Identify this?

[Rickf1985]

In another thread you probably saw I made a big score on wheel weights and lino lead. Plus some possible tin. Well I have found markings on two of the blocks that say 100% SN but the third block is strange. It is marked 100% Mike metal. Does anyone know what this is? Or is it just someones personal id name for it?

[Dusty Bannister]

Probably someone's "special" alloy. I sometimes mark ingots by their source when casting for a friend that does not cast for himself. Try compressing a ball bearing between this sample and a similar sized ingot of COWW and see if they are about the same sized indent.

Seeing a corner chipped off one of those ingots, look closely to see if it shows any grain structure similar to Linotype. Only seeing one side of the ingot, it might be something harder than Lino. I think I have some small square ingots of other alloys. Maybe give it a tap test to see if it rings or thuds to start with. Dusty

[Rickf1985]

The corners are the same on all of them, must have been whatever they were molded in. Checking the 100% SN with the Lee hardness tester comes out to 8 which is right on the money and that Mike one is close to the same but, that Mike sample is substantially heavier than the SN sample. The SN sample is a hair thicker on one side so a hair more mass but 2 1/4 lbs. compared to the Mike sample at a little over 2 1/2 lbs. It does ring.

[Red River Rick]

Rick1985:

Hard to read what it actually does say. Is it "Mike" metal or possibly "Mixed" metal?

RRR

[Rickf1985]

Good point, let me go stare at it again. I was trying to think of all possible combinations of letters and I didn't think of that one.
Yup, put it in front of the wife and that was what she saw right off and standing a ways behind her from an angle I could clearly see the "mixe" with no "d" but that area is worn so I think you hit it on the head. Strange to call something 100% when it is "mixed metal". I guess I will put that in a pot by itself and see where it melts and hardens temp wise and go from there. It will be tossed into the wheel weight pot most likely as long as it melts above 450 and below 650.