Wheel weight price-heads up

yomomma

yomomma

CGN Ultra frequent flyer
Rating - 100%
103   0   1
Location
Ontario - Hamilton area
I was just checking my scrap prices, which I have not done in a while. Seems scrap lead prices have fallen. They are now at $0.25/lb.

So don't overpay. I always carry the latest price list when I hunt for wheel weights.
 
I have 1500 lbs in one lb bars in storage so I think I am set for a while. the problem is that there are so many junk ww showing up in buckets these days.
 
yomomma said:
Too bad you never got back to me. Almost have my 55 gallon drum full so I dropped my source in Hamilton.
Click to expand...

That clears up that text. I guess if I had thought about it, it would have made sense. I had zinc on my mind and I didn't make the connection. My loss is someone else's gain. I've never claimed to be smart :)
 
Last edited:
My local scrap yard currently pays $0.35 a pound for lead.
Mixed wheel weights a little less they told me, about 0.30

Price of two days ago when I was hunting for steel to build a melting pot :)
 
Question: How much does a 5 gal pail of wheel weights weigh in at.
With the ratio of zinc, steel weights taken into consideration.
The local tire shop here wants $30 per 5 gal pail.
Thanks.
 
william1 said:
Question: How much does a 5 gal pail of wheel weights weigh in at.
With the ratio of zinc, steel weights taken into consideration.
The local tire shop here wants $30 per 5 gal pail.
Thanks.
Click to expand...

a 5 gallon pail is roughly 50 pounds filled with water . lead is , roughly 11 times heavier than water ..... so roughly 500 lbs for a solid pail of lead ?
 
$30 bucks is great, I find these days the best I can find is $25 and worst Iv been quoted was $60 which I though was too steep, and I walked. Just from lifting those SOBs of the floor I would guess a full 5g pail is 150lb and I find between clips zinc and steel I through away 50lb. But be warned some tire shops switched to steel, and I find with them I am lucky to get 50lb and 100lb garbage. Kale tire is really bad for that, iv carried home rough 600lb and got maybe 100lb out. But if you do the math 100lb is 700 000gr and what ever you are casting that's a lot a boolits. So 125gr bullet is 1/2 a cent not including electricity.
 
Thanks for that info.
I just have to get in line or be there at the right time.
Seems like quite a few people where i live have caught on to the coming lead shortage when they switch to steel.
I did manage to get that one pail for $30.
Sorted some for about 10 minutes, seems to be about that ratio of 80% lead and the rest junk.
Barely lifted it into the back of the truck by myself. :)


geotndtwine said:
$30 bucks is great, I find these days the best I can find is $25 and worst Iv been quoted was $60 which I though was too steep, and I walked. Just from lifting those SOBs of the floor I would guess a full 5g pail is 150lb and I find between clips zinc and steel I through away 50lb. But be warned some tire shops switched to steel, and I find with them I am lucky to get 50lb and 100lb garbage. Kale tire is really bad for that, iv carried home rough 600lb and got maybe 100lb out. But if you do the math 100lb is 700 000gr and what ever you are casting that's a lot a boolits. So 125gr bullet is 1/2 a cent not including electricity.
Click to expand...
 
william1 said:
Thanks for that info.
I just have to get in line or be there at the right time.
Seems like quite a few people where i live have caught on to the coming lead shortage when they switch to steel.
I did manage to get that one pail for $30.
Sorted some for about 10 minutes, seems to be about that ratio of 80% lead and the rest junk.
Barely lifted it into the back of the truck by myself. :)
Click to expand...

Don't forget that the "junk" is probably mostly zinc weights that you can sell at the scrap yard for about the same price as lead.
So lets say your bucket was only 100lbs (likely way more) with 60 lb lead, 30 lb zinc and 10lb junk metal then you can get about $9 (30lb x $0.30) back for the zinc weights.
 
I did the recycling thing before but zinc weighs less than lead, got 12-15 per pail full. So drove my truck 100k round trip 10ish bucks gas and got about 25 bucks for two pails, so unless you live really close to the junk yard just turf them. If you plan to buy a cannon one day people cast cannon balls from zinc.
 
Scrap yard is about 10 minutes from home.
I will keep that in mind.
Thanks.


bertn said:
Don't forget that the "junk" is probably mostly zinc weights that you can sell at the scrap yard for about the same price as lead.
So lets say your bucket was only 100lbs (likely way more) with 60 lb lead, 30 lb zinc and 10lb junk metal then you can get about $9 (30lb x $0.30) back for the zinc weights.
Click to expand...
 
I find the WW are harder to get these days as well, even though they really are not worth that much in the recycling yards. I find I have been doing a lot of PP boolits, because my hoard of pure is quite large because I really only ever used that for RB and Minis. I find it not to bad to do up 100 or so PP for rifles but PP 9mm or autos I just hate it, so my revolvers get my full attention most of the time, because I can just push them out at 600fps with pure lead.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom