I use a cast iron pot and heat it. Obvious zn ones get dumped before pouring them in the pot. The others get dipped out as soon as the lead starts to melt.
Smelting wheel weights
- Thread starter Bfh_auto
- Start date
- Status
Hooda Thunkit
Member
I use 'render' instead.
As in rendering fat. Melt it down and remove impurities.
It fits perfectly.
JJFitch
Member
Since I figured out hardness is the leaser of the issues facing bullet casters I haven't checked hardness in 20 years. Maybe I'm lucky to have a consistent source of lead from the local indoor range. I do add a little tin if I think it needs it.
I look for hardness around 10BHN which is close to what I get from the range lead. But most important is bullet to barrel fit. I cast .002 over and size .001 over and use a fairly soft lube. The fastest I shoot lead is 1050 fps in 135 grain, 9mm. Full disclosure I cast for pistol only!
Since wheel weights are pretty hard I'd probably start with a ratio of around 2:1 two parts sheeting and one part WW. Cast a few and see how they perform!
Smiles,
I look for hardness around 10BHN which is close to what I get from the range lead. But most important is bullet to barrel fit. I cast .002 over and size .001 over and use a fairly soft lube. The fastest I shoot lead is 1050 fps in 135 grain, 9mm. Full disclosure I cast for pistol only!
Since wheel weights are pretty hard I'd probably start with a ratio of around 2:1 two parts sheeting and one part WW. Cast a few and see how they perform!
Smiles,
whughett
Member
The first time I used wheel weights around 2008, a small bucket from a local Tire Kingdom, I just filled the mag 20 full and turned it on. Steel clips float right. I was total unaware of the amount of rubber dust or bits that were in that batch. 
Dang what a stench. After that I started wet washing the stuff. No long after the crude started building up on the sides and bottom of the pot. I gave up.
This was at my vacation home where I didn’t have any but basic casting equipment. At home I would have most likely smelted down the wheel weights as I do range lead in a cast iron pot over a propane furnace.
Dang what a stench. After that I started wet washing the stuff. No long after the crude started building up on the sides and bottom of the pot. I gave up. This was at my vacation home where I didn’t have any but basic casting equipment. At home I would have most likely smelted down the wheel weights as I do range lead in a cast iron pot over a propane furnace.
Arkansas Paul
Member
I'd just use a Sharpie for the ones you've already poured.
But the simple solution is to use one of the molds for WWs and the other for pure lead.
But the simple solution is to use one of the molds for WWs and the other for pure lead.
The corn cob tin was gone when I went back
I'm primarily running this in rifles. I plan to start with wheel weights and gain experience. Then move into mixing tin and antimony with the plumbing lead.
About this time last year I bought 25 lbs of Superhard from Rotometals for $100 with free shipping. That seemed to me to be the simplest way of adding antimony. Not sure when this craziness will end. Last I looked, the same would cost about $125. Some times you can catch someone reputable on ebay that sells ingots of pewter or Britannia, which has a high content of tin.
lightman
Member
Thats true! The older weights that I have had tested had about .5% to 1% more tin than the newer ones do. Test of clip-on weights that I have had done have shown that they are remarkably consistent.
It seems like I have always had a good source for weights. My local store is good for about a bucket every 6 to 8 weeks and they are still running near 70% lead. Thats much better that other parts of the country.
My favorite alloy comes from the larger Isotope containers but I don't have a good or reliable source for them. It sure is clean lead!
I started marking WW ingots with a marking pen (I had access to a lot of wheel weight and used that as my main alloy for a few years). But marking pen faded and some became illegible so I used a 1/2" cold chisel and just marked an X on the pucks, muffin ingots. When I started alloying and testing hardness I got out my number stamps and easily mark the BHN on my ingots. For a while I used a conn bread/cob shaped pan for certain alloys but like the number stamps better...
Last edited:
That’s a good term, render.
I read that on here in an old thread. It definitely works. I use a metal spoon and tap on the weights as I go along.
The amount of knowledge passed along on here is awesome.
Regarding the term "smelting". I have heard the correction posts for several years of forum cruising. Perhaps to a College English Professor the "correct" term is not smelting but rendering, cleaning, etc., but every forum I have attended that has bullet casters in their membership, everyone reading gets the full meaning of the post when the poster typed "smelting". It's no big deal. I don't carry my thesaurus with me checking on words and terms and as long as I understand the intent of the poster, it's all well and good. If you want to get the "Grammar Nazis" out of their library use the term Boolits...
Bcwitt
Member
Pour a mold w it & weigh the bullet compared to designed weight. You can get a good idea of hardness that way.
- Status
