Lead

[Dave Fox]

Have heard most if not all lead mining has ceased in the U.S. Since I'm old...really old...this doesn't worry me personally as much as it might. The morning's paper contained an article concerning communities digging-up and replacing their old lead water lines. Wonder if anyone is policing-up what must be many tons of the stuff to keep availability high....

 

[Sidney Smith]

I doubt it. I've gotten most of my lead from flea markets and gun shows, plus have a good supply of old salt water fishing sinkers. The old ones were made of pure lead. The sinkers of today are made of tin mostly so not good for casting muzzleloading projectiles.

If need be Rotometals.com still sells pure lead.

 

[22dr45]

If need be Rotometals.com still sells pure lead.

I second that comment. If I'm going to the trouble of casting (which I do somewhat frequently) I want an alloy I know for modern ammo or pure lead for my BP needs. Other sources are drying up. We have a scrapyard locally that sells lead but it is always a crap shoot as to what the real allow is. Rotometals takes out all the guess work and reasonably market priced.

 

[Grimord]

Become friends with a roofer. I have my roofer supply me with all the lead flashing and vent pipe boots that he removes when re-roofing a house. He is happy to give it to me as it saves him having to bring it to a recycling center. I supply him with a six pack after every delivery. It is a good arrangement for both of us.

 

[hanshi]

Of course it's always best to "know somebody". I have a friend who's a builder and he constantly brings tons of it. Before we moved I had over 400 lbs of pure lead, 75 lbs of range pickings and a very good stash of WW, linotype and misc ingots.

 

[Rod Man]

With the rest of these folks. I got more than I’ll ever use at my current rate on consumption.

 

[golden sky]

get a cheap metal detector at a pawn shop, go to where people like to shoot on the weekends and your walk away with about 20lbs in a day

 

[ord sgt]

With the rest of these folks. I got more than I’ll ever use at my current rate on consumption.

Add ME TOO to the list. I was able to get plenty of lead from my workplace before I retired. Along with making round ball and minies, I am using extra ingots of lead for weight training, I have plenty of empty shot bags, so I fill the bags with ingot and start weightlifting.

 

[deerstalkert]

i have 5lbs less in ingot form tonight and 250 bright shiny new .447 balls!
lead mining is still being done. the last smelter has been shut down. ore is now being shipped to ...... you guessed it!, China!
we will probably get it back in walmart food.

 

[cynthialee]

I bet ya there is enough lead amongst the members of this forum to keep us all shooting for years.

I know I have much more than I am likely to need, and I have seen pics of a few of y'alls lead stashes that make my stash look like a quaint little pile.

 

[mustanger]

There is a fellow on this list that sells good soft lead at very reasonable prices. His handle is: Justin.44

 

[Johnny Tremain]

I have in excess of 300lbs of different types of lead. I have 50lb of linotype from the San Fansico new paper before it went under. Also have 50lb form the AL state Patrol.
The rest is from scrap yards around the AO.

 

[Timber Wolf]

Lead water pipes must be a Northern thing, I have never seen any around here. I get all my lead from Roofers, mostly free, although I have brought ice and Pepsi for one crew I hit semi-frequently. I have a couple or three lifetimes supply, and have started giving it away. Sometimes in mini-muffin tin ingots, and sometimes (rarely) already cast to special folks that don’t cast. I got 15 pounds just last week, it is nasty with tar and stuck shingle but will clean,burn,melt fine. Later this year though, it is too dang hot to cast or process lead now.

 

[Thomas.bill92]

Scrapyard gave me 80 pounds of this old school lead coated wire, said if I bring back the copper when I'm done, I can keep the lead. Not too bad considering the work involved. Gotta be the softest lead I have seen and the lead jacket is pretty darn thick.

 

[rkg1]

Anybody check with your local hospital diagnostic isotopes come in a lead protective cylinder and they may be willing to give you that. It won't be radioactive as lead only shields the radio activity and does not absorb it. I worked in the labs at the university near here and have used many of these cylinders.

 

[sheriff john]

Anybody check with your local hospital diagnostic isotopes come in a lead protective cylinder and they may be willing to give you that. It won't be radioactive as lead only shields the radio activity and does not absorb it. I worked in the labs at the university near here and have used many of these cylinders.

Same here Those cylinders gotta be some of the cleanest stuff I ever melted, but some had paint or labels. The really thin shields the dentist used were interesting and he gave me some, but I haven't found a use for them ..yet.

 

[golden sky]

ask around the local boat yards in your marina or ports, NAVY has lots of it at gov auctions. mostly used for balast on ships.

wonder how much lead is in the keel of some sailboats?

 

[deerstalkert]

wonder how much lead is in the keel of some sailboats?
mine had 700#

 

[SOLANCO]

wonder how much lead is in the keel of some sailboats?
mine had 700#

Did you set a spinnaker?

 

[necchi]

Wonder if anyone is policing-up what must be many tons of the stuff to keep availability high....

Of course they are.
But it's done on a commercial basis and treated as "haz-mat" in the public view.
There are still smelting operations here in the USA, but all are highly regulated these days.
That's why buying the pure stuff is $2.80 a pound!

p.s. I remember being ticked -off when it went to $1 (!)