Where can you get some linotype alloy?

A

adosland

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I find myself stuck in my bullet casting.
I have all the components except an alloy to harden the lead I have.
Where can a guy buy linotype in Canada? Better yet on Vancouver island?
I have about 180lb's of clean lead with a average hardness 11.
Any ideas here would be appreciated.
Thanks.
 
"I have about 180lb's of clean lead with a average hardness 11" ?

This chart is for a Lee Hardness tester. The vertical axis is universal. What do you mean by 11?

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Are you using wheel weights. If you need harder lead, you could try water quenching what you've got. They will harden a bit.

I guess it depends on what you intend to use the bullets for. You didn't indicate that.
 
omnivore said:
I purchased high % antimonial lead from https://metalexleadrecycling.com/ when I first started casting and blended is with pure lead and tin to get my target alloy. Their web site now says minimum sale is 1000 lb but they're still worth a call.

Another option is babbitt from http://www.purityalloys.com/Babbitt_and_Solder_Alloys.html - you will want to triple check that the alloy you want is in stock before driving over

g'luck
-Steve
Click to expand...

Thanks Steve
I give them a call.
Much appreciated
 
A good cheap way to harden lead is to buy some hard lead shot for shotgun loading. It has arsenic in it which reacts well to water quenching. I’ve started making my 460 Mag bullets out of purebred lead mixed with 1/3 shot then water dropped out of the mold. Gets me around 22 BHN.
 
MuthaFunk said:
A good cheap way to harden lead is to buy some hard lead shot for shotgun loading. It has arsenic in it which reacts well to water quenching. I’ve started making my 460 Mag bullets out of purebred lead mixed with 1/3 shot then water dropped out of the mold. Gets me around 22 BHN.
Click to expand...

I will have to give that a try.
Thanks
 
Pewter from old mugs. You can pick them put cheap at thrift stores. Shot will work as well but, but it would be a shame to see it not used as is, if you have some self me a pm would be happy to buy it. Not much floating around on the island, have a bit of tin/pewter as well
 
I have a friend that sells it for 2.50 a pound, still in the letter/numbers format and has not been melted down yet. Problem is shipping I bet would be expensive.
 
Actually you nee more antimony than tin in order to harden' Usually the wheelweigts have enough trace arsenic to harden. I use ww +2% tin and use it either air cooled or water dropped, whichever way the rifle prefers it.
 
WesternMetals sells antimony. As mentioned wheel weights contain antimony. Tin can be bought or scrounged, Pewter is a good source. I found 75lbs of 60/40 from an retired electrician once, I’ve also found cast iron pipe joints that were packed with electrical solder instead of plumbing lead, clearly a cast of using what was at hand. Babbit makes a great addition to pure lead, being 80% tin, with antimony and copper, it can be pried out of old bearing in large engines, saw mills and old car and truck motors. The babbit blocks in large marine and stationary engines can weigh hundreds of pounds. Crack iron bearing blocks with a sledge hammer and a cold chisel and pry out the babbit, also the way to get packing lead. Old soda/beer fountains often used tin cooling blocks.
 
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