Large tin ingot.

[NevadaJack]

I just picked up a large ingot that the previous owner claims is tin. 3' x 6" x 4". Any recommendations on how to test it to make sure it is tin?

[dbosman]

How accurate is your thermometer? Tin melts at 449.5°F.
Do you have a power hacksaw? to cut it into usable portions?
That size volume of tin should weigh 102.86 kilos.

[JimB..]

Scrap yard xrf will tell you. User BNE has tested various alloys for folks here including me.

100kg of tin would be a heck of a score.

[John Boy]

Drop it on a concrete floor. If it ‘rings’, good indication it is tin

[dtknowles]

Calculate its density or measure its specific gravity. Cut a cube off it or a slice. Measure length width and thickness and weigh it. Actually you could just weigh the whole bar. Tin is only half as dense as lead. It should be obvious. Like DBosman said if it is tin it should weigh a couple hundred pounds if it is lead it should be more like twice that. If it is tin it should make a funny noise if you bend it, if it is lead no noise when you bend it.

Tim

[NyFirefighter357]

Toss it on a scale

Tin weighs 4.1994 ounce per cubic inch [oz/inch³] .

36"x6"x4"=864 inch³

864x4.1994=3,628.28

3,628.28/16=226.7676LB

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Nice dilemma to have.

[bangerjim]

Just pay for an X-ray test (not that expensive prom BNE on here)and have all questions answered for you! Forget dropping and ringing and weighing and melting.

All are just Guestimates.

If it pure Sn, you will be glad you did! PM him and get instructions.

[garandsrus]

I am guessing 3”x6”x4”. Still worth a chunk of money and a good problem to have! A thin (1/4” square) piece of pure tin will make a sound similar to cracking when you bend it. I don’t know why but 99% tin solder doesn’t make the same sound.

[truckerdave397]

If possible take it to a scrap yard with a box of donuts and have them test it.

[NevadaJack]

Sorry for the delay. My girl friend whom I was engaged to left me a Dear John letter just after I made that post. Been in a tail spin. Oh well.... Thank you for all of the information. I'm suspecting it is not tin though. The actual dimensions of the bar are 2'x4"x2". Smaller than I was told. It's not heavy enough.

[NyFirefighter357]

Sorry for the delay. My girl friend whom I was engaged to left me a Dear John letter just after I made that post. Been in a tail spin. Oh well.... Thank you for all of the information. I'm suspecting it is not tin though. The actual dimensions of the bar are 2'x4"x2". Smaller than I was told. It's not heavy enough.

It should weigh about 50lbs if it's tin.

[LAGS]

I found Pizza works better at scrap yards to get the guys on your side.
I buy my Tin in 20 lb blocks from SeaFab metals south of me in Casa Grande Az.
They do also ship it to you if you pay the freight.
But I was lucky because I had a friend that lives in Casa Grande.
He would buy the Tin for me during the week , and I would pick it up from him when we would go shooting at a range near him in Casa Grande.
At least buying the stuff from a metal supplier , I was sure what it actually was and didn't have to have it tested.

[NevadaJack]

It's about 15 pounds. I'm guessing aluminum. I thought I scored until I picked it up and weighed it.

[Dusty Bannister]

Looks like you have a nice heat sink for cooling a mold during casting. Just draw file the top surface flat for good contact by the mold.