mcdonl
Member
That's a good point Gary. It is messy work with significant dross loss smelting wheel weights and if your just an occasional caster it may not be that big a loss.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Where to get lead ?
- Thread starter David Clark
- Start date
- Status
That's a good point Gary. It is messy work with significant dross loss smelting wheel weights and if your just an occasional caster it may not be that big a loss.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
lightman
Member
I smelt everything that I can scrounge into ingots. Seperated by the type of lead, of course. Its just makes much cleaner casting. I have about 6 or 7 ingot molds, from several different companies, like Lyman, RCBS, ect, that I found at a gunshow for $20.00. I just found an x-ray table that I'm waiting on permission to scrap. They are reported to contain large amounts of lead. Waiting with fingers crossed. Lightman
JTHunter
Member
Can somebody tell me what metals you use to alloy the pure lead? How do you decide the ratio for the bullets? By weight? By volume?
What metals are in tire weights?
What metals are in tire weights?
Elkins45
Member
Linotype make BEAUTIFUL bullets, but for many purposes casting from pure Lino is a waste of an increasingly precious resource. The only thing I would ever consider casting from pure Lino would be high velocity rifle bullets. Almost everything else can use a softer alloy as long as it isn't sized too small and is properly lubed. For most uses you could cut your alloy with pure lead by 50% and still get fantastic results.
Even the hardest lead bullets don't contribute measurably to barrel wear. Powder erosion and cleaning wear is what wears out barrels, not bullet friction.
Taurus 617 CCW
Member
Another source for lead is to look for fishing weights at yard sales. I can usually find a few each time I go out.
Buck13
Member
I have a number of ~30 pound lead bricks at work that are no longer needed, which I can give away. (They were bought 20 years ago to ballast some equipment in a sound-proof room, since dismantled.) Alloy unknown, but they are probably shootable in "cowboy" or target loads, as is.
I don't cast. I would trade them for some fraction of their weight in ready-to-shoot bullets suitable for .32-20, .357 or 10 mm, if anyone near Seattle or convenient to I-5 wants to do a FTF swap. PM me if you want to discuss it.
I don't cast. I would trade them for some fraction of their weight in ready-to-shoot bullets suitable for .32-20, .357 or 10 mm, if anyone near Seattle or convenient to I-5 wants to do a FTF swap. PM me if you want to discuss it.
hueyville
Member
Linotype letters from old type setting presses are now worth ten times scrap value or more to right persons. Typesetting and printing on old machines is becoming an "art" and these craft types that are doing it will pay much more for linotype letters for typesetting than goes for as scrap. Antique stores like to sell them too. Decorations use them quite a bit now in trendy homes and offices. I have several outlets where I can sell any letters I find for five bucks a pound minimum and gotten as much as ten bucks per pound. They have moved into the realm of historical items. Like chopping up an antique desk for firewood. Try to turn a healthy profit on them before rolling them in the lead pot. Make some good cash and preserve a bit of history at the same time. INMHO
lightman
Member
Wow! I have three, five gallon buckets of linotype or monotype. Big letters, little letters, spacers, even whole words. I cut mine more than 50% with pure lead and it makes beautiful bullets! Lightman
Mac2
Member
Mine is a reliable steady supply from 1 tire shop. I quit doing the junk yard stuff a while back. For the manager of the shop, I reload heavy custom 30-30 rounds at cost, and I gladly give him $40 per overflowing bucket. I throw in a box of good doughnuts for his crew each time. Pick up about every other month. He called me for a pick up tomorrow. That will put me over 1000# of ingots. I do a lot of casting and shooting. Now if I could only get a good source for primers in these crazy times.
RustyFN
Member
I get free wheel weights from a couple of small tire shops in town.
RustyFN
Member
Have you ever tested the BHN on those bullets. Just wondering what the hardness is on the 50/50 mix. I have 50 pounds of monotype.
swampsavage
Member
kerreckt
Member
Any question about casting, lead, the tools used for casting and the procedure(s) can be answered at this website. http://castboolits.gunloads.com/forum.php
lightman
Member
Rusty, I have not tested for hardness, as I don't have a hardness tester yet. They seem to be plenty hard and I probably could cut the type metal even more. Lightman
david bachelder
Member
Go to or call some plumbing supply houses. Good lead and usually fair prices.
- Status
