Wheel weights

[reomack]

Boy the pickings are really getting slim. Found about 80 lbs of old weights and bought them. Paid $20, not bad I thought, but now I'm sorting them and I'd say about 25-30% are zinc or steel. If any of you are thinking about using old wheel weights for bullet casting, do it now because the situation won't be getting any better, that's for sure.

 

[22to45]

I am a "lifetime supply guy" when I get the chance. I have a 5 gallon bucket of lead ww, I was surprised the handle did noe come off. I expect it is 150 lbs, although I have not weighed them .

 

[Spawn-Inc]

I am a "lifetime supply guy" when I get the chance. I have a 5 gallon bucket of lead ww, I was surprised the handle did noe come off. I expect it is 150 lbs, although I have not weighed them .

i assume you have alot more then 150lbs total? 150 is only 8500 9mm or 6000 45's

 

[caperaway]

I'm working on filling a 45 gal drum I keep out behind my shed.Over half full now.

 

[hometownhero]

Make friends with a roofer. The old houses still have lead plumbing flashings on them. Most of the time they just get tossed out with the rest of the roofing garbage.

 

[Eddy_bullpoo]

How do you tell what they are made of?

 

[Spawn-Inc]

How do you tell what they are made of?

hit them on the floor/wall, etc zinc and steel have a ping sound while lead have a thud sound. use wire/side cutters and try to cut each one, steel and zinc wont dent much where as lead will.

when you melt them, use a thermometer and make sure your smelting pot doesn't go above 650-700F zinc and steel will float.

 

[mike44325]

I build downrigger balls and it is getting really hard to find any lead now a days. Used to be a five gallon bucks would be 90 percent lead now its about 50

 

[Spawn-Inc]

I build downrigger balls and it is getting really hard to find any lead now a days. Used to be a five gallon bucks would be 90 percent lead now its about 50

Well stop wasting the lead on pointless down riggers!!! You only need a couple. . Seriously though what's the deal with casting your own, do you go through that many that it makes it worth it?

 

[3macs1]

Boy the pickings are really getting slim. Found about 80 lbs of old weights and bought them. Paid $20, not bad I thought, but now I'm sorting them and I'd say about 25-30% are zinc or steel. If any of you are thinking about using old wheel weights for bullet casting, do it now because the situation won't be getting any better, that's for sure.

The big car guys stopped using them in 2006/2007 on new so yes they are getting hard to find. The big trucks however just started switching so you may find more there at those shops.
Old Roof flashing still a good source here but may cost you a few dozen beer with some roofers

 

[cheier]

The big car guys stopped using them in 2006/2007 on new so yes they are getting hard to find. The big trucks however just started switching so you may find more there at those shops.

I can attest to this. Typically, in the last bucket of wheel weights I had, almost all of the large weights were lead. The ones that weren't were very easy to identify. The clips were set into the metal with part of the metal coming through the back of the clip, where as the clip on led ones were typically embedded into the weight. Most of the times, non lead ones had F or FE on it, while the lead ones had P or Pb. Most of the time P.

 

[3macs1]

School bus fleets were my No. 1 source for years but now they are starting to switch to counteract balancing beads of glass but not all shops yet.
I'd say we may have another 3-4 years max finding any lead wheel weights any where

 

[Fire306]

I own an auto repair shop, we still fill around three 5 gallon pails a year with scrap lead weights. I give them away to anyone that asks, as long as they are honest and tell me they are using them for reloading. If others ask, I say they are being kept for someone.

 

[Griffin6869]

I usually end up with 60% lead 40% everything else. Between work and another shop I get 2 - 5 gallon buckets per year and that's more than enough to keep me going on slugs. I still use the side cutter method on sorting.

 

[New Camper]

This is just a possibility as I have not explored the potential health risks - battery shops? Batteries are recycled, the obvious problem is the sulfuric acid disposal and the deterioration of the lead plates when the battery is no longer useful as a battery. Bear in mind this is just a brain fart, but it may be productive to contact the distributor and see how they deal with their scrap material - probably a long shot. (no pun intended)

Alternatively, check out the local scrap yards. I also read but do not know of the truth behind it that shipyards can have lead laying around in scrap boats: Apparently sailboats have ballasts made of lead - if this is true, such a source would be immense. I don't cast so I only offer this for those interested to do their own legwork.

 

[vviking]

I'm feeling pretty smug, sitting here on 750 lb's of WW.

'Course, ... there's always a hitch, isn't there?.
Am having a pressing need for a couple hundred pounds of pure soft, for feeding the antique's ... and can't find a local source of that metal, for love or money!.

Yes, some soft is out there in CGN land ... But, a buck a pound shipping cost takes the shine off the endeavour ... for this frugal 'ol fart.

The hell of it?. The local scrap yard has barrels full. They won't sell, only buy.

 

[cheier]

'Course, ... there's always a hitch, isn't there?.
Am having a pressing need for a couple hundred pounds of pure soft, for feeding the antique's ... and can't find a local source of that metal, for love or money!.

I read (or saw) somewhere that lead stick on wheel weights are a more pure lead than clip on ones.

 

[Longwalker]

This is just a possibility as I have not explored the potential health risks - battery shops? Batteries are recycled, the obvious problem is the sulfuric acid disposal and the deterioration of the lead plates when the battery is no longer useful as a battery. Bear in mind this is just a brain fart, but it may be productive to contact the distributor and see how they deal with their scrap material - probably a long shot. (no pun intended)

DO NOT melt down old batteries!!! they are highly toxic. And no easy way of making them less toxic. Even the fumes are very bad. Leave them for the recyclers.

 

[Spawn-Inc]

DO NOT melt down old batteries!!! they are highly toxic. And no easy way of making them less toxic. Even the fumes are very bad. Leave them for the recyclers.

That's exactly what he said.... Contact the battery recyclers and see if they will sell the lead. I doubt they would, but you never know.

 

[madtrapper143]

I hit up my local Bell Canada service man when I need lead. Alot of Bell switches or what ever are wrapped in thick sheets of pure lead. They often just toss them after a work job. Little tough getting cut up into smaller sizes but very nice pure lead. Oh ya lead is a neuro toxin I think or is it a breakfast ceral........

Darryl