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Thread: Problems with clip-on "lead' wheel weights

  1. #1
    Boolit Bub

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    Problems with clip-on "lead' wheel weights

    Something to be very careful about when using or buying "lead" clip on wheel weights that have been collected in the past 4 or 5 years. I can buy them from a local scrap yard and
    I have found that a lot of them are plastic coated metal or zinc or steel. The look almost identical to the old style real lead alloyed wheel weights but are a real pain to sort out. In fact unless you can
    cut them in half you really won't know what they are made of. Usually, when I buy a bucket of clip-on wheel weights (not the the stick on type) about half of them are plastic coated zinc or steel.
    Some of the plastic coated type have specific markings on them but the markings are pretty small and difficult to read.
    From EPA Lead is a component of many existing wheel weights, though alternatives such as steel, zinc alloy and plastic-metal composite are now widely available, and according to information received by EPA, lead wheel weights are no longer used on new vehicles in the United States
    Last edited by fatfudd; 01-13-2025 at 11:27 AM.

  2. #2
    Boolit Master
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    Good info but pretty much well known amongst casters. There are several threads going on about the percentage of lead to zinc, steel in this forum.

    https://castboolits.gunloads.com/sho...d-in-your-area
    Last edited by Rickf1985; 01-13-2025 at 12:26 PM.

  3. #3
    Boolit Master Ohio Rusty's Avatar
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    You can clearly tell if a wheel weight is plastic coated. I check all my wheel weights with a pair of wire cutters. You will know immediately when you try to cut it if the wheel weights is plastic coated, a zinker, a steelie, a real wheel weight, etc.
    Ohio Rusty ><>
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  4. #4
    Boolit Buddy
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    Sort a few baker's dozens of buckets minimum and you'll learn to recognize what you have. The plastic coated ones are bigger, bulkier, and even look and feel like plastic not anything metal. They also have two notches on the backside. A magnet will stick to the end of them enough to give you the hint they're plastic coated steel if the rest of the obvious escapes your notice.

    The solid steel ones are skinnier, more silver in color, and the way the clip is attached on the back being some form of spot welded on is a dead give away. They will stick HARD to a magnet.

    Zinc is the tricky one. Aside from 99.9% having the letters ZN embossed on the front, quite a few do look just like lead. They will NOT however accept a cut from any kind of wire cutter. You will barely even make a mark on them and the difference between lead and zinc with a cut test is night and day. There is NO well maybe that's zinc maybe it isn't.

    When I sort I dump out a manageable pile and cull out the obvious. The plastic coated are THE easiest to spot. The solid steel look different enough that they're second easiest to spot. That gets you down to zinc and lead. I run every single weight from there on through a bolt cutter mounted on a stand and that clearly tells me it's lead or not. I can make an easy mark on the lead, and the zinc will just not let the blade do anything. This system gets me through a batch of weights quickly and efficiently without looking for markings on each weight. I ain't got time for that.

  5. #5
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I too sort by dumping out a pile on a board, culling the obvious bad ones, and the nipping the good ones. I nip every single weight I melt.
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  6. #6
    Boolit Master

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    WW's marked Fe are iron/steel, those marked Zn are zinc. Plastic coated are obvious.
    Micah 6:8
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  7. #7
    Boolit Grand Master
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    That is why I quit scrounging COWW's almost 5+ years ago. More "other" materials in there than Pb alloy. I am fortunate to have gather over 2 tons of cleaned ingotized WW alloy in years past. Last purchase was pre-covid at 50˘f/#. Tire stores have contract with recyclers now and make money off the old WW's and do NOT give them away. You live in a RARE area of the US if you cans till find buckets of the things that are ONLY Pb alloy.

    With PC'ing, I no longer worry about my alloy mix hardness, as the coating protects the barrel 100%. And hardness is a thing of the past...except on my30 cal super dooper loopers"!

    Good luck finding "silver" gold out there! It is getting harder to find. Just buy ingots off this site from reliable folks and do NOT trust EvilBay.

    banger

  8. #8
    Boolit Grand Master

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    The plastic coated ones are pretty obvious once you have sorted for a while. It just takes awhile to get onto it.

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Ohio Rusty View Post
    You can clearly tell if a wheel weight is plastic coated. I check all my wheel weights with a pair of wire cutters. You will know immediately when you try to cut it if the wheel weights is plastic coated, a zinker, a steelie, a real wheel weight, etc.
    Ohio Rusty ><>

    LIKE LIKE LIKE

    Test every wheel weight with the cutters ...
    If you can cut it ... it's a keeper and lead .
    If you can't cut it ... steel or zinc ... toss in recycle / zinc bin .

    There are no short cuts ... use cutters and test every one , even the ones that look like keepers ... they will try to fool you ...

    But You Can't Fool the Cutter !
    Gary
    Certified Cajun
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    " Let's Go Brandon !"

  10. #10
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    There are some plastic coated stick ons that are lead, but they are closer to WWs than pure, according the XRF sticky, so they go into the bucket with the regular weights.
    BulletMatch: Cataloging the World's Bullets

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  11. #11
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    Anybody know what's in the "foam" type stick-ons?

    I get a few of those every now and then and just pitch em back in with the steel scrap. Can't imagine they're good for anything because they look and feel like a heavy foam rubber stuff. I ain't gonna try melting one either.

  12. #12
    Boolit Master Recycled bullet's Avatar
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    I like the stick-ons. They are almost 99% pure after you burn off the adhesive. It is the pure redneck gold from a Lyman mold that you'll find in a bucket behind my toolbox.

  13. #13
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    Quote Originally Posted by Recycled bullet View Post
    I like the stick-ons. They are almost 99% pure after you burn off the adhesive. It is the pure redneck gold from a Lyman mold that you'll find in a bucket behind my toolbox.
    Everything stick-on I've ever melted down is around 10 bhn, pretty much the same as most bullet core range scrap.They are soft but not at all what I would consider as pure soft in my experience.

  14. #14
    Boolit Master Recycled bullet's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Appalacian View Post
    Everything stick-on I've ever melted down is around 10 bhn, pretty much the same as most bullet core range scrap.They are soft but not at all what I would consider as pure soft in my experience.
    Yes they are pretty soft

  15. #15
    Boolit Master Recycled bullet's Avatar
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    My favorite bullet metal comes from RMR bullets. They sell lead noodles in a big box. Open them up dump it in the Melting Pot get to work.

  16. #16
    Boolit Grand Master Bazoo's Avatar
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    I've not tested my stick on weights, but the are nearly pure, soft enough to dig into with a fingernail. So... 5 or 6 BHN. All of them except those plastic coated ones. I throw the foam ones in the bad bucket.
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  17. #17
    Boolit Buddy DAVIDMAGNUM's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by bazoo View Post
    ............ I nip every single weight i melt.
    this

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Appalacian View Post
    Anybody know what's in the "foam" type stick-ons?

    I get a few of those every now and then and just pitch em back in with the steel scrap. Can't imagine they're good for anything because they look and feel like a heavy foam rubber stuff. I ain't gonna try melting one either.
    I cut one of those open, filled with powder, like Black Cocaine.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
    “If someone has a gun and is trying to kill you, it would be reasonable to shoot back with your own gun.”
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  19. #19
    Boolit Grand Master
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    Quote Originally Posted by The Appalacian View Post
    Anybody know what's in the "foam" type stick-ons?

    I get a few of those every now and then and just pitch em back in with the steel scrap. Can't imagine they're good for anything because they look and feel like a heavy foam rubber stuff. I ain't gonna try melting one either.
    They are a "metal" weight with a sticky foam backing allowing the weight to stick to uneven surfaces.

  20. #20
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by The Appalacian View Post
    Anybody know what's in the "foam" type stick-ons?

    I get a few of those every now and then and just pitch em back in with the steel scrap. Can't imagine they're good for anything because they look and feel like a heavy foam rubber stuff. I ain't gonna try melting one either.
    The Foam Backed Stick on weights used to be darn near pure / soft lead ... it was a strip of lead with a stick on foam back to adhere to the wheel ... once removed they can't be reused .
    I put them in the Lead bucket and treat the metal as soft scrap lead like lead roof flashing and such .
    I would take my knife and peel the sticky foam off the metal strip before melting ... the foam smokes a bit .
    But ... who knows what them fools have come up with ... can you post a photo of what you are talking about .
    Gary
    Last edited by gwpercle; 01-15-2025 at 05:30 PM.
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