Source of lead impinged by local laws.

[Ian]

I'm an Interstate batteries dealer and they don't pick up our wheeweights and we've never been asked about it in 30 years. They won't pick up the sealed lead-acid power-supply batteries or deer feeder batteries either. There's a big tire shop in the next town we do a lot of business with and share customers, they're also an Interstate dealer and tell me they're conditionally required to surrender all their weights to Interstate. I think it's a scam, personally, the Interstate truck stops here last on the way out of town after hitting a dozen shops and I've seen every compartment in it several times and NO wheelweights on board. I'll ask the rep next time he stops in.

 

[Hawk]

I remember the days when $20 would get u two or three 5 gallon buckets of lead from the local Discount Tire Store, with zero zinc involved. Those were the good old days!

 

[CZ93X62]

EPA and the State of California have a mindless and largely baseless phobia about lead. Bret's account of salted roadways and their downstream effects illustrates the perversity succinctly. The government is NOT the place to look for consistency of thought.

 

[Rally]

I hear that Hawk. I used to cast sinkers and sell them to a local bait shop when I was a kid. Most all gas stations would give them to me for free or if the owner fished, a small baby food jar full of sinkers. I could carry fifty pounds of coww in two buckets, one on each handlebar and still stear, not easily, but could still stear.

 

[Ian]

I just spoke with the Interstate rep and he'd never heard of picking up wheelweights, has never done it, and didn't think anyone else did either. He even volunteered that if I had some to get rid of, take them to the recycling yard.

 

[JonB]

I remember the days when $20 would get u two or three 5 gallon buckets of lead from the local Discount Tire Store, with zero zinc involved. Those were the good old days!

I no longer search out or buy/trade for WW from tire shops, because there is so few Lead WW in MN anymore, due to the State's regulations.
With that said, 8 or 9 years ago, I had 5 different shops in my County, that I'd go to regularly to buy/trade for WW.
My favorite place, a small Ma & Pa shop, the owner would take 9mm and 40 ammo in trade for WW, they would specifically save and hold WW for me, because they liked getting ammo.

 

[Mitty38]

Just dropped off some cans today, at a little Non- Ferris only scrap yard, and used tire operation. The fellow there told me, I asked just in time, They move wheel weights fast. They will have all their wheel weights sorted for a big zinc order by Friday.
Says he expects about 50-100 lb of PB marked wheel weights.He can set me aside for $1 a lb, plus he might have 20 lb of plumbing pipe laying around,for the same price. I checked with the wife and check book, she told me "OK,but I get a new dress, and shoes". Then told him I would be by Friday, for 20 lb of wheel weights and that 20 lb of pipe.
I know its a bit over going price, but the scrap yards around here do not usually come off lead to small buyers, without a lot of B.S. and extra charges.
Those that do sell to the little guy, will not come off it for under a dollar, regardless of going price.
I figure the price is worth having my wheel weights sorted for me.
That will put the stash at 20 lb pure lead, 20 lb of range scrap, 20 lb of wheel weights, and 20 lb of pewter. Then I can breath easy in knowing I have a good Stash of material to start casting with.
Now I just need to take get some sawdust, make some angle iron molds. Then have me an outdoor ingot making session.
That way I can concentrate on getting my bullet making in order, and have enough alloy back, so I can take my time finding scrap to keep the supply up.

 

[fiver]

take you some donuts or a 6 pack of Mtn. DEW when you go.
you want to stand out and be regular to keep the supply coming in, plus a lot of times the guys you deal with [instead of the boss] will mistakenly zero out the scales with a few lbs. in the bucket.

 

[Tomme boy]

None of the Interstate battery dealers here get WW's from the shops here either. I asked a couple years ago and they laughed. Said it was just a way of saying NO! I asked the Exide distributor also and they said the same thing.

The dealers you guys are talking to are lying.

 

[Mitty38]

take you some donuts or a 6 pack of Mtn. DEW when you go.
you want to stand out and be regular to keep the supply coming in, plus a lot of times the guys you deal with [instead of the boss] will mistakenly zero out the scales with a few lbs. in the bucket.

Do not worry, plan on keeping in good there. Especially since I can get first dibbs on the lead weights, after they sort them out to sell the Zinc ones. Never even thought to ask till today, because I knew they had a steady buyer for the weights. Just, no Idea that they only had a contract for Zinc ones.

 

[2011redrider]

I still have a deal with a local PD range. I can go once or twice a month when my old Agency is shooting. Usually get about 3 hrs before they are setup and do a bit in between the groups showing up. was great before they replaced all the dirt in the berm cause they were getting complaints of ricochets. Has taken a while to build back up. Get about 3 to 4 buckets, mostly jacketed rounds, so I have to skim the jackets off the top when melting them down. Got about 8 buckets of copper scrap to take in to pay for the propane.

Lot of work, but, since im retired I have plenty of time to reclaim the lead. Got till next year when we move to Idaho and got a line with a state range to get lead from their backstop, just have to volunteer 2x a month.

 

[USSR]

I guess I am truly blessed. My scrap yard's lead is $.80 a pound, and they throw solder in the lead bin. Last week I got 7# of solder for $.80 a pound.

Don

 

[Mitty38]

A local fellow here, is graciously giving me a couple buckets of wheel weights.

I had promised, to the local yard, prior, that I would be by to get some weights. Trying to get a good relationship established there.
Had limited funds, So to keep in good with the local scrap yard. (I always try to keep my word). I just bought 5 lb of sorted lead weights from the scrap yard for now. But I did pick up 20 lb of lead drain pipe. Also bought a 10 lb chunk of lead ballast weight did not know the alloy, but it seams softer then the drain pipe. About 86 cents a lb.Put me back 30 bucks, cash.
There were 3 workers at the yard today, so gave them a mix dozen of my wife's cookies, that I had in the car for such occasions. Also to bring them any zinc I get hold of at the going rate, to trade for lead at the going rate. Seams they get rid if zinc alloy at a good mark up easy.
Hope I did good.
Stopped by Good Will with the wife, and bought a pewter cup for 50 cent. I already have about 20 lb of tin alloy waiting for ingot production, but just could not help myself.

 

[S Mac]

And the stockpile grows. Good deal.

 

[Mitty38]

Now just to find something high in antimony like Linotype

 

[Ian]

Just keep buying wheelweights. You can split them 50/50 with any of the softish lead scrap you have now and make a very satisfactory alloy for your revolver.

 

[Mitty38]

I was actually thinking of making up at least 40-1 lb ingot of a Lyman #2 clone. Especially with the amount of Tin alloy I have.
10 lbs of wheel weights,5 lb of lead pipe, 5 lb of my ~91%tin. Figure it would be a good middle of the road alloy.
That will still leave me with quite a bit of my other material left. Which I could just melt, flux, and pour into ingots.

 

[Ian]

I don't follow your math there, Emmet. #2 is 90/5/5.

 

[Mitty38]

I don't follow your math there, Emmet. #2 is 90/5/5.

Sorry brain cramp-...Was thinking 10lb of 50-50 solder in the recipie I read, would be the same as 5 and 5 but typed 10 and 10
Changed it.

 

[Bret4207]

#2 is way harder than you need for most cast shooting, especially just starting out. Forget Bhn and start thinking about size and pressure curves.