Using WW for Cast Bullets--Watch for Zinc Contamination

[McLernon]

Just learned that zinc contaminated WW for cast bullets =ONE BIG MESS

Check all wheel weights to make sure there are no zinc ones and discard them.......................it is impossible to cast with zinc contaminated lead!!

Wish someone had told me before I smelted a whole bunch!

Mc

[Graybeard]

I've heard folks mention such before but for the life of me fail to see the problem. I once long ago used a bunch of babbit my dad had used that had a high zinc content and found it worked just fine other than the bullets from it were quite light in comparison to normal lead alloys. It melted fine and casted excellent bullets. What problems has it given you?

[kevthebassman]

I can't comment on casting with Zinc, but a welder buddy of mine was welding on galvanized steel and made himself sick nearly to the point of death.  Zinc poisoning is pretty serious stuff.

[blhof]

I've had lead contaminated with Zinc before.  I was casting and couldnt get a good bullet even with very hot lead and a hot mold.  I went to my Lee reloading manual and he states the exact problem I was having as zinc contamination and to discard the lead.  I refilled the pot with known lead and got a perfect cast on the first try.  For some reason zinc won't let the mold fill out; usually at the lube grooves.  I know tin improves the sharp edges on casts and maybe if You have enough tin they would cast.  I found a 5 lb round wt that I thought was lead until I read that zinc was brittle and one hit with a hammer shattered the wt.  I later found that it was a sacrificial anode for a salt water large boat.

[copdills]

+1 ON STAY AWAY FROM ZINC , MESS A GOOD BATCH OF WW'S UP

[GatCat]

How does a person know if the ww's contain zinc?? Color?? Markings?? Any info would be appreciated!
Thanks, mark

[McLernon]

Zinc will cast if the temperature is high enough, but it will need to be allot higher than normally used to cast lead bullets..................stay away from it.

I am told that lead WW are are marked wit a 'Z' or 'Zn', but I am not sure.

Mc

[Chris Potts]

How does a person know if the ww's contain zinc?? Color?? Markings?? Any info would be appreciated!
Thanks, mark

Zinc has a higher melting point.  I find that if I keep the temperature down the ones that are made from zinc will float to the top because they are much lighter also.  I just skim them off with the steel clips.

Chris

[Lloyd Smale]

actually you can make good bullets out of zinc. Ive done it. There featherweights though and its actually easier to cast with pure zinc then with lead with a slight contamination. Like was said it can  be done if you run everything hot enough but the big hastle is getting the contamination out of your pot and molds It tends to hang on along time if you dont clean the ### out of everything.

[McLernon]

Good tips.

Mc

[McLernon]

Tried a new bunch of WW.........................................same results .........full of zinc and WILL NOT CAST. I think WW in Canada are zince-lead alloy and in the U.S. they are lead.  I have to source some #2 Alloy somewhere..........I don't know where................Anybody know a source in Canada?

Thanks

Mc

[Idaho Ron]

I got a free bucket of WW's here about a month ago. I got around to melting them and I found stick on Zinc, and clip on zinc. For me they floated and I got them off. I tried to get some hot enough to melt and just could not get it hot enough. They all floated.  Ron

[blhof]

About the only source for good hard lead in Canada, would probably be Ebay.  I usually get soft lead and linotype castings; when they aren't bid up too high.  Watch out for the shipping charges.  I don't know if the flat rate shippers will go to Canada.  The best prices usually have high shipping charges.

[Tom W.]

Last night I dug out my stuff ( I gotta get a bigger pot!) and melted some of the wheel weights that I got last week. I'd seen the warnings about the stick-on zinc weights, but never had encountered them. Last night I did, along with several weights that looked just like regular weights, the biggest difference is that the ends were radiused, rather than "pointed" for lack of a better description. 
I made about 40 ingots, and still have almost half of a 5 gallon bucket full of weights. I also have a pretty full container of clips and dross, which is the main reason I stopped last night. I hope to go fill up my gas tank today or tomorrow so I can melt the rest, but there is a Gun show  in Dothan this weekend that I need to visit....

[McLernon]

Because antimony has to be alloyed into solution with lead at about 1100 degrees it is quite likely that this is how zinc is getting into clip-on WW.

I finally gave up on clip-on WW because of this and stick-on WW because they are so 'dirty'. I bought some 'virgin' lead and tin amd mixed a 1:20 tin-lead alloy that fills out the molds pefectly. It costs more money but what the heck.

Anyways no more WW for me.

Mc

[Tom W.]

Heretic!