) I could bet any amount of money I could still accurately sort. Yes you can actually create a "feel".

Below is a set of weights-different metals.
Attachment 237355
Below is "clip-on ww". I've seen these with AW, MC, P, FN marks.
Attachment 237356
Below is "stick-on ww". All kinds of marks on these, basically if you pick them up, they'll be stiff as opposed to flopping around like steel. If in doubt nip the corner with dikes.
Attachment 237357
Below is the aggravating "Zinc(Zn)" clip on ww. It's the one that disappoints me the most when I find a "fatty". (Not ALL Zinc weights will have Zn on it.)
Attachment 237358
Below is "steel stick-on ww (Fe)". These will dangle around in your hand staying connected with adhesive on back.
Attachment 237359
Below is another example of steel stick-on's.
Attachment 237360
And then you have the steel (Fe) clip-on ww. I've learned that unless a weight has been altered, if it has totally flat ends or ends that look like a hammer, it's probably steel.
Attachment 237361

After a few buckets, the novice will learn that all ww's are not created equal but will get faster with the sorting! If I missed anything, feel free to correct me or add something!

Good write up. You must not have seen the zinc stick-on weights.

[Rattlesnake Charlie]

This particular thread drew a lot of very informative responses. The plethora of useful photographs is very useful to newbies. I've not been collecting, sorting, or smelting for about 10 years now. I'm curious, are there still many zincs showing up? Have the number of lead alloy "real wheel weights" declined? Is steel now the predominant material? I am truly curious having been out of the loop for a decade.

[Gatch]

This particular thread drew a lot of very informative responses. The plethora of useful photographs is very useful to newbies. I've not been collecting, sorting, or smelting for about 10 years now. I'm curious, are there still many zincs showing up? Have the number of lead alloy "real wheel weights" declined? Is steel now the predominant material? I am truly curious having been out of the loop for a decade.

In the last lost I got I think by volume it was mostly steel.

[gwpercle]

A pair of side cutters too easy ?
Or do you just enjoy doing things the hard complicated expensive way ?

[lightman]

This particular thread drew a lot of very informative responses. The plethora of useful photographs is very useful to newbies. I've not been collecting, sorting, or smelting for about 10 years now. I'm curious, are there still many zincs showing up? Have the number of lead alloy "real wheel weights" declined? Is steel now the predominant material? I am truly curious having been out of the loop for a decade.

Charlie, it depends on where you are located. My lead yields are holding up pretty well around here but are slowly falling off. Its still in the 60-65% range. I am seeing more steel (Iron) weights and less zinc. I'm also seeing more stick on weights than I did years ago. Most of my scores are mostly from small local shops. A friend of a friend gave me some from the dealership that he works at and I only found about 25% lead.

[Dieselhorses]

Good write up. You must not have seen the zinc stick-on weights.

Yes I've noticed them, forgot to mention them. Will add a pic to my former post and how to identify. Thanks.

[Dieselhorses]

This particular thread drew a lot of very informative responses. The plethora of useful photographs is very useful to newbies. I've not been collecting, sorting, or smelting for about 10 years now. I'm curious, are there still many zincs showing up? Have the number of lead alloy "real wheel weights" declined? Is steel now the predominant material? I am truly curious having been out of the loop for a decade.

The results differ "demographically" I'm sure, but in my neck of the woods, on average, the yield is usually 25% lead clip on, 20% Zinc clip on, 20% lead stick on and 35% steel clip on/stick on. I rarely see any zinc stick on weights.

I'm sorry I didn't put enough emphasis on what you were asking.... The EPA supposedly granted a petition in May, 2009 prohibiting the manufacture, processing and distribution of "lead based" wheel weights. So yes, I assume we'll see less and less of "lead" weights. Ironically, from time to time, I discover "new" lead weights (never installed) in my buckets!

[dimaprok]

I just fill a high sided tray that sits in my lap. Sort from there. Less hand motion and restful. Toss each in appropriate bucket in front of me. While I watch something on TV or listen to music. Sort the majority by sight, but nip all the Zn and Pb clip on WW's to confirm. Nip toss, nip toss and hand never leaves my lap. Yes I am bone deep lazy and darn good at it too!

I just hope you're not doing this in your house because the buckets I pickup contain so much junk, dirt and crud I would have to hire carpet cleaners or replace carpet!

[Dieselhorses]

Since we already talking about lead and zinc, I caroused the forums just seeing what different folks save and use "zinc" for. As many others do, I've been just donating the steel and zinc weights to some scrap metal guy to get them out my way. Thinking about hoarding the zinc now. Does anyone make good use of it?

[lightman]

I'm saving mine to make my Son an anchor. He fishes from a Kayak in fast running water. I'm thinking about pouring it in a 14-16oz can with a 1/4 inch eye bolt in it.

A few others shoot cannons and save it for cannon balls.

Other than the anchor I sell mine at the scrap yard whenever I get enough junk brass and wheel weight clips to justify the trip.

[mold maker]

I too have collected zinc weights and clips rather than junk them. Since zinc has a value close to lead, I'd always intended to make a swap at the scrap yard, but it hasn't happened yet. Would there be benefit to melting to separate the clipps?

[lightman]

It might bring more without the clips but it might not be worth the trouble. Probably a tossup either way.

[ulav8r]

Ask the scrapyard what they will give for each. You will get different answers everywhere you go, so ask them, not us.

[Burnt Fingers]

The results differ "demographically" I'm sure, but in my neck of the woods, on average, the yield is usually 25% lead clip on, 20% Zinc clip on, 20% lead stick on and 35% steel clip on/stick on. I rarely see any zinc stick on weights.

I'm sorry I didn't put enough emphasis on what you were asking.... The EPA supposedly granted a petition in May, 2009 prohibiting the manufacture, processing and distribution of "lead based" wheel weights. So yes, I assume we'll see less and less of "lead" weights. Ironically, from time to time, I discover "new" lead weights (never installed) in my buckets!

Do you have a link to this petition? I ask because I just got new tires on my truck and they used lead wheel weights.

https://www.moderntiredealer.com/art...ry-steel-first

[Jlw6636]

Just got my first bucket of WW from a local shop. Thank you all for the information.

[WRideout]

I have sorted a few buckets of WW from my local tire dealer who gives them to me. I am hoarding all the clip-on, but I didn't realize some of the stick-on were about the same hardness. Nowadays I have been basically using range lead from the backstop at my club. I tend to bring back more than I deposited, so I guess me heirs will get buckets of WW ingots.

Wayne

[ioon44]

If your stick-on weights seem hard check to see if they are zinc.

[lightman]

I have sorted a few buckets of WW from my local tire dealer who gives them to me. I am hoarding all the clip-on, but I didn't realize some of the stick-on were about the same hardness. Nowadays I have been basically using range lead from the backstop at my club. I tend to bring back more than I deposited, so I guess me heirs will get buckets of WW ingots.

Wayne

BNE has a nice sticky on some XFR analysis that he did on both clip on and stick on weights. He posted pictures of the harder stick on weights that are really helpful.