Wheel Weights

[Sandgroper]

A little while ago, the local garage gave me about 10kg of wheel weights. This was after mentioning to one of the mechanics (who also shoots) that I was planning to start casting my own bullets in the new year.

I've spent the morning sorting the weights and I'm about half way through. So far it's not too difficult and I've managed to get about 1kg of lead along with some tin weights - which was a nice bonus.

While about two thirds of the weights are stamped as to identify the metal - Pb,Sn,Al,Zn,Fe and I'm guessing Za is Zamak (a Zinc alloy), how do I identify the ones that aren't stamped? The only thing I can think of is either scoring the unknown weights with a known weight (Zn,Al or Za) or trying to cut the weight with some tinsnips. Both are totally subjective, I know, but the only other option I can think of is to wait until my casting equipment arrives and test their hardness.

Any thoughts or suggestions?

[dromia]

I sort visually as you are doing and then when smelting I keep the alloy just above the melting point for the lead just above the slushy stage. The zinc melts at a higher temperature (787 F) as the lead (621 F) so the zinc ww will float to the top with the clips and rubbish and can be skimmed off. Don't let the zinc melt into the alloy as you will end up with an uncastable porridge consistency

To be honest i've given up on WWs now as the predominance of zinc just makes it not worth while, the last lot I was lucky if a quarter of them were lead.

Range scrap and plumbers lead is my main source now with some linotype and tin on hand for sweetners depending on application. You don't need hard alloy for most cast boolit shooting, its poor boolit fit that gives leading, not too soft an alloy in most cases.

Hard cast bullets so promoted by commercial producers are only hard cast so that they won't deform whilst being mass packaged and shipped around not because of better performance on the target.

Same goes for that worse than useless hard wax lubes they use.

[dromia]

BTW the Al and Zamak, zinc aluminium alloy, will also float off. They also have higher melting points than lead.

[Ovenpaa]

Range scrap and plumbers lead is my main source now with some linotype and tin on hand for sweetners depending on application.

Linotype and sweetners? I have to say I am lost now, can you explain further please

[dromia]

Tin was used in the past with lead to harden it 1-20 and 1-10, tin to lead, being common proportions. However its main function is to help "thin" the lead melt so that you get full boolit fill out in the mould. I never add more than 2% straight tin.

Pure lead BHN 5
1-20 BHN 10
1-10 BHN 11

Linotype BHN 22 is a hard lead alloy containing typically 4% tin 12% antimony and 84% lead with the antimony being the main hardener so it is useful in bullet alloys for its tin and antimony hardner.

Wheel weights also contain antimony, tin and arsenic, or used to, and only small proportions are needed for boolit hardening through water quenching straight from the mould and give a BHN of around 24 but without the brittleness of lino type.

As I keep banging on, hard bollits are not necessary for up 2000 fps applications so long as you have correct boolit fit which is the key to cast boolit shooting. If I was still using WWs BHN 12-14 then most of my boolits would be straight WWs, but as I am now using soft lead small additions of linotype and tin help "sweeten" the alloy.

Range scrap is also a good addition as .22 rf bullets have useful amounts of arsenic which enables heat treating as does antimony.

[Robin128]

I used to add tin to pure lead back years ago when casting for round nose boolits in 45acp. Or just melt down wheel weights...God knows what they were made of then...70s.

At the time we thought it would prevent them stripping rather than engaging the rifling...if memory serves me right.

I've still got my mould handles and RCBC lubamatic...wonder if the bug is going to have a second bite?

Rob

[dromia]

For pistol velocities with good boolit fit you can almost use pure lead. WWs were the almost perfect boolit alloy for almost any application and in those days best of all were free. A harder alloy was usually a good idea in semi autos to prevent boolit deformation as it was stripped from the magazine and pushed up the feed ramp into the chamber. It was not needed for 45acp velocities.

Most of the old western cartridges used soft lead 44-40, 45 long colt, 50-70, 45-70 were all cast with lead alloys containg no more than 1-20 tin to lead and in most cases a lot less. The North American Bison was almost shot to extinction with lead boolits.

Paper patched boolits would sometimes be cast "harder" 1-10 577/450 Martini for example but this was to help eliminate slump on the longer noses at the higher velocities. A soft lead boolit responded well to the need for obturation in BP barrels.

[Robin128]

You are starting me wanting!

:)

Rob

[dromia]

I've still got Webleys under section 7.3 that I cast and reload for.

But most of my target and game shooting nowadays is with military and sporting rifles for which cast boolits are ideally suited. When you think about it, the boolit is the most important element in the cartridge so why wouldn't you want to take any opportunity to make sure that you get just the right boolit for your needs rather than just hope that someone elses mass produced lead or jacketed jobby will meet you and your rifles specific needs.

it also becomes another interesting facet of the hobby and helps us have a deeper understanding of our guns and how the shoot.

Finally its fun.

[dromia]

Those RCBS Lubesizers are very good Robin and RCBS lifetime guarantee means any thing breaks and they replace FoC.

I am currently running three RCBS's at present along with a Lyman 450 and two Lyman 45s, I have a fondness for the old lyman lubsizers shame they "improved" them.

Then I have my behemoth Vickers for .577 and above. :shock: