Lead salvaging

I stopped messing around and loosing time with wheel weights.
Now, I order super hard alloy from rotometal to get the antimony (30%) and buy pure lead from a small scrap yard for 1.25$/pound.
You get a pure alloy for quite cheap and, no hassle.
 
Auggie Doggie said:
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20lb of linotype.
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Nice score!
 
Today acquired so kind of lead for a company am doing an auction for. It's a mix with some bismuth in it. They use it to make lapel pins and such some how. Have to test it for hardness when I am finished the auction .
 
Find a contractor in your area that replaces residential water laterals. Ask them what they do with the old lead water laterals. You wouldn't believe how many are still out there in older neighbourhoods.
 
I'm a tradesman and I get all the lead I ever want from buddies who are plumbers and roofers. Its a dirty job to melt it down and clean it up.
 
cXIII said:
Howdy
I’ve been looking for reclaimed sources for lead.

I’ve watched Elvis and fortune cookie 45lc salvage lead from ranges on YouTube. I spoke to my range master and he stated that he did not want any disruption to the berm for health reasons.

What do you guys have luck with?
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Stained glass window shops, they have a ton of very nice and clean scrap. I scored several hundred pounds for free, they are usually glad to have someone remove it.
 
I basically gave up trying to find lead here . I tried with a interpreter even to find it and one guy gave me plumbing fixtures and others can't figure out what lead is. I grew up in southern Alberta for the first 51 years of my life and know what lead is in French. Found wheel weights Monday here but the guy wouldn't give them to me because he reuses them instead of new ones.
 
Make some friends with some roofers or drop in on a roofing company, with a case of beer or the like.... leave your number and see what happens....
Most Ive seen will just get rid of it cause its not worth much...

Usually doesnt take much to make a setup to remelt all the lead, cut off the tar bits and other excesses... melt away...
 
mckutzy said:
Make some friends with some roofers or drop in on a roofing company, with a case of beer or the like.... leave your number and see what happens....
Most Ive seen will just get rid of it cause its not worth much...

Usually doesnt take much to make a setup to remelt all the lead, cut off the tar bits and other excesses... melt away...
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I get a fair bit from my nephew who owns a roofing company. He tries to remove it as clean as possible but some of it is quite dirty with tar and other caulking and such. I melt it down at the far end of the acreage because it can be pretty stinky and smokey sometimes. Its not something you want to do in town without a big yard. On occasion some plumbers will save some for me. I might get 50 or 100 pounds, then not see any for a long time from them. Only when they are modernizing old building to new standards. Plumbers lead can smoke a lot too and I'd rather not know whats in it.

Once its been melted, mixed and fluxed, it will melt clean and smoke free every time after that.
 
fiddler said:
I get a fair bit from my nephew who owns a roofing company. He tries to remove it as clean as possible but some of it is quite dirty with tar and other caulking and such. I melt it down at the far end of the acreage because it can be pretty stinky and smokey sometimes. Its not something you want to do in town without a big yard. On occasion some plumbers will save some for me. I might get 50 or 100 pounds, then not see any for a long time from them. Only when they are modernizing old building to new standards. Plumbers lead can smoke a lot too and I'd rather not know whats in it.

Once its been melted, mixed and fluxed, it will melt clean and smoke free every time after that.
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Yup ... clean lead melts great, no fuss no muss.... Maybe a little wisp of smoke here and there... but ya... usually good to go after remelting your billets.
 
Shovel said:
Local garage had some wheel weights. Guess I'll need a temp gauge. Any recomendations?
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I saw you posted earlier about Cranny CT having a sale, now I see this. Anything else of interest at this yard sale before I leave Cranbrook tomorrow to head home for the weekend? :p

Getting into casting is on my to-do list once we have a bigger house/yard. Before that point I'd love to shadow someone to see what it's all about (I'll supply cold beverages :) )
 
I'm doing the same taking a course in Cranbrook. The local garage shop is in Creston. A bit closer to me. And also just getting into reloading casting. Close to rolling the first one. But yeah worth checking out CT. Some of the ammo was reduced as well. wish I had a bigger budget
 
Shovel said:
Local garage had some wheel weights. Guess I'll need a temp gauge. Any recomendations?
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See links below, this is the best bang for your buck out there I think. All together for only 35 dollars.
You can use it as stand alone temp gauge but also as a controller for your electric lead pot. The solid state relay will keep the temperature super constant.

Build it in a small box and add a heat sink for the SSR and you are all set.


https://www.amazon.ca/Temperature-C...prefix=pid+controller+high+temp,aps,90&sr=8-9


https://www.amazon.ca/K-Type-Temper...12-bf8d-9ce4f6a135a2&pd_rd_i=B00FVREP12&psc=1
 
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