59 pounds of lead from buddy!!

[usmc0811]

A log time friend of mine just gave me 59 pounds of lead. Some of it is in forms of 50% lead 50% tin rods for soldering and some 40%-60%. There is also chunks of pure lead as well as what looks to be a piece of lead pipe and other rod like pieces that dont have any identifications on them, they are however harder and make a cracking sound when I bend them. I really have know idea how to use this mixture of alloys properly for casting bullets. I have done thousands of cast bullets prior but they were just plain old lead wheel weights I got from local garages. Does anyone here use stuff like this and if so how use to cast/mix with ww/ use by themselves?

 

[Stew0576]

You sure the second from the bottom is lead, that's a coupler, usually used to couple a motor to a pump

 

[usmc0811]

You sure the second from the bottom is lead, that's a coupler, usually used to couple a motor to a pump

Ill have to take a closer look at that one, thanks

 

[Stew0576]

Pic 6 from the top now, the pics moved around lol

 

[usmc0811]

Pic 6 from the top now, the pics moved around lol

LOL sorry I tried to edit the extras out and messed things up.

 

[243winxb]

Try to avoid anything with a high percent of copper. It plugs a bottom pour spout.

Babbitt alloys contain copper. This may have copper.

 

[usmc0811]

Try to avoid anything with a high percent of copper. It plugs a bottom pour spout.

Babbitt alloys contain copper. This may have copper.View attachment 790898

Thanks good to know, ill toss them out.

 

[reddog81]

1 pound of the 50% 50% alloy will change a 20 pound pot by 2.5%. Melt them down to 1 lbs ingots and use them one at a time to help fill out when using WW's

I've used plenty of copper alloys and copper is sought out by many. Copper adds toughness without additional brittleness or hardness. This means hollow point bullets that are less likely to fracture. I've never had anything with more than a couple %'s of copper but I've never experienced anything negative.

 

[243winxb]

ill toss them out.

Could just cast a few with it. Not mixing it in with other alloy as a test. High copper content takes higher then normal temperature to melt it. #3 https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babbitt_(alloy)

As said above , a small percentage doesn't hurt. The Babbitt i had , was added to other alloy is small amounts.
Or if added by mistake into the pot, just dilute with different alloy.

 

[gifbohane]

Number three down from the right looks like a shaft Zinc from a boat. Zinc. I have mistakenly put some Zinc wheel weights in with the lead. No good and it certainly did not look right.

 

[FROGO207]

It may be a shaft zinc from a boat or a zinc weight to hold a kitchen spray spout back in its holder, either way do not mix it into your lead. It will ruin the lead for bullet casting. Keep your lead temp at around 650* and the zinc items will not melt, it just floats to the top and can be scooped off with the dross and WW clips. This is how I work with WW scrap when recovering lead.

 

[lightman]

You have a good friend! Most of that is bar solder. It will be marked with the lead/tin%, the brand name and maybe the weight. The ring looks like soft lead, maybe from a roof jack. The picture of the device in #6 looks like some weights that I found on float switches from sewer pumps or water treatment plants. I think I see a few homemade ingots that could be about anything and I see a few other things that I can't identify. That solder will be great for adding to other alloys. Good Score!

 

[bullseye308]

Tin makes a cracking sound when bent, but I’m pretty sure tin bars would be marked somewhere.