Soft stick-ons don't want to melt

[Tatume]

They have been stored in a water tight Connex for two years. I don't see an issue with hygroscopic salt. Bare metal in the Connex (e.g. equipment, shovels, post hole digger, military cartridge boxes, etc.), would give some indication over time if there was salt in the atmosphere inside. None is noted.

You can't say you weren't warned.

[Cucumbermonkey]

I find a lot of stick on weights that are zinc.

I think Ive found 1 in maybe 500lbs of wheel weights that Ive smelted. My system now is sort all the SOWWs to the side, then sort out all the steel ones with a magnet. Then take clippers to whatever's left. Only found 1 that wasnt steel and wouldnt dent. I assumed it was zinc.

[John Boy]

Stick on WW’s are about 98% pure lead. And pure lead melts at 627 degrees. If what you thought we’re stick on’s ... weren’t.

[oley55]

I find a lot of stick on weights that are zinc.

Interesting. I recently sorted my first batch of WWs (158#) and did not encounter a single zinc stick-on, but rather a lot of Fe. Based on all the threads I've followed, I was quite surprised over the absence of zinc stick-ons. And for that matter the low number of Zn clip-ons. By far the majority of non-lead were Fe.

[DAVIDMAGNUM]

........., I was quite surprised over the absence of zinc stick-ons. And for that matter the low number of Zn clip-ons. By far the majority of non-lead were Fe.

I am not saying that they don't exist, but I have never seen a Zinc stick on wheel weight.

[BK7saum]

I find that maybe 25-50% of my stick on weights are/have been zinc. I am starting to see more iron or steel stick-on weights now also.

They usually have a Zn imprint somewhere on the surface of the weight.

[John Boy]

Pure lead melts at 625F. If the stick ones don’t melt at tha temperature they’re not Pb

[Paramax55]

I eventually melted those soft weights. They eventually melted fine and made shiny boolits. They're powder coated and waiting for me to put some of my home grown BP behind them. Hopefully in a day or two.

[RogerDat]

Since I test everything by giving it a nip with the dikes I know I'm getting lead, hundreds of pounds of WW's and only one zinc or steel I missed floated to the top. This 100% testing is also when I toss all the soft stick on WW's in their own bucket separate from Clip On WW's. I know they are different alloys one having 2.5 to 3.5% Sb and some traces of Sn and arsenic. The SOWW's being almost plain lead means I want them either as an ingredient for making alloys or for muzzle loader and C&B round ball casting.

Mixing the two types never made sense to me. Introduced even more variation to a batch of COWW's depending on amount of stick on that were in that batch and recipes calling for a certain amount of COWW's to a certain amount of something else will not yield the same results if varying amounts of SOWW's are in the batches when melted into ingots.

Plain lead melts at a higher temperature and requires more heat to stay melted and not form a skin on top in cooler weather. A hot plate might melt lead in summer in a garage but fail to work well in the winter as the lead gets slushy on top. Not zinc slushy but still annoying. Having a lid for the pot and as much heat as the ambient temperature requires is required for melting SOWW or soft lead.

Currently I'm sitting on a 2.5 gallon bucket full since I see some advantage to the original form. The form provides proof of what the contents is. Once in an ingot it could be anything, while still SOWW's easy to know what it is. Making it a little easier to sell if I wanted to or use with confidence of ingredient in recipes.

[Conditor22]

When in doubt, cut them with side-cutters. IF they cut, ---- they are lead (or you are an beast )

[Paramax55]

It's been melted and about half of it is bullets. They've been PC'd and will hopefully (some of them) get launched from home grown BP behind them tomorrow.