Wrong forum.

[S.S.]

I know that this is the wrong forum for this, but do any of you
folks know of anywhere I can send a sample of metal for
identification?  I have found several large ingots of some sort of
metal that I cannot ID. It looks like Silver but melts quite easily.
There are some sort of stamps on them but they are
mostly worn off and can't be read. It feels as heavy as lead
but is not lead. AM I RICH or am I going to make a lot of bullets?
Inquiring minds want to know!

[John Traveler]

S. Sumner,

Having a lab do a quantatative analysis is rather expensive and time consuming.  I used to do this in chemistry/metallurgy lab.  Almost any large city with an industrial base will have these labs.

Since the metal is in ingot form, someone took the trouble to melt and pour it.  Look again at the readings.  If marked as some % of lead (Pb) and % tin (Sn), it's common plumbers solder.  Is it hard or soft?  Most lead alloys will scratch with a finger nail.  Linotype and babbit will not.

The easiest thing to do is make a melting point determination to narrow down the possibilities.  Use your lead pot and borrow a thermocouple or electronic thermometer to see what temp it melts at.  Ranges:

1.  If relatively low (below boling point of water), it's Wood's Alloy used for making chamber casts and novelties.  Do not overheat or it's low melting point is ruined

2.  pure lead melts at slighly above 600 degrees.

3.  lead-tin alloys (solder) can melt at less temp than pure lead, but will  usually be between lead and tin alloys.

4.  Linotype (typemetal) alloy.

5.  babbit or engine bearing material.

6.  Silver has relatively a high temp melting point.  An electric lead melting pot won't do it.

[Jack Crevalle]

A relatively quick check is to fill a container with a spout full to the brim with water. Slowly lower the ingot into the container until it is submerged and catch all the water it displaces. Pour this into a measuring cup that is graduated in ml's.

This is the volume of the ingot.

Next weigh the ingot. If you don't have a scale that weighs in grams do a conversion. Most diet scales will weigh in grams.

Divide the weight in grams by the ml of water.

Lead should be 11.340 g / ml ( somebody double check my math )or slightly less if you an alloy of Tin like John Traveler suggests.

This should just be taken as a ball park estimate of what it is. Don't go casting bullets based on this.

[1911crazy]

It could be plumbers lead for sealing old castiron pipes and the old elevators used lead counterweights too and up to 150lbers.    BigBill

[savageT]

I know that this is the wrong forum for this, but do any of you
folks know of anywhere I can send a sample of metal for
identification?  I have found several large ingots of some sort of
metal that I cannot ID. It looks like Silver but melts quite easily.
There are some sort of stamps on them but they are
mostly worn off and can't be read. It feels as heavy as lead
but is not lead. AM I RICH or am I going to make a lot of bullets?
Inquiring minds want to know!

S Sumner,
All good advice so far.  I would checkout your local steel foundries or labs in the area and find out who has emission spectroscopy or scanning electron microscope with EDS (electron dispersive spectrometer) that can do the analysis.  Generally, it doesn't take very long to get an answer as long as you can settle for greater than 10% concentrations.  Sorry, I used to be in the business here in central NY region, but retired now.  Don't know what part of the country you are from but a small piece about the size of a dime is plenty!  Let me know if I can be of further help.

Jim

[RB Rooson]

S.Sumner,

Now this is some pretty interesting stuff.......kind of like our own mystery right here on the Military Surplus Forum!

You've got to tell us when you find out what it is.......!!!

Waiting to hear,

RB :?