I think you need to go back to school on metals. You can not get pure lead from WWs by fluxing and skimming. You can get rid of some junk dirt etc. and improve your mold fill. But you do not get or create pure lead from WWs or #2 alloy. :shake:
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Pure lead necessary?
- Thread starter walter estabrook
- Start date
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Wheel weights are an ALLOY..
Long before I got the smoothie fix :cursing:
I was casting my own center fire pistol ammo... still do..
I love W/W's.. however.. you still need to add a little tin to them..
I still have a large stash of Linotype..Which is an obsolete material and no longer made.
The point is that tin, makes the metal flow better and adds to the "flexibility" and hardness of it.
Round balls if used in a rifle should be as "pure lead" as possible. Because of the hardness.. that's the only reason.
Try pushing a "pure lead .490" down the bore vrs an "alloy .490" and you will see what I mean.
With a smooth bore.. it's not the ball size, but the patch and the fowling.
BTW.. If you get a ball stuck in a smooth bore..BFD.. Oil it and wait.
Then you can bounce it out. Using the same techniques as a kinetic hammer.
Long before I got the smoothie fix :cursing:
I was casting my own center fire pistol ammo... still do..
I love W/W's.. however.. you still need to add a little tin to them..
I still have a large stash of Linotype..Which is an obsolete material and no longer made.
The point is that tin, makes the metal flow better and adds to the "flexibility" and hardness of it.
Round balls if used in a rifle should be as "pure lead" as possible. Because of the hardness.. that's the only reason.
Try pushing a "pure lead .490" down the bore vrs an "alloy .490" and you will see what I mean.
With a smooth bore.. it's not the ball size, but the patch and the fowling.
BTW.. If you get a ball stuck in a smooth bore..BFD.. Oil it and wait.
Then you can bounce it out. Using the same techniques as a kinetic hammer.
As you may know WWs are changing. They are pushing for more steel ones doing away with lead. I see California has banned them, lead ones after the first of the year. The weights are already going from a close #2 alloy to something else. The flat mag wheel ones are softer makes a good smooth gun ball. Yes linotype is hard to come by. WWs can be hardened for bullets by cold water drop and 2 week cure. Range lead added to WWs can make a some what friendly M/L ball. :thumbsup:
hanshi
Cannon
Just as a general addition to this thread, I have plenty of WW from way back and will be using this for .62 ball before long. My .600 mould throws the alloy ball a bit too large for use with a patch though the soft lead ball seems to do okay. I acquired a .590 Jeff Tanner mould with the intention of casting WW ball that can be used with a patch. I no longer cast handgun bullets and traded off my stash of linotype for lead. I always used WW for the bullets, anyway. I do cast ball for all my guns and use only lead for rifles. WW projectiles can expand under the right condition but big ones don't need to. I've used misc. backstop lead and still have a supply. WW just seems to be th ticket.
Well,
One result of our horrible economy has been the fact that lead prices and WW scrap has come down to a more reasonable level.
Have a mechanic friend at a GM dealer that gives me all the scrap WW they take off of tires.
They were saving and selling it on the scrap market until it collapsed.
Now it's just hazardous waste :grin:
One result of our horrible economy has been the fact that lead prices and WW scrap has come down to a more reasonable level.
Have a mechanic friend at a GM dealer that gives me all the scrap WW they take off of tires.
They were saving and selling it on the scrap market until it collapsed.
Now it's just hazardous waste :grin:
You are right. Some of the tire shops were getting $50.00 dollars for 5 gal buckets of WWs. I called one today they will fill a bucket full for $10.00. We had a bullet Mfg. Co. that was buying up all the WWs. They are about to flat line. More people are casting again. :thumbsup:
Which brings us back to the original question.
Pure lead is better for rifles,and CB pistols only as a matter of softness.
Alloy will work in smoothies and if cut with enough pure lead in the above mentioned.
You just need to know what you have and what you are doing.
For example.. I need to cast some more .520's and .600's for my smoothie's.. I am using a JT mold I custom ordered for the .54 and a LEE for the .62
I plan on using alloy, scrap.
I have been shooting at the same bank for 15+ years.. I find my old bullets in that bank all the time. :grin:
Guess I am a great reclaimer. :hatsoff:
The key point is how much pressure does it take to seat the bullet.. Too much and your ball could be too hard.
It's hard to explain :hmm: :v
Pure lead is better for rifles,and CB pistols only as a matter of softness.
Alloy will work in smoothies and if cut with enough pure lead in the above mentioned.
You just need to know what you have and what you are doing.
For example.. I need to cast some more .520's and .600's for my smoothie's.. I am using a JT mold I custom ordered for the .54 and a LEE for the .62
I plan on using alloy, scrap.
I have been shooting at the same bank for 15+ years.. I find my old bullets in that bank all the time. :grin:
Guess I am a great reclaimer. :hatsoff:
The key point is how much pressure does it take to seat the bullet.. Too much and your ball could be too hard.
It's hard to explain :hmm: :v
"Whether you're using a Lyman pot on Mama's gas range or one of the big electric outfits, lead must be melted and heated to a temperature where it will flow as freely as water. As it becomes fluid, dross (dirt, grit and impurities) float to the top and must be skimmed off. However, tin and antimony alloyed with the lead also tend to float to the surface and be inadvertently skimmed off with the dross. This is eliminated by stirring and fluxing the mixture." (from The Art of Bullet Casting, Wolff Publishing Company, copyright 1981, page 2-3, author: George Nonte)
There are other references as well. I certainly don't claim to be an expert metallurgist but I don't think my post was entirely wrong.
Food for thought: I'm here to learn and share ideas. Your condescending tone is both unfortunate and unnecessary.
There are other references as well. I certainly don't claim to be an expert metallurgist but I don't think my post was entirely wrong.
Food for thought: I'm here to learn and share ideas. Your condescending tone is both unfortunate and unnecessary.
