pure lead

[ian45662]

You guys know any websites that sell pure lead?

 

[Swampman]

ebay has it cheap.

 

[Idaho Ron]

You guys know any websites that sell pure lead?

I got some lead on ebay that was listed "pure lead"
It was hard, I complained, but I didn't get my money back. I got a hardness tester and found out it was 22 BHN. That is the same as Linotype. Wheel weights are 12 to 14BHN. While Ebay is cheep, if you don't get what you want you got nothing and it cost at least 1 dollar a pound plus shipping.
I got my guaranteed pure lead from Rotometal. it is 2.52 per pound at MY door. That sounds like a lot but the price of pure lead is going up, and it is hard to find. This stuff is virgin lead and is butter soft.
Some guys are scrounging but unless you have a hardness tester and are able to get your hands on it to test it it is a manure shoot. Dentist lead is as hard as wheel weight. I haven't tested any roofing lead or pipe lead but so far the lead guys think is soft isn't. Ron

 

[Moloch]

Scrapyards often sell very good lead, a week ago I've got a 110 pounds sheet of pure lead rolled-up, its as far as I know from a hospitals x-ray room. Got it for 2 EUR / pound.
That will last for a while. :thumbsup: I also got a small bar of tin to harden it a bit, its so soft you can cut it with a kitchen knife.

Ask your local scrapyard!

 

[Swampman]

All the roofing lead I've used, was very soft.

 

[MikeChapin]

I've heard a lot of horror stories about getting lead on line. "Pure" lead is usually anything but, generally wheel weight on up to linotype.

I get mine at the junk yard. Roofing lead, old lead sewer pipe and cable sheathing are all sources of good soft lead. The last batch I got was twenty cents a pound for cable sheathing. One place to check is roofing contractors. They have to get rid of the old lead pulled off roofs and usually will sell it cheap. It beats having to handle it as hazardous waste.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

check locally for sheet and sheathing lead. it's pure soft lead. maybe a little dirty so wash it at car wash. stay away from plumbing lead unless it's goosenecks for water connections.

 

[Stophel]

Midway sells it (as, I'm sure, many other cartridge reloading supply houses will). I don't know if they're cheap or expensive.


Just don't bother getting lead out of old car batteries. A LOT of work, for very little reward.

 

[Ol Thing]

Midway has it. :wink:

 

[Idaho Ron]

Midway is over 4.00 per pound. Ron

 

[Swampman]

"Just don't bother getting lead out of old car batteries. A LOT of work, for very little reward."

And very dangerous.

 

[Geraldo]

I've found a scrap yard that says 89 cents per pound, but I haven't got there to check it out yet. Unfortunately I think I'm in competition with the guys who make sinkers and diving weights.

 

[ian45662]

I just called the local scrap yard and they are selling it for 65 cents per pound so they will get my buisness

 

[kevthebassman]

I bought 65 lbs from a stained glass shop for 10 cents a pound. It's dirty, but very, very soft.

 

[Joel/Calgary]

I bought 65 lbs from a stained glass shop for 10 cents a pound. It's dirty, but very, very soft.

I did some on-line research before I went to my local stained glass shop. Pure lead is apparently too weak, so nowadays all "kames" (or sometimes "cames") are alloyed. ALMOST all the alloys are low percentage and still quite soft (never tested, but I'd guess BHN 5.5-7 or so) and the rare "high strength" ones are sufficiently harder to be readily separated by thumbnail test. In the pieces big enough to bother testing in the one 25-30lb test batch I've gotten so far, I didn't find one hard one. BTW, I got it for free, as an alternative to disposal as hazardous waste or hauling it to a scrap dealer.

Joel

 

[kevthebassman]

The stuff I have is from restoration projects on century old windows, or so I'm told. It's got about a century's worth of dirt on it. Regardless, it's plenty good enough for me!

 

[JackAubrey]

Here are two websites where true pure lead is available.I don't know if its the cheapest when one considers shipping weight/cost,nonetheless:Rotometals.com and Nuclead.com.I have become quite the scrounger in that I frequent roofers and dentist offices.Hope this helps.Best regards,J.A.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I have never tested Roofer lead but dentist lead is not soft. The stuff I got from my dentist is 11.5 to 12 BHN. That is almost as hard as a Wheel Weight. Ron