identifying zinc wheelwheights?

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JeepGeeek

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I'm getting into casting bullets.

I know the old standby: "if you hear them ring, those aren't the ones you need".

I won't get into the whys and wherefores- let's just say I'm deaf. I'm not actually, and so I don't mean to be heartless to those who're robbed of the gift of hearing- but I am most definitely tonedeaf and cannot tell the difference between "tink" and "thunk"

Now what??

EDIT: because I mistyped the title
 
If you'll keep your lead melt at about 700 degrees, the zinc won't melt at that temperature and will float to the top in it's original shape. When all the rest of the wheelweights have melted, just skim off any that haven't and consider them zinc.

Hope this helps.

Fred
 
well, crap. :)

So I just got this lee melter pot.

Cranked that puppy up, and stuck 'em in there.

How would one tell from looking if a pot had zinc in it?

Is it possible to heat the pot back to 700 and throw out anything that's not melted?
 
I am fairly new at casting also but from what I have heard it is not a good idea to smelt in your casting pot. You should get a different setup for that.
Rusty
 
They float, get them out asap.

You'll know if you have zinc alloyed into your ingots- casting will become so frustrating that you'll want to quit unless you figure out the source of the problem.
 
The ones I've run across so far either have the clips riveted on -or- the ID code end's in ZN (for example MC 1.25 Zn).

They also bob around with the clips :)

Leo
 
Jeep, Rusty is correct get a fish cooker and a cast iron dutch oven to smelt your ww's in. Keep the temp down to 700 and the zinc's will still be floating and not in a liquid state. This will keep cleaner lead going into your furnace for casting bullets. Mac
 
thanks guys.

I scored a cast iron cauldron, ladle, and 30# of wheelweights on ebay. will find a propane burner to put under them, somewhere....
 
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