Wheel weights and molds

[PensFAn]

OK, I'm one of the lurkers with a couple really basic question.

Went to the garage where I get my car worked on and picked up a bunch of old wheel weights. There are, of course, a bunch of different kinds in this pile.

1. Do I have to pick through them in any way? The reason I ask is that I read (on here?) that some of these weights include zinc and that screws things up.

2. I assume when I melt these things that the steel will float and I just pick it out. Right?

3. For molds, 2 cavity or 4? I have my eye on a Lyman 358429. I'll be loading from a lead ladle (that I use to cast fishing jigs).

Thanks for the help

[randyrat]

MMMMMMmmm where should we start.

First get your self a small hand held wire cutter. Test each WW, if you can score or dent them with a hand held wire cutter then they are Lead.

Do this and read as much of the old archives here as you can using search words such as; Zinc WWs, melting temp of Zinc, melting temp of WWs.

Do this until you feel comfortable throwing them in a pot and skimming off the Zinc WWs. Keep asking questions we will help.

[454PB]

Yes, the metal clips float on the surface and are scooped off. Zinc weights melt last. If you see a weight floating on the melt, remove it quickly. After it cools, test it with side cutters as randyrat said. I refuse to go through an entire 5 gallon bucket of wheelweights and test each one, it would take a week!

I suggest a newbie avoid 4 and 6 cavity moulds for starting out. After you get some experience, the longer, heavier moulds are less challenging.

[PensFAn]

OK, from the first post:

Checked the keywords: two methods (sort everything ahead of time by crushing or melt everybody in the pot and sort by density)

So which one do folks really recommend, practically speaking? Poster number 2 seems to use the toss-it-in-the-pot-method which is fine with me.

Anybody else?

PensFan
(speaking of which, we won tonight!)

[docone31]

It isn't that difficult.
I sort as best as I feel like. When the rest is in the melt, the clips, steel weights I missed and zinc weights float on top. I scoop them out.
I like zinc in my alloy. Up to a point, it serves me well. Beyond that point, it does make things harder.
It is going to be different from casting fishing sinkers. With them, you cast sinkers, let the sprue freeze, open the mold dump the pour. With these molds, you will want to keep a temperature constant during the pours. This will mean, the sprue will "freeze" during a specific time point. I prefer six seconds from pour to cutting the sprue. When my sprue "freezes" at six seconds, I am at the best temp in the mold, and my pour.
With these castings, you will want the size to be identical to each other, and weight to be the same also. Different from fishing sinkers. A couple of pours though and you will have it.
I use Kitty Litter on top of my melt. I put the sprues on the Litter, fresh wheel weights, rejects, etc... The Litter slows down the addition so any water is gone by the time the lead hits the pot. In time, the Litter breaks down to powder. A lot of contaminants get picked up by the Litter. It is my flux.

[izzyjoe]

i've noticed that the zinc ww make a diffirent noise when tapped on the melt pot. but i've learned to spot em' but that don't always count. they float to the top when the lead melts. and if you don't know water is a no no around the melt pot. go get 'em

[Echo]

I render slowly, with a cool flame (?). That way, the zincies don't have a chance to melt into the WW alloy. and I can scoop them out easily with the clips. Go slow, no rush, and the zincies and steelies will be no problem. And no tedious checking with dikes...

[alamogunr]

No one has recommended the use of a thermometer in cleaning up WW although several have recommended going slow. I always sort and throw out the zinc and steel weights(also the stick-ons) before clean-up. As the melt progresses, I check the temp and try to hold it between 600ºF and 650ºF. Never fail to find a few zinc or steel weights.

I'm sure that my first clean-up of WW got a few zinc weights in the mix because I let the melt get too hot. Luckily that was several years ago and zinc weights weren't that common. I keep that lead for handgun plinking boolets.

John
W.TN

[BoolitBill]

As far as molds go, my 358429 is the most accurate of all my molds. But I shoot a S&W K frame. If you shoot an N frame you will most likely have to seat the boolit deeper into the case for it to fit your gun. Nothing really difficult to do but I would watch your pressures on max loads if you have to seat the boolit deeper.