processing wheel weight to ingots

[ok-22shooter]

update too sorting. Checked some of the light weights with a magnet this morning and they are magnet. I was not aware the some of the weights were 100% steel. specific gravity of steel and zinc are similar, around 7. Lead varies with the amount of tin but is around 11. not sure why the steel feels so much lighter.
I am going to order a thermocouple and readout to monitor temperature b4 I start melting to ingots.

 

[rickm]

Those clipon with square ends will all be steel, lead will have a more rounded end and zinc usually will be rounded with a sharp upper point on them

 

[okietom]

I started casting and read you could use an old coffee can. From when it was in cans. That worked.

I found an old sauce pan with the handle broken off and used that. I may still have that with some lead in the bottom.

 

[TheDoubleD]

Don't just toss the zinc, some recyclers will buy them. Same goes of course dead brass cartridges cases.

And to repeat what other have said already, low melt temperature and the zinc will float to the top and can skimmed off.

 

[dennishoddy]

Flux causes the impurities (dirt and other small particules) to separate from the lead and float to the surface to be skimmed off , so you end up with clean lead which makes in the end makes pouring into the molds easier and have a uniformed bullet in the end.

I tried aluminum beer cans today squashed underfoot. They melted quickly, but I guess the liner inside created some slag that just wouldn't skim off. Was just a mess after two dozen cans.
Any tips?

 

[rickm]

Sorry cant help you there been thinking of trying to melt a bunch down but just havent got setup to do it yet

 

[ok-22shooter]

made it thru sorting 220 lbs of purchased tire shop weights, 1 and a half 5 gallon buckets. breakdown as follows
lead WW clip on. 50%
flat wheel weights 16%
Zinc clip on. 5%
steel and misc. 28%

steel weight has some small lead WWs that were not worth sorting and some missed zinc. my cost around $0.35 per pound but still includes the steel clips. 4 hours sorting and I still have to convert WW and pure lead to ingots.
The zinc weights sorted out all have Zn on the weight. Testing hardness with side cutter pliers give almost no indentation.
Flat steel weights all have some indented number that is pretty clear. some of the flat lead has numbers but not as distinct. in testing hardness of flat lead with pliers, some are very easy to cut typical of pure lead, some have a bit of brittleness like the lead WW. I am guessing not all flat lead weights are pure lead.
The lead clip on weights have all sorts of codes (micro, mc, al-mc, p). The code is for the type of wheel rim it attaches too. Google is our friend.(lawson products)
Picture is of about 40 lbs sort showing two piles of clip on. This was b4 I figured out what micro, mc... meant. closest pile of clip ons is of P marked weights which at the time I thought was for lead, actually for steel rims. box is steel, left pile zinc, plastic jug flat lead.

The saga continuous...

 

[swampratt]

Very nice.
I got a bunch or cigarette butts and other trash and tire valve stem and cores in my last big bucket of wheel weights.
Stinky like an old ashtray.

 

[Dumpstick]

Very nice.
I got a bunch or cigarette butts and other trash and tire valve stem and cores in my last big bucket of wheel weights.
Stinky like an old ashtray.

What you are calling cigarette butts and trash, I call flux.

All the trash and oil goes in the rendering pot. Put the lid on, let it go.

 

[swampratt]

All the trash and oil goes in the rendering pot. Put the lid on, let it go.

All that burning rubber just smells awful.
I have melted down a bunch of tar covered lead shower pans and that is bad enough.