Babbitt

[joehunt]

Anyone have any experience adding Babbitt to the pot? And if so what was the outcome?
Ive got a pile of straight lead and just picked up a 5 gal pale of Babbitt from work. Think I will mix some in next week some time and see what it does.

 

[mr.e moose]

Babbit is a great source of tin and antimony unless it is the lower grade which contains high amounts of lead.High grade babbit should be around 90% tin 6%antimony and 4%copper.

 

[Andy]

Anyone have any experience adding Babbitt to the pot? And if so what was the outcome?
Ive got a pile of straight lead and just picked up a 5 gal pale of Babbitt from work. Think I will mix some in next week some time and see what it does.

That's a good find. Although you can add it to pure lead to make a good cast bullet alloy, I'd keep the lead pure and use the Babbitt to mix with the much more common wheelweight at 20 parts WW to 1-2 parts Babbitt.

 

[joehunt]

Babbit is a great source of tin and antimony unless it is the lower grade which contains high amounts of lead.High grade babbit should be around 90% tin 6%antimony and 4%copper.

Pretty sure its #2 Babbitt.

 

[joehunt]

That's a good find. Although you can add it to pure lead to make a good cast bullet alloy, I'd keep the lead pure and use the Babbitt to mix with the much more common wheelweight at 20 parts WW to 1-2 parts Babbitt.

What do you save the straight lead for.

 

[Andy]

What do you save the straight lead for.

For the most part for muzzleloaders and antiques and other low pressure, low muzzle velocity applications. It's typically more difficult to find than wheelweight, and to make it hard enough for general purpose casting (e.g. BHN 15) will require a lot of your babbitt. Even then. babbitt's composition is not great for mixing with pure lead. It's the antimony that makes alloy harder, not the tin (which comprises the majority of Babbitt).

 

[ryan]

You can sorta guess what kind it is by the melting point. Mostly tin will melt about 800, lead around 640.