Found a little keel lead

[mkj4him]

So I hear keel lead is closer to COWW’s than pure lead in composition. Anybody know for sure? Just curious. I found a little.


This is the little one. 1,800 lbs.


This one weighs 3,100 lbs by my fancy math.
There is still one slightly bigger I have to go back and get. But I need a bigger trailer. Mine was hurting.

[Winger Ed.]

You'll need to test it to be sure.
Many of the boat makers used whatever they could scrounge up or buy on the cheap.
Most keels are fairly pure, but I wouldn't count on it.
If you can make a scratch in it with your finger nail, it's probably at least fairly pure.

[kevin c]

I’ve always read here that keel casters use what’s available, cheap and castable, so certified foundry alloy is not going to be used. I think it’s mainly the US navy that actually has/had a purity standard for ballast lead.

You might consider muriatic acid testing that third keel; I’d be bummed to to get a ton and a half of lead with too much zinc to be usable for bullet casting (though the acid test is only qualitative: fizzing just suggests the presence of zinc without showing how much).

[mkj4him]

I’ve seen a couple places people actually casting zinc bullets. So what’s the downside to having zinc in the alloy?

[dondiego]

I’ve seen a couple places people actually casting zinc bullets. So what’s the downside to having zinc in the alloy?

If you ever try to cast an alloy that has over 5% of zinc in it you will understand. It is really difficult to get the mold to fill out. The surface of the melt is like a thick mush and it difficult to deal with.

[mkj4him]

I guess I’ll cut a piece off and see how it melts.

[bangerjim]

Like said, anything could be in there, They used anything and everything available that would melt around Pb temps to make those weights. Same with diving weights.

There is no standard!!!!!!!!!!!

And your question about casting Zn boolits. Sure, if you are casting 100% pure Zn! Some are switching to it due to anti-Pb laws in some states. The mess you can end up with over 5% zinc (proven by me several years ago) is poor fills due to higher temps (Pb) and poor surface tension. And lighter boolits. Zn melts differently and does not fill out molds like most of us want. We all try like anything to avoid any Zn in our boolit castings. But a little (<5%) Zn hurt nothing.

Send a small sample to BNE on this forum and he will x-ray test it for you. Contact him FIRST! He has rules. Remember each big weight piece will/could be totally different!

banger

[super6]

I believe salt water keels had a good bit of zinc as sacrificial, As in salt water sail boats to stop the corrosion. My 2 cents worth.

[mkj4him]

I will be sending samples.

[imashooter2]

Keels are 100% heavy stuff that melts unless they found some heavy stuff that wouldn’t melt to pour the heavy stuff that melted around.

[P Flados]

MJK,

Quite a score. You should post your location. You might find fellow boolit men in your area that are willing to help you out and/or purchase a portion of your haul.

[mkj4him]

I’m in Leon county, Florida.

[lightman]

Nice score!

I hope you have a way to handle it once you get it home.

[oley55]

I believe salt water keels had a good bit of zinc as sacrificial, As in salt water sail boats to stop the corrosion. My 2 cents worth.

hard to imagine a boat builder/owner who would want their keels to be sacrificial. Imagine the pitting and holes. Beside zinc anodes are aways attached to metal components so that they corrode away vs the metal components. Most of the lead keels are attached to fiberglass or wood hulls which do not endure galvanic corrosion and have no need for a sacrificial metal.

[super6]

I stand corrected, As what I said its 2cents worth.

[slim1836]

You might also consider muriatic acid testing both keels before getting that third, if they bubble going after the third one may be a wasted trip. Swing by a scrap yard and they can test it, usually for free.

Slim

[oley55]

I stand corrected, As what I said its 2cents worth.

I didn’t mean to come off as a smart ***…. But I have invested plenty of bucks on zinc anodes in my past.

[super6]

All is good, I did not take it that way, I am looking forword to the op posting his results

[kevin c]

Is that one keel cut into three pieces? If so, slim1836’s suggestion to test what you already hauled away makes sense. If not, I’d test the third keel before committing youtime, money and effort.

[GregLaROCHE]

In my experience lead keel ballast from old wooden boats tends to be close to pure lead. When they started making fiberglass boats with solid fin type keels, they needed to start hardening the lead so they wouldn’t get scared or bent if they hit something.