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Thread: Lead free solder, good for boolits?

  1. #1
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
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    Willamina, OR
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    Lead free solder, good for boolits?

    I have a couple rolls of lead free solder that I don't recall where I got them from. Neither of them has a break down of the alloy. The one roll I find the most interesting is labeled silver bearing solder. The brand is Kester and there's no product number on the spool but it does mention it's for potable drinking water connections. The only useful info on the Kester site says the US plumbing standard is 95% tin and 5% silver.

    While I have no shortage of tin bars for hardening up my boolit alloy, I'm wondering if this would be OK to use for that purpose. I'm thinking I acquired it long before I got the 12 or so pounds of pure tin bars that I have...

    I have another roll that's lead free rosin core and most likely for electrical use but the label is so dirty on that roll that it's mostly unreadable.

    Tony
    Hi, my name is Tony and I'm addicted to gunpowder.

    AKA Geezerbiker

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
    winelover's Avatar
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    Apr 2009
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    I use lead free solder for making 20-1 alloy. One (1#) spool to twenty pounds of pure lead. Can't get any easier than that, math wise.

    Winelover

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Sasquatch-1's Avatar
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    Jan 2012
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    95% tin or more. I would use for bullet fill out. It should work the same as pewter. Add a little until you get good fill out after making sure it's not something else like dirty mold or too low heat.
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  4. #4
    Moderator


    Winger Ed.'s Avatar
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    Unless you have some real odd ball stuff, it's 95/5 solder the Plumbers use now for Copper water lines.

    I use it as a Tin source.

    In the old days, a one pound roll was about $10 bucks.
    That same roll is $35. now.
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  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master
    Join Date
    Nov 2008
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    Central VA
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    When I am loading my specific bullets for Schuetzen (especially bench events) I carefully mix my alloy for the job with components as pure as I can find. That lead free solder would be just the ticket for the tin component… the tiny copper/other content would be negligible.
    If you are casting with true COWWs, a % or two of that solder by weight will make the mix flow and full well.
    Froggie
    "It aint easy being green!"

  6. #6
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2021
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    277
    Does lead free solder cast good hunting bullets?

  7. #7
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Jan 2010
    Location
    Kiln, Mississippi
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    437
    By itself: no. Alloyed (2%) with lead (96%) and antimony (2%): yes.

  8. #8
    Boolit Buddy
    Join Date
    Feb 2013
    Location
    Willamina, OR
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    Thanks guy. I have a fork lift ballast plate I plan to smelt down soon. I'll toss that in the mix for sure. I also have half a bucket of WW's that I plan to smelt down at the same time. Unfortunately I have to wait for my grandson to help me since my back won't let me lift that much any more...

    Tony
    Hi, my name is Tony and I'm addicted to gunpowder.

    AKA Geezerbiker

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Abbreviations used in Reloading

BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
C Compressed Charge PR Primer SPCL Soft Point "Core-Lokt"
HP Hollow Point PSPCL Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" C.O.L. Cartridge Overall Length
PSP Pointed Soft Point Spz Spitzer Point SBT Spitzer Boat Tail
LRN Lead Round Nose LWC Lead Wad Cutter LSWC Lead Semi Wad Cutter
GC Gas Check