Sources of lead around the GTA?

C

canoetrpr

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Just North of Toronto
I'm told in days gone by one could scrounge for WW but that is getting hard.

I might get into casting in the winter; less for cost and more for the ability to try different bullets in my 45-70. It frankly also looks like fun as is the case with reloading in general.

Anyone know any sources where one can purchase lead? Ingots or scrap for not to unreasonable a price that would still make casting worthwhile?
 
Start hitting tire dealerships...you will get turned down countless times. The more you ask the more likely you are to find something. i pay $0.35/lb for tire weights.

Go off the beaten path and look for small country places, metal scraper places.

Good luck
 
yomomma said:
Start hitting tire dealerships...you will get turned down countless times. The more you ask the more likely you are to find something. i pay $0.35/lb for tire weights.

Go off the beaten path and look for small country places, metal scraper places.

Good luck
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I mostly agree with this, but recommend a slightly different approach. The big tire chains will never offer you weights, head office policy. You have to go with the independants, but the white guys who speak english as a first language all have buddies who shoot and fish and race boy scout cars, and their weights are all long spoken for. You want wheel weights go talk to the family run tire shops owned by immigrant peoples. They aren't constrained by any mega-corp policies and are far less likely to be aware of the alternate uses for their scrap. These are the only shops I have ever run into that are still throwing wheel weights into dumpsters.
 
BattleRife said:
I mostly agree with this, but recommend a slightly different approach. The big tire chains will never offer you weights, head office policy. You have to go with the independants, but the white guys who speak english as a first language all have buddies who shoot and fish and race boy scout cars, and their weights are all long spoken for. You want wheel weights go talk to the family run tire shops owned by immigrant peoples. They aren't constrained by any mega-corp policies and are far less likely to be aware of the alternate uses for their scrap. These are the only shops I have ever run into that are still throwing wheel weights into dumpsters.
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In GTA these shops are clustered around Junction, Weston Rd and Rogers Rd Area in the North and Eastern Ave to Carlaw in the South. Literally dozens in a few blocks. Drop in and make an offer, I've gotten super cheap auto parts in both areas with 5 minutes of asking.
 
Marcelm said:
In GTA these shops are clustered around Junction, Weston Rd and Rogers Rd Area in the North and Eastern Ave to Carlaw in the South. Literally dozens in a few blocks. Drop in and make an offer, I've gotten super cheap auto parts in both areas with 5 minutes of asking.
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Man, the reason I said G TA is I try to avoid the city as much as I can! Thanks for the tip though. Will drive in one day and try.
 
Walmart parking lots on boxing day are a great source for wheel weights, just don't get caught :):)

like with girls ask until one says yes.
 
canoetrpr said:
I must be missing something but I thought wheel weights were moving away from lead and to steel and zinc. What % of wheel weights these days are lead?
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Yes, this is true. And that is why you should take a quick look at the pails before you buy. I have been lucky so far the lead to junk ratio has been 80:20 or less. Unlike some states, lead has not been band yet and wheel weight suppliers are still selling lead weights

Tire stores should not be your only stop. Contact plumbers, some of them are still pulling out lead pipe in the cities. See if you can make contact with utility electricians, lead insulated cable is still out there. Talk to the tire chains and get the name and number of the guy that buys the scrap.

Use your imagination
 
You also might want to consider trying a dive shop. They will sell lead weights to go on weight belts, so just about any dive shop should have plenty on hand.
 
Wheel weights are going away from lead. Lead being toxic. So old family run tire shops owned by immigrant peoples don't get lead wheel weight either. It has nothing to do with corporate policies, other than they get paid for scrap. Wheel weights aren't pure lead either, as I recall, but you'd be cleaning it anyway.
You can buy 'em new though. Lots of sites on-line. Or look in the Yellow Pages for scrap dealers.
 
To bad your that far away I just took 700 lbs of lead from BCTEL line splices in to the recyclers last week( the guy who lived here before us was a hoarder of stuff) ...and I found 2 more in the bush on our property just after didn't even think to EE the stuff
 
canoetrpr said:
That sounds like a gold mine to a caster I imagine!
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Hard work my friend...I started about 8 month ago and have secured about 700lbs(ingots) so far. I have three steady small streams coming in about 40lbs a month of raw weights.

I am waiting to hear back from 2 junkyards. I am turning my attention to securing other metals like tin and antimony
 
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