What to do with stick-on lead wheel weights?

DavidAGO · June 6, 2009, 07:33 PM

I have been melting down the wheel weights I have gotten from our local tire shop. Now, I don't know what to do with the stick-on weights, which I understand are almost pure lead. I have 15-20 pounds of those. Can they be melted with something to be made suitable for bullet casting or should I go into fishing sinker casting? Our should I just buy a muzzle-loader and cast for it also? Thanks

DavidAGO

zxcvbob · June 6, 2009, 07:49 PM

Be careful with those, a lot of stick-on weights are made of zinc, and just one or two that slips by will ruin a pot of lead.

Melt them down separate, and you can either give the ingots to a blackpowder shooter, use them for target ammo, or mix them with clip-on weight ingots for your non-magnum pistol ammo.

doug66 · June 6, 2009, 08:26 PM

If the stick ons are zinc free, then just sneak a little in your alloy. Right or wrong it is what I do.

publius · June 6, 2009, 10:33 PM

If you are watching your pot while melting the lead the zinc weights should float to the top and you can simply pull them out.

Citywaterman · June 7, 2009, 07:32 AM

I have the same question. I'm new to casting. To this point I have put most of them to the side (seperated). I have slipped a few in my melting pot and skimmed off the paper backing. Seems to make a little more of a mess on the top of the pot with garbage. For that reason I avoid using them. I will eventually use them if lead gets low. I have found the zinc weights will float to the top and easily removed. Citywaterman

CrustyFN · June 7, 2009, 11:38 AM

I usually throw in a handfull in with the clip-ons. I have a bucket full of the stick-ons that I will probably give to a friend that cast for a muzzle loader. You can melt them down and pour into ingots and mark them with a sharpie. I also throw everything in the pot. If you keep the temp at 700 degrees or a little less the zinc will float to the top and can be scooped out with the clips.
Rusty

salvadore · June 7, 2009, 04:59 PM

I have a bunch of the stick ons...The lead ones are obvious, so are the shinier stiffer ones zinc?

GP100man · June 7, 2009, 05:27 PM

i smelt mine seperately , then blend 50/50 with wheel weights when shooting lower pressure revolver rounds.
bhn still runs around 9-11 on blended boolit alloy.

GP100man

zxcvbob · June 7, 2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

I have a bunch of the stick ons...The lead ones are obvious, so are the shinier stiffer ones zinc?

The zinc ones are generally marked "ZN". There's also a bunch of steel weights; that's what got me the first time I melted down a batch of stick-on weights -- I assumed they were all soft lead. The steel weights masked how hot the melt was, and the zinc weights melted in before I knew what was going on. I was really lucky that I only ruined less than 10 pounds of lead.

If you separate out the ones marked ZN and the ones that will stick to a magnet, you should have mostly pure lead weights left. Melt them slowly with much stirring, and strain out any that don't at least get mushy when you poke them with a stick or spoon.

xchipx · June 28, 2009, 12:30 PM

hey guys a newbie here !

I have a drum full of wheel weights - however id say about 50% are steel or zinc, the remainder lead.

Im planning on throwing them all into a melting pot.
Heating the pot to above the lead melting point ( 327*c) but less than the zinc melting point ( 419*c ).
In my theory, even the lead weights at the top of the " mix " will melt, and the molten lead will seep through, to the bottom.
I will then ( bottom ) pour the lead - which will be heavier than the steel and zinc, and in theory get a good lead purity.

I will repeat the above with a higher temperature of 420-450*c ( my electric melting pot max temp is 450*c ) , this time there should be only zinc and steel left, pouring out the zinc.

I will have ingots of lead, ingots of zinc and in the pot will remain the iron/steel balance weights and the clips from the zinc and lead weights.

Is this " theory " at all practical / going to work ???

If not, is there a quick way to seperate them before throwing them into the pot ? I thought of a magnet to seperate the steel from the non ferrous, but the clips on all the weights are steel so i doubt this will work.

zxcvbob · June 28, 2009, 12:45 PM

Quote:

Is this " theory " at all practical / going to work ???

If the percentage of steel and zinc is that high, it's not going to work because the lead at the bottom will get hot enough to melt zinc before you get a large enough puddle to conduct the heat well enough to control it. BTDT.

Pick out the *obvious* steel and zinc weights first, and it's probably a pretty good plan.

CrustyFN · June 28, 2009, 03:21 PM

Just curious why you would want zinc ingots? If you do I would melt them in a separate pot. Any zinc left in the pot the next time you melt lead will contaminate the lead.

Rusty

June 6, 2009, 07:33 PM	#1
DavidAGO Senior Member Join Date: October 7, 2008 Location: Magnolia, AR Posts: 340	What to do with stick-on lead wheel weights? I have been melting down the wheel weights I have gotten from our local tire shop. Now, I don't know what to do with the stick-on weights, which I understand are almost pure lead. I have 15-20 pounds of those. Can they be melted with something to be made suitable for bullet casting or should I go into fishing sinker casting? Our should I just buy a muzzle-loader and cast for it also? Thanks DavidAGO

June 6, 2009, 07:49 PM	#2
zxcvbob Senior Member Join Date: December 20, 2007 Location: S.E. Minnesota Posts: 4,720	Be careful with those, a lot of stick-on weights are made of zinc, and just one or two that slips by will ruin a pot of lead. Melt them down separate, and you can either give the ingots to a blackpowder shooter, use them for target ammo, or mix them with clip-on weight ingots for your non-magnum pistol ammo. __________________ "Everything they do is so dramatic and flamboyant. It just makes me want to set myself on fire!" —Lucille Bluth

June 6, 2009, 10:33 PM	#4
publius Senior Member Join Date: January 25, 2005 Location: Mississippi/Texas Posts: 2,505	If you are watching your pot while melting the lead the zinc weights should float to the top and you can simply pull them out. __________________ "Suppose you were an idiot, and suppose you were a member of Congress, but I repeat myself." Mark Twain

June 7, 2009, 11:38 AM	#6
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	I usually throw in a handfull in with the clip-ons. I have a bucket full of the stick-ons that I will probably give to a friend that cast for a muzzle loader. You can melt them down and pour into ingots and mark them with a sharpie. I also throw everything in the pot. If you keep the temp at 700 degrees or a little less the zinc will float to the top and can be scooped out with the clips. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.

June 7, 2009, 05:27 PM	#8
GP100man Senior Member Join Date: August 1, 2007 Location: Tabor City , NC. Posts: 1,969	stick ons i smelt mine seperately , then blend 50/50 with wheel weights when shooting lower pressure revolver rounds. bhn still runs around 9-11 on blended boolit alloy. GP100man

June 6, 2009, 08:26 PM	#3
doug66 Senior Member Join Date: June 1, 2008 Location: Kansas Posts: 116	If the stick ons are zinc free, then just sneak a little in your alloy. Right or wrong it is what I do.

June 7, 2009, 07:32 AM	#5
Citywaterman Member Join Date: March 30, 2009 Posts: 99	I have the same question. I'm new to casting. To this point I have put most of them to the side (seperated). I have slipped a few in my melting pot and skimmed off the paper backing. Seems to make a little more of a mess on the top of the pot with garbage. For that reason I avoid using them. I will eventually use them if lead gets low. I have found the zinc weights will float to the top and easily removed. Citywaterman

June 7, 2009, 04:59 PM	#7
salvadore Junior member Join Date: January 1, 2007 Location: Idaho Posts: 2,282	I have a bunch of the stick ons...The lead ones are obvious, so are the shinier stiffer ones zinc?

June 28, 2009, 12:30 PM	#10
xchipx Junior Member Join Date: June 28, 2009 Posts: 1	hey guys a newbie here ! I have a drum full of wheel weights - however id say about 50% are steel or zinc, the remainder lead. Im planning on throwing them all into a melting pot. Heating the pot to above the lead melting point ( 327c) but less than the zinc melting point ( 419c ). In my theory, even the lead weights at the top of the " mix " will melt, and the molten lead will seep through, to the bottom. I will then ( bottom ) pour the lead - which will be heavier than the steel and zinc, and in theory get a good lead purity. I will repeat the above with a higher temperature of 420-450c ( my electric melting pot max temp is 450c ) , this time there should be only zinc and steel left, pouring out the zinc. I will have ingots of lead, ingots of zinc and in the pot will remain the iron/steel balance weights and the clips from the zinc and lead weights. Is this " theory " at all practical / going to work ??? If not, is there a quick way to seperate them before throwing them into the pot ? I thought of a magnet to seperate the steel from the non ferrous, but the clips on all the weights are steel so i doubt this will work.

June 28, 2009, 03:21 PM	#12
CrustyFN Senior Member Join Date: June 4, 2006 Location: West Virginia Posts: 2,258	Just curious why you would want zinc ingots? If you do I would melt them in a separate pot. Any zinc left in the pot the next time you melt lead will contaminate the lead. Rusty __________________ I don't ever remember being absent minded.