Lead ingots, any demand?

[Chucker_Operator]

Would there or is there any demand for lead ingots?

If so what would be a common/ideal ingot size/weight to make. Would be looking to minimize ingot making time and maximize reloaders melting pots.

I may have an opportunity to acquire quite a bit of wheel weights (I know sorting them would be required) and was curious if there would be any demand for ingots.

Or if this was taken one step further to casting bullets, would there be a demand to justify implementation?

Thoughts?

 

[red_zr24x4]

Wheel weights are what we use.
Most of the zink (junk) ones have a Z in the markings.
If in doubt use a set of sidecuts, you'll be able to cut into the lead ones.
As to ingot size, we use old muffin tins. They fit into smelting pots nicely .

 

[bwframe]

I think it depends on how efficeintly you can turn the wheel weights into ingots. Then how much money you feel you need to make it worthwhile to you. After all of that, the logistics of shipping and or delivery come into play.

There have been some ingot sellers in the classifieds a few times. It looks as though they have had mixed results. I think there was a guy selling ingots in the classies recently, but I'll be darned if I can find it again. IIRC the price was over a buck and a half a pound. More than I would pay, unless desperate.

In years past, I have bought ingots at a buck a pound, shipped or FTF. I can't imagine how I could possibly justify selling pot ready lead ingots for that though, if I had it to sell.

Good luck with this Chucker and keep us in the loop of what you are doing with it. Links to your add in the classies and such please.

 

[1775usmarine]

I'd rather take my time going to my local mom and pop tire shops and see about buying a bucket or 2 of wheel weights. Just my opinion though since I currently don't have the time to do anymore smelting but have no issue with storing and doing a little at a time when I can. I have had good luck in the past and lucked out on 98ish lbs of 70/30, 60/40, and a few lbs of 80/20 (lead/tin) auto body solder sticks for $100.

 

[G19G26]

Would there or is there any demand for lead ingots?

If so what would be a common/ideal ingot size/weight to make. Would be looking to minimize ingot making time and maximize reloaders melting pots.

I may have an opportunity to acquire quite a bit of wheel weights (I know sorting them would be required) and was curious if there would be any demand for ingots.

Or if this was taken one step further to casting bullets, would there be a demand to justify implementation?

Thoughts?

I'd be interested in some ingots to weigh down a rifle stand

 

[Chucker_Operator]

I plan on getting some sample buckets to see the composition of the supply and go from there. If it's alot of zinc or steel may not be doing to much

 

[76Too]

Tire shops these days will be about a 50/50 mix of lead vs zinc.

you do NOT need to sort. Melt on a turkey fryer burner or an open fire in a cast or steel vessel and skim the zinc/steel/other garbage off the top with a stainless ice fishing hole skimmer type tool.

the going price for wheel weight ingots is a buck a pound, but MAY get better for you if this scamdemic/economic collapse/communist takeover of the us continues and supply dwindles.

I’m a muffin pan man, myself too! Us casters are a damn frugal batch.

 

[Chucker_Operator]

Have heard the horror stories of zinc contamination in a melt and ultimately want to avoid that as I would be using a crude melting setup.. wood is cheap. So why not down a few cold ones and sort some weights... No need for replies on lead handling/ safety. I'm a big boy and managed to put my pants on the right way this morning.

 

[canebreaker]

I cast ingots over a wood fire. It takes longer to get the heat up to melt a pot of lead. Usually it won't get hot enough to melt zinc.
I use a cornbread stick pan for my ingots, 5 1/2" long and weigh about a pound each. They fit in the Lee 10# pot. I made a mold with 1 1/2" angle iron 5 1/2" long that weigh 2 pounds each. They fit in the Lee 20# pot.

 

[Chucker_Operator]

I was thinking the same thing for the steel angle to make molds out of or even some small c-channel so the ingots would stack better

 

[55fairlane]

Dennis Tomlinson may be interested in some, several years ago (when I had regular access to lead and 70/30) he would buy hundreds of pounds from me on a regular basis.

 

[Warsaw214]

I used a lead pot Thermometer when smelting... gradually bring temp up to avoid over temp zinc contamination.

 

[dennismassie]

I have a Lee ingot mold which casts 2 one pound ingots and 2 one-half pounders. I also have an old muffin tin that does well in my Lee melting pot. As posted earlier, if you watch your melt, the iron and zinc will float to the top, where it can easily be skimmed off.
Buying lead is getting much harder nowadays, with all of the environmental knuckleheads trying to ban it. With shipping, a buyer could consider himself/herself lucky to get it for $2 a pound shipped, from what I'm seeing. I've become a range lead scrounger, sort of a reloading dumpster diver.

 

[Chucker_Operator]

Appreciate all the feedback, currently have this project on the back burner and have side shifted to cleaning brass as a warm indoor activity.