Favorite form of lead to find?

[CoolHandMoss]

I recently visited the local scrap yard and picked up what I found to be some sort of lead wire coating. I'd never heard of it before but it turned out to be the easiest thing in the world to melt down. Nothing but some oil residue on it in terms of dirt. It bends easily so getting it in the pot was no problem. Some research on here says it's likely as close to pure as one could find and some rough weight comparison of ingots has verified that. At a dollar a pound it's not cheap but I'll take it.

I also got some lead sheeting that looked like it came out of showers or maybe off of roofs. This wasn't bad either but had quite a bit of dirt on it.

A sailboat keel would be great, and fairly likely for me to find in my area but I'm not sure it would be worth cutting it up to melt down rather than just take advantage of these more convenient forms.

What is your favorite form of lead to find?

[Winger Ed.]

I came across a bunch of 1/8" thick walled Lead pipe about 3-4" diameter.
It was old school telephone cable sheathing made to be buried in the ground-- I think.

It'd been split, and all the thin phone wires pulled out.
You could stomp, or hammer it flat, and drop it right into the Lead Pot for melting.
Either it is normally pretty clean, or it had been power washed when it came into the yard.

Lead sheeting is pretty good too, but its usually really dirty and all sorts of trash floats up off it.

Another good score I found one time was approx. 350 pounds of shotgun shot.
It was real handy to toss in the pot for a alloy mix.

[CoolHandMoss]

I think that is the same stuff I find, or very similar at least. I got a picture uploaded.

[No_1]

I like to find it in its original non ingot shape/form as it’s much easier to identify - i.e. sheet lead, wheel weights, or Lino.

[rototerrier]

Freee

[remy3424]

/\ What he said /\ I am at the point I don't look very hard, but it seems to keep finding me.

[CoolHandMoss]

I got lucky with a good bit of free lead not long ago. I wish I could find enough to stay ahead.

[JimB..]

Any form of printer’s type. Pure is always good to have around, but also rarely hard to acquire.

I’ve acquired a couple tons, and now I hear that we may be downsizing to a new house soon.

[dale2242]

I prefer to get my lead in it`s original form.
Linotype strips or bars, lead pipe or sheets, WWs, solder bars, Etc.

[kevin c]

I like isotope containers. Very clean metal, consistent in content, easy to handle and small enough to go directly into the pot. If you can get them directly from a radiopharmacy, it saves tremendously on the scrounging effort.

[brass410]

FREE delivered, followed by come pick up this lead from the old print shop/body shop, and you can have to counter wieght off the allis chalmers fork lift(solid pure lead block 34x42x18) for the use of your english mastiff for my grand sons birthday.

[ShooterAZ]

+1 on the Isotope Cores. The ones that I was getting were 34lbs, so I had to cut them in half to fit them into my RCBS Promelt. A large band saw does quick work of this job. The alloy is approx 1% Tin, and 3% Antimony, which is kinda similar to WW. As was stated previously it's a super clean alloy, and is about perfect for most handgun loads. Occasionally I will sweeten it as needed with some Linotype, or even a little Tin if I'm working with a mold that gives me difficulty casting with. Overall, it's really good lead if you can find any of it.

[Jniedbalski]

Brass410. Body shops haven’t used lead in years. I worked in my grandfathers shop in St. Louis in 1980 till 86 in the summers. We had it at the shop but never used it. Had the lead tin bars Woden paddles Rosen, draw files for smoothing it out. The files Looked really corse deep teeth. My grandfather said he quit using it in the middle to late 50’s . They switched to bondo and didint miss the lead at all. The US and German cars I know until the late 60’s early 70’s had the quarter panel’s to roof still leaded not bondo. My grandfather said why get out the torch heat the panel up ,spread the lead on then grind and file smooth. Put more lead on and re sand file. To much work. Bondo just mix with hardner spread on and let dry. Then grind /sand smooth and your done. Tire shops where my best place to get lead but not any more.

[lightman]

My favorite is the larger isotope containers. Like everyone has said, the alloy works well and they are usually very clean. But, I no longer have a source for them and I use mostly clip-on wheelweights.

[brass410]

Brass410. Body shops haven’t used lead in years. I worked in my grandfathers shop in St. Louis in 1980 till 86 in the summers. We had it at the shop but never used it. Had the lead tin bars Woden paddles Rosen, draw files for smoothing it out. The files Looked really corse deep teeth. My grandfather said he quit using it in the middle to late 50’s . They switched to bondo and didint miss the lead at all. The US and German cars I know until the late 60’s early 70’s had the quarter panel’s to roof still leaded not bondo. My grandfather said why get out the torch heat the panel up ,spread the lead on then grind and file smooth. Put more lead on and re sand file. To much work. Bondo just mix with hardner spread on and let dry. Then grind /sand smooth and your done. Tire shops where my best place to get lead but not any more.

thats true but oddly enough, when I was apprenticeing the tradesman over me took me aside and says " Today we're going old school" and showed me how to tin up the panel and spoon on the lead and shape it with the file and prep for paint because he felt the trade was a dieing art. Still today die hard collectors come in and ask if we will do lead repairs oddly enough. Eastwood still sells all the stuff thats where I get my "sweetner " from.

[Gofaaast]

Free lead. Bil does hvac work so he always has some pipe for me. Old hard cast boolits is my favorite non virgin alloy especially at under a buck a lb.

[Conditor22]

this is my favorite ----- Monotype/foundry

[Jniedbalski]

Got done melting my wheel weights today. I got 60 ingots ,full size muffin tin was used as a mold. I paid 30 cents a pound for it. Now every body wants at least a dollar for it. This batch was already sorted for zink so only had a hand full of them all the rest was lead. Now tomorrow for the two 5 gallon buckets of range scrape to melt down.

[Jniedbalski]

My lead pile I made today

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

Favorite form of lead to find?

COWW in raw form, next is any easily identifiable lead alloy.