Led Projectiles

[Matt Dixon]

Ok well i have a gb mortar and i love to shoot it but a few weeks back i wanted to sling some led so i went to my smithy 1330 IMAX and made a mould. It looks like a shell because a ball is just to hard to make with a manual machine. now the question where can i find a bunch of led cheap or free that i can melt down. I tried batteries but a couple of problems with that  1.There a pain to take apart 2.They have acid witch can eat up your skin or anything else 3.It takes forever to get the zink of the led and 4. For me the led did not melt it just turned in to a dust now keep in mind that i heated to a point that my cast iron pot melted. Thanks

[dan610324]

the old type of balancing weights for car wheels

the modern is made of zink or iron

the old ones are made of a lead alloy with antimon in it
that alloy is very hard
perfect for casting cannon balls
but maybe you would consider to heat your pot a tiny bit less this time   

I know a guy who burn everything to get the metal from it, ok it aint enviromental friendly
nooooo its not me, but I would do it the same way if needed
he use a 55 gallon steel drum thats cut open at the top, a 1" hole in the bottom and maybe 8-10 2" holes approximately 1-2" from the bottom
its standing on some bricks that it is approximately 4" up from the ground

when he starts he put in a pile of fire wood in the bottom and stack the batteries on top of that.
no acid left in the batteries when burned
all lead comes out in the bottom hole

is it both lead and zink in car batteries ??
then he must get some lead/zink alloy from that burning process

maybe a good alloy for cannon balls ,
anyone who have tested a zink/lead alloy for cannon balls ??
they wouldnt be as heavy as pure lead balls, better for the mortar

[Max Caliber]

Most of the lead that can be had from melting a wet cell automobile battery is from the posts and their connecting links to the battery cells. A lot of lead in the plates is in the form of lead oxide and to change this oxide back to metallic lead requires that it go through a smelting process like that used in extracting metal from ore. Years ago I melted a car battery and quickly found that buying lead at a plumbing supply store or scrap metal dealer was the better way to go. Don't overlook lead pipe when hunting for lead at the scrap yard, most of it comes from demolition of old buildings and is usually as pure as pig lead.

[dan610324]

I would guess that today when scrap metal prices are back to a normal low level again,
 you could probably get old balancing weights for free again at almost any tire shop

[Artilleryman]

Collect scrap aluminum or copper and turn it in at the scrap yard.  Use the money to buy scrap lead.  Put out the word to all your friends that you are looking for scrap lead, someone may be able to give you some that they have laying around.

[KABAR2]

I always ask at yardsales and estate sales, 
once I picked up over 500 pounds of elevator weights at one. Most recently I picked up about 100 pnds at an estate sale in two large ingots cost me about .30 cents a pound,
you can find the strangest things at yard sales..........The day is coming that you will not be able to get lead at a scrap yard, you can thank the tree huggers & greenies for this as they get legislation passed that will cause to limit access to hazardous material such as lead. the nanny state is here and it will get worse with time.

[Victor3]

"The day is coming that you will not be able to get lead at a scrap yard, you can thank the tree huggers & greenies for this as they get legislation passed that will cause to limit access to hazardous material such as lead. the nanny state is here and it will get worse with time."

 I think 'the day is here' in CA.

 Some time back at a company I worked for I was asked if I would be willing to remove all lead from the facility. "Noooooo problem, sir!" They had decided to farm out production of all lead parts due to new EH&S regulations.

 Last year, a friend of mine asked if I would take away the lead they had at their facility. "Noooooo problem, bud!" Turned out they had ~1400#.

 Being known as a cannon nut can have its advantages 

[RocklockI]

yi currumba ! thats the best score i've heard of in a long time . cha ching !