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Box13
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| Joined: | 21 May 2008 |
| Location: | Beaver Creek, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 119 |
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Posted: 12 September 2008 04:07 AM |
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| Ok...ok...I did a little lead melting and molding and now I am afflicted with the bullet casting plague.That said and knowing I cannot be cured...I have a question on alloys.About 5 yrs ago or so,I did a little school project with my 2 boys which involved among other things, melting some lead.I saved all we melted by pour some into a ladle and letting it cool.I ended up with 15 or so pretty good dipper shaped half rounds.I found these the other day and was about to try melting some when I noticed they hadn't oxidized any!They were still shiny.I tried to scratch them with my fingernail...but nothing.I can cut it with my pocket knife but a thumbnail will not make any kind of mark.I think I remember adding some solder to the mix just to use it up as lead solder is of no use on the job.I it possible this was really lead free solder and I added so much that the lead is way too hard for bullets?Am I now destined to buy a lead hardness tester and use this stuff to harden the soft lead I have been hoarding?Any ideas on how I should proceed to use this stuff.I am positive it was either lead or a lead alloy that I added roll solder into...Robin
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Charley
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| Joined: | 9 September 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2296 |
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Posted: 12 September 2008 12:33 PM |
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| Might have been 95/5...tin and antimony. Adding both to your mix will improve the castability and hardness of your alloy. Try adding one ingot to your pot, and cast some bullets. Casting with mystery metal is often a try and see if it works enterprise.
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pegleg4570
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 23 June 2007 |
| Location: | Las Vegas, Nevada USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 13 September 2008 03:08 PM |
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Get a Hardness Tester.
Compare the weight with a known Mixture.
I only use Roofers/ Plumers Lead No tin.
I want all of that energy transfeering to the Target.
I shoot an Original Hasquvarna 1897 45/120, It just looks too good to have to put another Barell onto.
The metals in those old guns was not as tough as the newer ones.
For Example...
Same Die Lead 555g Linotype 518g.... They don't fly the same path.
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wheezengeezer
addicted handloader
| Joined: | 16 July 2007 |
| Location: | Jeddediah Jones Swamp, Kansas USA |
| Posts: | 701 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | pistol |
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Posted: 13 September 2008 07:31 PM |
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sounds like linotype or harder.it has a good tin content because of the lack of oxidation. it will be harder than needed for most handgun bullets but ideal for rifle.a small batch makes it a pain to keep bullets consistent.i mix 200 lb batches of alloy just to have some consistency.if you just want to plink with them us as is.they should cast like a dream.lead is very dangerous to work with,it is highly addictive!!
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Charley
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| Joined: | 9 September 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2296 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 13 September 2008 08:24 PM |
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Guess I should have read the subcatagory before replying!
Pegleg is right, not good for bigger BP cartridges. Either cast for smokeless rifles with it, or trade it to someone who does for some pure lead.
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"The LA Times they called him that,
'cause he's not authentic like me..." Al Sharpton
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Box13
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 21 May 2008 |
| Location: | Beaver Creek, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 119 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 14 September 2008 12:48 AM |
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| I guess I put this in the wrong category.I am casting for smokeless.I have pure lead but I dont shoot much BP and mostly buy what I need for that.I am going to just get a lee lead hardness tester then mix a little of this in and test until I have a proper hardness for pistol.I have 18 of the half rounds at a little less then half a hardball in size.And I have 50 -75 lbs of pure lead.Im guessing the alloy is mostly lead free solder.I figure Ill put 10 lbs of pure lead in a pot and add 1 disk to the melt then check hardness.Ill keep at it until I have a good mix then I should be able to do the whole batch or maybe 2 batches,and then have a consistent alloy.By the way since I have been looking for lead I have come across about 85 lbs of wheel weights.But the owner wants me to make him 30 6 oz sinkers for fishing out of it and I can have the rest.Now if I only had a 6 oz sinker mold...Robin
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pegleg4570
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 23 June 2007 |
| Location: | Las Vegas, Nevada USA |
| Posts: | 42 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 14 September 2008 03:41 AM |
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30 Parts Lead 1 Part Tin will do well in most Modern Weapons, Pistol, or Rifle.
But for BPCR Straight Lead........
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Charley
Administrator
| Joined: | 9 September 2005 |
| Location: | San Antonio, Texas USA |
| Posts: | 2296 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 14 September 2008 03:59 AM |
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Box13 wrote: I guess I put this in the wrong category.I am casting for smokeless.I have pure lead but I dont shoot much BP and mostly buy what I need for that.I am going to just get a lee lead hardness tester then mix a little of this in and test until I have a proper hardness for pistol.I have 18 of the half rounds at a little less then half a hardball in size.And I have 50 -75 lbs of pure lead.Im guessing the alloy is mostly lead free solder.I figure Ill put 10 lbs of pure lead in a pot and add 1 disk to the melt then check hardness.Ill keep at it until I have a good mix then I should be able to do the whole batch or maybe 2 batches,and then have a consistent alloy.By the way since I have been looking for lead I have come across about 85 lbs of wheel weights.But the owner wants me to make him 30 6 oz sinkers for fishing out of it and I can have the rest.Now if I only had a 6 oz sinker mold...Robin
If you want to be a cheap SOB like me, if you have a workshop vise you can roughly test hardness. If you have some commercial cast bullets whose hardness you like, put the hardcast and a bullet cast of your alloy together in the vise, and crank the handle down. The softer bullet will distort first. If the commercial bullet is of a known hardness, you will have a rough guide.
____________________
"Barack, the Magic Negro, lived in DC,
"The LA Times they called him that,
'cause he's not authentic like me..." Al Sharpton
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Box13
HB Full Member
| Joined: | 21 May 2008 |
| Location: | Beaver Creek, Oregon USA |
| Posts: | 119 |
| Photo: | | | Are you a handloader?: | Yes | | Favorite type of cartridge to load?: | I load everything! |
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Posted: 18 September 2008 11:25 PM |
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| So Im out in the shop and Im looking at this mystery metal and thinking what do I do with it and I get this idea.I have an automatic center punch I picked up at a used tool place a few yrs ago so I do a punch on this ingot...then I go over to some pure lead I have and do another punch....well pretty soon every possible piece of unknown lead and every available bullet I have has a test punch in it.hehehe Then I go about measuring the Punch's.The unknown against the known...And lo and behold I have my answer.Using this punch I can gauge lead alloy hardness pretty well.Even just using my naked eye.The bevel on the punch is just a little too tall as the tip will drive past the bevel in pure lead but it gives a very good clue as to hardness.The punch probably cost me 5.00$.After checking some of my bullets I bought for reloading I find most are just a little harder then wheel weights but one brand had a pretty soft alloy......Robin Last edited on 18 September 2008 11:25 PM by Box13
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