Question about smelting large quantities of tin.

[TheDoctor]

Hopefully this is the right form to post this in. Have a chance to get a tin roof off of an old carriage house that was built back in the late 1800's. Looks like modern corrugated "tin" roof, but it's over 120 years old, and I would like to assume that a steel roof would no way have lasted that long. Going to go run a test on it to make sure it IS tin. (moms garage...she wants to put a steel roof on it, "modernizing" the place). If it is tin, and since it has been exposed to the elements for as long as it has been, it will have a lot of oxide, and I would assume you flux it like lead? Probably going to be a total of at least several hundred pounds, most likely more. Going off what's in my head, it's about 35' X 15'. Not sure if you flux tin, what would be the best material to flux with. I know it will be a lot of work, but I've been eyeballing this roof for almost 30 years! Have just never messed with tin before, and not sure how different it is to smelt than lead. Thanks for any input.

[fredj338]

If it is possible to melt it, great score. Melt temp should be kept low & I see no reason to not flux it to pull impurities out. Sure you will lose a bit of tin, but it is all tin right? Have fun be safe. If you want to sell or trade some after you get ingots, PM me.

[kevin c]

That'd be fantastic if it is tin, though it would be a first for me. I've heard of roofing with plated on tin, tin and lead, and zinc, but not solid tin.

As fredj338 suggests, a quick test is to take a propane torch to a piece of it. It should melt quickly if it's mainly tin, but won't if the underlying metal is iron or steel. Alternative tests are to see if a magnet sticks (steel core) or if some muriatic acid makes it fizz (zinc coating).

Let us know how it turns out! We're all curious and hopeful for you to have the score of a lifetime!

[M-Tecs]

https://www.ehow.com/about_5208734_h...tin-roofs.html

[kevin c]

That's an informative read, M-Tecs. Thanks for looking it up and linking.

Well, we can still hope it's all tin. What a find that would be.

[lightman]

That would be a great score if it turns out to be tin. But I've never seen tin roofing. Good Luck to you, I hope it is tin.

[fredj338]

That'd be fantastic if it is tin, though it would be a first for me. I've heard of roofing with plated on tin, tin and lead, and zinc, but not solid tin.

As fredj338 suggests, a quick test is to take a propane torch to a piece of it. It should melt quickly if it's mainly tin, but won't if the underlying metal is iron or steel. Alternative tests are to see if a magnet sticks (steel core) or if some muriatic acid makes it fizz (zinc coating).

Let us know how it turns out! We're all curious and hopeful for you to have the score of a lifetime!

Yeah if it is rusty, not likely tin but tin plated steel.

[garbler]

I’m guessing you have terne plate which is what was called tin roofing way back. As a rule the steel sheets are coated with a mix of tin and lead but mostly lead. If there is more than 15% tin I’d be surprised. Early tin cans were pretty much the same. I can’t imagine how you would handle this stuff looking for usable tin.

Good luck

[TheDoctor]

It's with a heavy heart that I found out a magnet sticks to it...

[FLINTNFIRE]

Well at least you did not cut it all up and waste fuel trying to melt

[ulav8r]

A magnet would stick to terne plate. Still would probably not be worthwhile to try to melt the lead off the steel base.

[Tripplebeards]

I remember when I bought my first house with tin roof. It was all rusty...not tin.

[lightman]

It's with a heavy heart that I found out a magnet sticks to it...

I was afraid that it would not be tin. But was wishing you the best. The names tin roofing, tin siding and tin cans are misleading.

If you are going to be the one doing the work, check the nails. They may be lead headed. It won't be much but each nail probably has about as much lead as a 22 bullet on it.

[15meter]

And yes, a steel roof can easily last over a hundred years. Galvanized steel roof is good for about 20 years then about every 10 years you paint it with "fibered roof compound". Real high viscosity roof paint.

Last steel roof my Dad and I replaced was about 2005. When tearing the old roof off we found several labels on the underside from where the roofing had been purchased. Company name and address in downtown Detroit. But no phone number. Downtown Detroit would have had phones prior to 1900 and I believe the company would have it on their label.

My parents bought the farm in 1951, Dad re-roofed the barn in about 53-54 and that roof still looks good.


Don't know how old the house/buildings are, in 1951 when it was purchased my Dad's grandmother said that she had played with a friend there when she was a little girl. Great-grandma was born in 1869. She said it was an old house when she was a little girl.

[bangerjim]

I have never heard of PURE SN roofing. Even back 200 years ago Sn was a rather valuable metal. When we speak of "tin cans" and "tin Lizzys" it is referring to the tin PLATED rolled sheet steel materials. Now everithing is Zn plated (galvanized) for rust remediation. As a kid I helped some friends tear off a metal roof from a government building and it was pure Zn rolled roofing.....many years old and still in pretty good shape. The guys all called a "tin roof"!

Too bad you now have a bunch of scrap metal worth mabe 20¢ a pound on a good day. But it never hurts to "wish upon a star!"

banger

[woodbutcher]

When I was growing up in Florida,I worked in the citrus groves.This was in the mid to late 60`s early 70`s.There were metal roof equipment sheds that were built around 1900 and were still water tight.Just before I moved to Tn in 1985 I drove through the groves that I worked in,and those same sheds were still in use.And when you stop and think about the chemicals that are used in a citrus operation,well,that speaks well of the quality of those old steel/galvanized metal panels.
Good luck.Have fun.Be safe.
Leo