if you live in the gvrd(greater vancouver bc) go to steveston to the fish net lofts and ask for "old used seine net" leads. an old re-loader in prince rupert bc used this lead to cast bullets and ball for black powder for years. seine lead is quality lead.
Salvaging lead from car batteries
- Thread starter John Y Cannuck
- Start date
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
Thanks for the informative post! Although I have no intention of casting bullets at present, I may in the future and would likely have ended up crumpled in a heap beside the garbage can....
On another note, when I bought the place I live in now I wasn't into guns much, other than 1 rifle/1 shotgun/1 22lr. Anyway, there was an old shed in the back yard and the previous owner had left a bunch of stuff in it. In one corner there was a huge pile of wooden trays filled with little metal rectangles with letters and numbers on them. There must have been 300-400 pounds of the stuff. I couldn't imagine what someone would horde that crap for.
So I took it to the landfill.
What can one do to reduce exposure to any chemicals toxins etc Casting large amounts of wheel weights into ingots. I have been wearing a respirator... its mainly used for painting, I don't think its correct for use when melting these weights down, so I want to get some proper safety equipment, short of a CIA chemical suit what can I get?
- Location
- The Conservative part of Ontario
I do it with the big garage door open, or at my cottage under the roof overhang on the deck I don't sit and watch while the melt is in progress, just check now and then.
Water in the melt causes steam explosions, and flying hot lead, so never do it on a rainy day, unless your work area is VERY well covered.
Water in the melt causes steam explosions, and flying hot lead, so never do it on a rainy day, unless your work area is VERY well covered.
I got 200 lbs of wheel weights, so I tried to melt some down today using my little camp single burner, and a tin can. I would drop an handful of weights in then come back to see if they melted and repeated that till the can was full pulled all the steel bits out and skimmed off the top and then let it cool in the can and then pealed the can off. I have 3 inch sabot that probably weighs 10+ lbs lol. I set the camp burner up on the center of my deck in my back yard and always wore the respirator. There was alot of fumes from the paint and other stuff being melted that I could smell from further away with the respirator off... I figured I could do it this way till I get all my melting equipment and molds in the mail
actually my dad suggested that we go to our farm property make a wood fire and get a big cast iron pot and melt all 200lbs at once.
actually my dad suggested that we go to our farm property make a wood fire and get a big cast iron pot and melt all 200lbs at once.
Henry Nierychlo
Supporting Dealer
- Location
- Surrey, B.C.
I was a manufacturer of wheel weights for 15 years. We recycled old weights and sheet lead. I can answer alot of questions if you want. Most important is don't inhale the fumes and never eat or smoke after handling the lead. Wash your hands often. We were always tested by WCB and never had any issues.
Batteries are almost completly lead oxide, which involves a complex refining process to change it to metallic lead. Wheel weights typically are 3% to 6%
antimony, which makes the lead a little harder. Sheet lead is almost pure and very soft. If you can source some old fishing cannonballs, they are a great source of harder lead also. (Talk to your old ex-fishing budddies)
Regards, Henry
Batteries are almost completly lead oxide, which involves a complex refining process to change it to metallic lead. Wheel weights typically are 3% to 6%
antimony, which makes the lead a little harder. Sheet lead is almost pure and very soft. If you can source some old fishing cannonballs, they are a great source of harder lead also. (Talk to your old ex-fishing budddies)
Regards, Henry
Still melting these wheel weights down its a stinky job... but it will make 10000 bullets for lots of fun shooting.
I was melting the stick on weights today and the left over stuff that floats to the top ignited and I was like we'll I cant spray it with water so i let it burn for a few min and then went into the garage to find something to put the fire out I snuffed it out with a piece of sheet metal.
I was melting the stick on weights today and the left over stuff that floats to the top ignited and I was like we'll I cant spray it with water so i let it burn for a few min and then went into the garage to find something to put the fire out I snuffed it out with a piece of sheet metal.
