Molding RB with wheel weights

[KHickam]

Well, I located a source for wheel weights - I am just wondering how well it works - I have a smoothbore - so I am not worried about the hardness - I have always used pure lead - but it seems scarce up here (along with BP and patching material) so I was wondering how it works and any secrets to using it?

Keith

 

[Stumpkiller]

They work. It will make up a ball harder and lighter than a purer lead ball (might not shoot to same point-of-aim). If you can get it down the barrel it will come out when fired.

I was always told you test for "good" casting lead with your thumbnail (if you can scratch it it's good). It's surprising what you can scratch if you're desperate and try hard enough.

 

[Rebel]

They will work fine in yer smoothie. That was about all i used in mine.

 

[walruskid1]

the metal clips float to the top and can be skimmed off. watch for the plastic coated ones because they stink like hell when melted.

 

[J.D.]

They will weigh a few grains less, and solidify a few thousanths larger. WW balls from my .715 mould mic .718, but shoot very well.

While they won't expand in a deer, they still make a BIG hole and don't really need to expand. :thumbsup:


J.D.

 

[redwing]

I shoot only WWs in my smooth gun. The Wyoming state shoot smooth bore class was won with WWs this year. They are great in smooth guns. They work very well in rifles. They may not work well for hunting big game with Med. bore rifles.
Pick thru the WWs the flat ones that glue on to mag wheels are almost "Dead Lead". You can mix them with your WWs for a some what softer RB if thats important to you. :thumbsup:

 

[Bubba45]

If you have a problem with them filling out well in the mould add a little 50/50 coreless solder.It will add a bit of tin and will flow better.I found this out casting for wheelguns.

 

[mmahlock]

Unlike the old days when a wheel weight was a wheel weight, today there is a move afoot to eliminate lead based wheel weights. Be careful not get saddled with either zinc or steel weights. The steel will not melt in your pot but the zinc melts at 419 deg F. which is about 100 deg F higher than pure lead. :shocked2: If you're not sure, if you got some zinc weights, weigh the balls, they will be about half the weight of lead balls.

 

[shmrck1]

Be careful not get saddled with either zinc or steel weights.

Sir Michael,
I know this is going to be a stupid question,but
is there a way to tell other than melting them.
When did they quit using lead,last year,5 years
ago or when????I have access to 5gal buckets
of wheel weights.I thought they were all lead,
or at least a very high degree of lead??
snake-eyes :hmm:

 

[R.M.]

Grab all of the 5 gallon buckets you can get your hands on. As mentioned, Zinc has a higher melting temp.so as long as you keep the heat just high enough to melt the lead, and not the Zinc, you can scoop the zinc ones off with the steel clips.
If nothing else, WW can be bartered with for pure lead. The cost of lead has gone sky-high lately, so get while you can, when you can.

Good luck
R.M.

 

[Bubba45]

Another thing will help ,skim all the clips ,dirt and dregs from the melt BEFORE you flux to clean the melt.A lot of the harder metals will be skimmed off this way instead of reintroducing them when fluxing.

 

[mmahlock]

Sir Michael,
I know this is going to be a stupid question,but
is there a way to tell other than melting them.
When did they quit using lead,last year,5 years
ago or when????I have access to 5gal buckets
of wheel weights.I thought they were all lead,
or at least a very high degree of lead??
snake-eyes :hmm:

In theory they should be marked check out this link.
[url] http://www.perfectequipment.com/non_lead.php[/url]

There are other brands but this should give you the idea. Steel might not be a problem seeing them if they are sick-on but the zinc will have to separated by eye.

The idea of separating them by holding your pot temperature just above the melting point of lead is great in theory but unless you buy pure lead the alloy you get will not melt at that exact temperature. The 100 deg is too close to lead and will be most likely melted along with it. However , all is not lost. The zinc will float on top of the lead and can be skimmed off. The trick is to recognize it. Also if you do happen to make balls of some of it weighing them will quickly identify them since they will be significantly lighter than the lead balls.

As for when this started, 1998 appears to be the beginning and I'm also not sure how wide spread this has become but, you can check out this site if you want more info.
[url] http://www.leadfreewheels.org/[/url]

Given their beliefs and bents, our sport may someday be only a memory.

 

[Deadeye]

I cast a lot, thousands and thousands of rifle and pistol bullets using wheelweights and I've yet to see one made of zinc. I would think that
if they only weigh 1/2 as much as lead or they were twice as large as lead that would identify them, the color would be a little different too.
I have 7 or 8- 5 gal. buckets full, I'll keep looking. Someone gave me a coffee can full of .50
maxiballs cast of (I think zinc) very light, very very hard, very shiny and too large and too hard to ever get down a barrel.

 

[mmahlock]

Everyone needs to be aware that over 50% of the cars sold in the US are delivered with non-lead wheel weights. It won't be long before they start showing up in scrap. So far as I can tell California, Virginia, Michigan, Minnesota, Washington, and Oregon are the hot beds of the push to eliminate lead wheel weights. It won't be long before others follow.

 

[longfowler]

I work at an auto parts store, and yes, lead wieghts are being phased out SOON. I know all state-owned vehicles in NH and Maine require non lead weights, and soon all cars will. we still sell alot of lead to the aftermarket, 'cause of the price. but soon lead will be worth so much, it won't matter, and everyone will go lead-free. scavenge up all you can! I know I am!

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

It is getting spendy but pure lead can still be had, talk to your local plumber. They can order it thru supply houses as there is still repair work being done on old houses and pure lead is all that can be used to repair a lead joint. I think its running about $2 a pound, i'll find out tomorrow as I called in an order.

 

[BadHeart]

I ran across about 200 pounds of lead coating from copper wire that was given to me for free. The guy told me that he gets it and is only interested in getting the copper out for recycling and that i can have all the lead if i want it. i told him YES! i take it I melt it down and pour it into a cast iron corn bread mould (the one that looks like ears of corn) that comes out to about a pound each.

 

[ApprenticeBuilder]

and thats pure lead, that is a good find :thumbsup:

 

[BadHeart]

Yes it is pure lead.

 

[LFC]

What problems are there with using lead-based wheel weights for patched round balls? I've heard people suggest that there might be problems, but I can't readily see what these would be. I know the size might come out a bit larger (as wheel weight material cools to a large size than pure lead), and that the balls would be harder, but I'd figure that with a patch, if you went a bit thinner on the material than with pure lead, you'd essentially end up with a workable shot. Any caveats?

Also, does anyone have any idea how things would be different using used lead bullets picked up off of a public shooting range? Obviously, we're talking averages here, since there'll be people at that range using wheel weights, pure lead, or whatever'll fit down their barrels--but if you're picking up handfuls of miscellaneous lead, most of it from commercially-bought bullets, what kind of results are you likeliest to get when you melt that stuff down and cast it? I'd imagine it'd be somewhere between pure lead and wheel weights, on average. What say ye?