Lead Supply?

[smoothshooter]

I've never tried melting down tire weights for lead as I have been told they aren't good for casting bullets. I will say about half of the weights I get are made from that steel/zinc material and they don't melt down at all. Still beats buying small bags of egg sinkers

Like others who post on this forum, I have used the non-zinc weights and found them to be okay. I prefer pure lead, because it upsets a little easier for the rifling lands and grooves, but the weights still work okay. In smoothbores I don’t think it matters.
If you have a lot of the lead-type weights, and can get at least some pure lead, you can mix in some pure lead and soften things up a fair amount, and get some use out of the weights. Be sure to sort out and toss the zinc ones before you start melting.

 

[mooman76]

Or you could swap WW lead for soft lead from someone that casts for modern cartridges. And by the way the stick on WWs while not pure, they are soft lead, unless of coarse they are not lead at all.

 

[Woody Morgan]

Most of the hammer-ons are now zinc and the self-stick are steel.
No tire shop really wants to willingly deal with lead issues in the workplace these days and I don't blame them.

wm

 

[Many Klatch]

Just for information sake. I have been to a battery recycling factory. They melt the lead and separate out the Antimony and other additives. They do this by "distilling" the lead vapor. If you heat lead over 752 degrees, it vaporizes and the different additives can be removed at different spots along the distillation column. You can not do this at home. As long as there are lead acid batteries there will be pure recycled lead. It is funny to see a Semi trailer with one row of lead ingots covering the bottom as a full load. People who work at this factory have to get monthly blood tests.

 

[sussexmuzllodr]

Keep calm and dont panic.

 

[nhmoose]

Where does a roofer get his? My mechanic gives me his tire lead for fishing weights

Flashing used in valley's around window tops, flashing along eve's, around pipe's, sealing chimneys.

Now days they use a synthetic seal on the whole roof gooey on one side hard slick on the other slick side up. Also use rubber flanges around pipes.

 

[pmccoywss]

If you are near a metro area, there may be a stained glass dealer nearby. They usually offer classes, and have lots of scraps from lead came that they use. I've never had to pay for it when offering to take it out of their way.

 

[JCKelly]

I think lead pipes and Lowes "roof stacks" may both have been strengthened by adding a bit of antimony. When you watch a reasonable size pot of this stuff freeze, you can see the antimony rich crystals come out. Stuff is OK but somewhat harder than actual pure lead.
Yeah, I'm a metallurgist.

 

[thompson50]

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