Updup Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 Awesome, do you think not pressing them would have a big negitive affect?
dagabu Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 Awesome, do you think not pressing them would have a big negitive affect? Wheel weight lead shrinks a LOT, it will fall out of the copper. If you use a flux to bond the lead to the walls of the copper, you will get a large void in the middle of the lead that is impossible to fill (contamination). Swaging the lead by hammering or pressing is the only way to go. If if is too ugly after you are done, mill them dry and all of the extra lead will break off.
Updup Posted October 11, 2010 Posted October 11, 2010 Wheel weight lead shrinks a LOT, it will fall out of the copper. If you use a flux to bond the lead to the walls of the copper, you will get a large void in the middle of the lead that is impossible to fill (contamination). Swaging the lead by hammering or pressing is the only way to go. If if is too ugly after you are done, mill them dry and all of the extra lead will break off. Okay but hammering works too right? Did you get your tire lead for free?
dagabu Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 Okay but hammering works too right? Did you get your tire lead for free? Yes, you can hammer the lead as well, it doesn't look as good but who cares? Yes, one of my best buddies owns an auto shop, I dont have to pay for the lead.
pyrosailor99 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Posted October 12, 2010 "You can hammer lead", mean that i could avoid the melting of the lead? i remember that when i bought fishing lead and wanted to close the holes i hammered that balls to move some lead of the ball near the hole so that it was covered... tried also to hammer on the covered hole to "melt it" but it have never melted well... i had ever a thin lead strate that was removable picking it with nails... i'm thinking i could buy fishing lead (as i garbaged my old) and fill in some brass tube... but i fear that when i will hammer 3-4 balls in the tube, they will not melt and it will come out of the tube during mill...
dagabu Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 "You can hammer lead", mean that i could avoid the melting of the lead? i remember that when i bought fishing lead and wanted to close the holes i hammered that balls to move some lead of the ball near the hole so that it was covered... tried also to hammer on the covered hole to "melt it" but it have never melted well... i had ever a thin lead strate that was removable picking it with nails... i'm thinking i could buy fishing lead (as i garbaged my old) and fill in some brass tube... but i fear that when i will hammer 3-4 balls in the tube, they will not melt and it will come out of the tube during mill... I would use a propane torch and melt the lead in the tube after they were pounded in, lead does not bond well by pressure alone.
Updup Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 I would use a propane torch and melt the lead in the tube after they were pounded in, lead does not bond well by pressure alone. Do they reuse the wheel weights? I've heard they don't need them after using and they will give them to you...
Algenco Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 Most places will give them away, a few sell as scrap
dagabu Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 My buddy gives them to me so that he does not have to do the paperwork and pay the fees to have it removed. I am told that this last bucket is the last of lead wheel weights, the rest are another metal.
Updup Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 My buddy gives them to me so that he does not have to do the paperwork and pay the fees to have it removed. I am told that this last bucket is the last of lead wheel weights, the rest are another metal. Okay, so he uses somthing other than lead now? I might just go to my local store and ask them about it... In a big city like Houston, I doubt they will be willing to just give me anything though.
dagabu Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 They might, you are looking for the weights that have a metal clip, if it is self stick, they may or may not be lead.
pyrosailor99 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Posted October 12, 2010 i checked local catalogs for those weel wheight... and all new weight have the "Zn" simbol pressed on.... so i imagine it is of Zincum... not Lead.
Algenco Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 They are switching to Zinc. Better scarf up all the lead you can, Federal Reegs now prohibit scrap dealers from selling to individuals
pyrosailor99 Posted October 12, 2010 Author Posted October 12, 2010 oh ok! but the alloy used for fishing leads is the same of the alloy for the wheel weight? shall i melt it into brass tubes, can i use fishing lead and melt it with a butan torch in the same way?
Algenco Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 oh ok! but the alloy used for fishing leads is the same of the alloy for the wheel weight? shall i melt it into brass tubes, can i use fishing lead and melt it with a butan torch in the same way? Fishing sinkers are usuall pure lead, but they too are going away from lead
dagabu Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 Fishing sinkers are usuall pure lead, but they too are going away from lead So are bullets, plumbing solder, and tools.
Algenco Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 So are bullets, plumbing solder, and tools. yep, that's why I have around 500 lbs and growing Bullet molds too;)
dagabu Posted October 12, 2010 Posted October 12, 2010 The nice thing is that I test on an old trap shooting site (still used) and can harvest all of the chilled shot I can handle.
Updup Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 Just picked up a little over 4 pounds of lead for $0.00 from my local auto repair shop... How should I get all the metal clips out?
Algenco Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 Just picked up a little over 4 pounds of lead for $0.00 from my local auto repair shop... How should I get all the metal clips out? melt it, the clips will float and can be skimmed off
dagabu Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 I use a pea sized drop of candle wax to flux the melt, it works fine but makes a lot of smoke. Be careful what you do with the dross, it contains a LOT of arsenic and can be fatal if for some strange reason you handled it with bare hands and then ate a melting chocolate bar and licked off your fingers. Just saying
Updup Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) I use a pea sized drop of candle wax to flux the melt, it works fine but makes a lot of smoke. Be careful what you do with the dross, it contains a LOT of arsenic and can be fatal if for some strange reason you handled it with bare hands and then ate a melting chocolate bar and licked off your fingers. Just saying What if I already handled it with bare hands and then ate a melting chocolate bar and licked off my fingers ? What is the flux for? I know nthing about melting metals. Edited October 14, 2010 by Updup
dagabu Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) What if I already handled it with bare hands and then ate a melting chocolate bar and licked off your fingers ? What is the flux for? I know nthing about melting metals. DUDE!!! You are 14, I'm what? 44? There is NO WAY you are licking anything off my fingers!! The Dave-miester just don't swing that way! LOL! That'l teach you to check your posts before hitting the "ADD REPLY" button. Edited October 14, 2010 by dagabu
Updup Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 DUDE!!! You are 14, I'm what? 44? There is NO WAY you are licking anything off my fingers!! The Dave-miester just don't swing that way! LOL! That'l teach you to check your posts before hitting the "ADD REPLY" button. I acually noticed it and changed it before you got around to posting this... Dirty mind
dagabu Posted October 14, 2010 Posted October 14, 2010 (edited) (Note to self, dont eat chocolate around UpDUp) Edited October 14, 2010 by dagabu
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