Question for alloy/casting experts

[JonBishop]

Hello. I’ve had in my possession,for over 20 years, some window counter weights that came from a late 19th century to early 20th century building. I thought they were 100% lead but they are not. I found this out casting fish weights 20 years ago. The eyes of the tear drop shape weights would break off. All that being said, I cast some round balls from this stuff. It melts and casts beautifully, just brittle. I only casted ten or so balls just to try out. Then I ended up mixing those with pure lead and cast about fifty balls. Would these be good to shoot for target practice? Would the weights by themselves be good for target practice? Also, would anyone have an idea on the alloy? Babbitt maybe? I have three more of these intact. 20” x 3” x 3” sides, triangular shape. Close to 30lbs apiece I’d say.

Thanks, Jon

 

[JonBishop]

Here’s a very unscientific test. Two smacks with a hammer on an anvil. Left to right: 99% pure lead. Next, unknown mixture of lead to unknown alloy. Lastly, unknown alloy.

Thanks, Jon

 

[sawyer04]

I have some of those old weights and I think you might have stumbled on something about Babbitt. I have shot several bullets from them over the years. If it is anything but babbitt it would tend to be harder like the ball on the far right. My guess.

 

[Phil Coffins]

Can’t tell from here but zinc is white metal that’s close to the weight of iron.

 

[Travis186]

Any metal scrap dealer should have a refractometer or some other way to test the composition of it, but I'm going to go with babbitt as well. Look up the art pencil hardness test... that won't tell you exactly what you want to know, but it will tell you how hard it is.

 

[Whitworth]

Lead with a lot of antimony is both hard and brittle. If your finger nail won't scratch it than it's too hard so they say. YMMV

 

[JonBishop]

Could it be bismuth? Was that around at the turn of the century? Again, will it hurt my rifles or my smoothbore if I shoot this stuff? Target only. At the present, I do not hunt. I will have to make a new backstop if I shoot this stuff. I want to keep my good lead separate. This stuff melts faster than lead. I have a fish weight pot that I’ve made fish weights for a long time from, it’s called a ‘Hot Pot’. I’ve cast nice round balls with it though. If I can shoot this harder alloy through my guns, I’ll melt all I have down. If this is unadvisable let me know.

Thanks, Jon

 

[JonBishop]

Lead with a lot of antimony is both hard and brittle. If your finger nail won't scratch it than it's too hard so they say. YMMV

My finger nail won’t scratch it much. But can I shoot it out of my guns with a patch just for shooting’s sake? Again, I don’t hunt. I’m worried about hard lead fouling though. Or should I buy a slingshot and use this stuff for slingshot ammo. I’m not being rude, I just want to know if this stuff is good for plinking around with.

The best, Jon

 

[Whitworth]

If the ball is too hard the cloth patch won't grab it well enough to impart spin from the rifling. I've recovered soft lead balls with the weave of the patch impressed into the lead. Only way to know if they are too hard is to try a few and see how they shoot, they won't harm the bore.

 

[brewer12345]

Someone with access to an XRF gun could tell you what they are made of for sure. That would be scrap dealers, certain materials labs, etc.

Hard and brittle sounds like lead with a lot of antimony in it. Won't hurt your bore if that is the case, but they may cast bigger than the round ball mold does with pure lead.

 

[Forester]

Could be linotype metal. Great for unmentionable rifle cast bullets. Try to trade it for pure lead or something very soft such as sheet lead, roof flashing, or lead water pipe.

 

[William Lincoln]

I would determine what it is first - not just experiment. You do not want brass
or ulra hard anything.

 

[Master Blaster]

Linotype ingots for automated type setting machinery. I have a few out in the garage which I purchased as such. Great for unmentionable projectile casting.

Photo from interweb.

 

[hawkeye2]

Babbitt is a specialized alloy and relatively expensive. It would not be used for sash weights. I would expect them to be made of junk lead of the lowest grade as there is no need for any specialized properties and weight and cost are the only factors. My neighbor gave me a large sash weight years ago and it is hard and very brittle. It broke with a very coarse grain structure. As soon as I found it to be unsuitable for any type of projectile I offered it back to him and he wouldn't take it back.

I would think they would be OK for any round balls where hardness isn't a factor such as in a smoothbore. I wouldn't use them for game but that's just my opinion.

 

[FPDoc]

Sure looks like Linotype ingot to me. Wonderful for those alloys we can't push down a rifled barrel with a stick. Usually goes for a bit of a premium over pure lead or wheel weights for alloy use. You could sell/trade and buy pure lead for muzzle loading rifle use. It would work fine for smoothbore ball or swan shot etc. just a bit overkill technologically speaking and if it's pure linotype it can shatter rather than expand like pure lead would. I was a printer in one of my past incarnations however and used a lot of hand set type and linotype. Have cast babbit bearings as well and never saw them in ingots like that. If the size is appropriate (different alloys will cast slightly different size and weight from same mold) and if it works for what you want, great.
It won't hurt your barrel.

 

[Rifleman1776]

Could be anything depending on manufacturer. Some were steel or iron.

 

[andy52]

The house I currently live in is 116 and I've replaced all the original windows that had weights, all of them were cast iron. Not saying all weights are that metal but these were.

 

[William Lincoln]

Cast iron might make a canoe anchor. Try scratching with a screwdriver, lead will
be a smooth scratch and the purer the wider and free of fissures. As said before,
there are scrap houses that can tell you more exactly. For our uses, some wheel weights
are ok--and of course roofing boots and salvage.

 

[Jake2454]

Cast iron might make a canoe anchor. Try scratching with a screwdriver, lead will
be a smooth scratch and the purer the wider and free of fissures. As said before,
there are scrap houses that can tell you more exactly. For our uses, some wheel weights
are ok--and of course roofing boots and salvage.

zinc antimony n tin are the big concern.
lead i think has a lower melting point than zinc so if you can regulate you melting temp the zinc may be able to be scooprd out...if there is zinc present.

 

[Jake2454]

zinc antimony n tin are the big concern.
lead i think has a lower melting point than zinc so if you can regulate you melting temp the zinc may be able to be scooprd out...if there is zinc present.

i have a lee hardness tester....if you want you can send me a small piece i will test for you