WET wheelweights

[RogerWatsonfromIdaho]

The local tire store sold me enough wheelweights to fill 3 of my 5 gallon buckets. They store their wheelweights outside and they were wet from rain.
I again noticed the water on the wheelweights when I was about to melt them tonight. I assume everyone knows putting water into molten lead causes it to turn to steam and splash molten lead out of the pot. I tried using the propane torch to dry the wheelweights, but this was much too slow. I decided to carry the wet wheelweights to the furnace room to let them dry.

This is the first tire place that I have seen store their wheelweights outside. I had not heard or thought of this problem before.

[BruceB]

The easiest way to ensure they're dry is to just start each potful of the wet weights heating in a previously EMPTY smelting pot.

Even if the pot is still hot from the preceding batch, the new batch will definitely be dry before they melt. Do not put any possibly-damp weights into remaining liquid metal. Make CERTAIN that your smelting pot is absolutely empty, and there will be no problem.

I encountered exactly the same condition here a week or so back, and the empty-pot system worked fine and safely. Some of my WW buckets are stored outdoors, and I have drilled holes in their bottoms to prevent water buildups in the buckets. It still requires caution as you get near the bottom of each bucket, however.

[mag_01]

Good luck with your casting---set them out over night on a piece of cardboard to dry----- Mag

[Bass Ackward]

This is the first tire place that I have seen store their wheelweights outside. I had not heard or thought of this problem before.

Roger,

Some of the local recyclers here are getting picky. They want the weights washed and debris free. This I guess was being done, but now that it is getting colder guys are finding this a pain. So using buckets that have holes in the bottom and setting them outside is a way of trying to meet the criteria.

If you live in an area that requires the clean weights and it is getting colder, I find that now is a great time to search for wheel weights. I got three buckets free the other day. They didn't even want the buckets back was how bad they wanted to avoid the hastle.

[Castoff]

Hi, all.
I am new to casting and would like to know what is the composition of wheel weights.
Are they considered "soft" or "hard" as far as bullet casting metal goes.
What do you flux with? I have heard candle wax, or bees wax, or grease all can work .
Is there "best" for fluxing?
Is any of these three one of them?
Many thanks for the help on these pretty basic questions.

[arkypete]

You want to really aggrevate the bride? Dry them in the oven or borrow her hair dryer.
Jim

[454PB]

Castoff, welcome to the zoo.

Here is a link that will give you lots of information on boolit alloys:

http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletNotes.htm

Wheelweights are about in the middle of the hardness range, but make an excellent alloy alone or "sweetened" with tin or antimony, usually in the form of linotype. WW's can also be hardened through heat treating or simply dropping the hot boolits directly from the mould into cold water.

All the things you mentioned can and are used for fluxing. Do a search on "flux" and you'll find several hours of reading and opinions.

[Marsh]

I am wanting buy a supply of honest to God Lyman 421429 bullets. Can some one steer to it.
Thanks,
Marsh

[376Steyr]

Years ago I read a warning that the salt used for de-icing roads could hold water, as I recall, inside the salt crystals and an apparently dry wheel weight could still flash to steam. No road salting done where I live, but I suppose an out-of-state weight could find its way into the tire shop's bucket. Anybody have an experience of this happening?

[Castoff]

Thanks, 454PB. I appreciate the link and the information. Nothing beats experience, and I am a little short on that right now. So, having the link is a good starting place.
I've got some old candles that are not any good for light, so I will probably use them for my flux.
I am trying to get around the expense of buying commercial lube. Does anyone make their own? If so, what are the components?
Thanks.

[KCSO]

I use the Bruce B method and have never had a problem. Run the pot dry and dump in some more weights and by the time they melt they are dry. I do know that salt makes a lot of dross on the top.

[waksupi]

Thanks, 454PB. I appreciate the link and the information. Nothing beats experience, and I am a little short on that right now. So, having the link is a good starting place.
I've got some old candles that are not any good for light, so I will probably use them for my flux.
I am trying to get around the expense of buying commercial lube. Does anyone make their own? If so, what are the components?
Thanks.

Hi Castoff. Try going to the Cast Boolits topic. You will see the Felix Lube recipe as a sticky. Our favorite homemade lube!

[Hunter]

I try and smelt the wet ones first so like yall said they will dry before melting but I have come across some that were wet as I was adding to the pot. I laid them on the steel plate almost under where my burner sits and they were dry in a few minuets.

[Lloyd Smale]

I put them in an old steel 5 gallon grease bucket then as im smelting the first batch these dry out pretty well and it even prewarms them and makes the smelting faster.

[dakotashooter2]

An old toaster oven also works to dry them out. Or lay them on some wire mesh and hang them over the grill. Just make sure you don't cook on any surface the lead rests on.