Linotype percentages

[darkroomdan]

My Lyman Handbook says that Linotype is 84% lead, 8% tin, and 8% antimony - is that the correct ratio of metals? I found another source (http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm) that says Lino is 84/12/4 - so which is right?
I have both pure lead and some Lino and am trying to figure out a mix ratios that will give me Lyman #2 and a Wheelweight equivalents.
Thanks,
DRD

[hornady]

1 part soft lead to 1 part Lino = 15 BHN / Saeco 8.5 (Lyman #2 Alloy)

[res45]

My Lyman #49 manuals  and my alloy calculator list Linotype as 84% Lead,4% Tin,12 % Antimony.  For a 20 lb. pot my alloy mix calculator basically confirms what hornady states 50% Pure Lead and 50% Lino give you a air cooled BHN of 14.7.

I changed the percentages in my calculator according to your Lyman handbook numbers and the BHN for air cooled bullets comes out to 13.44.  This is just an educated guess based on known numbers  your alloy content may vary.  Testing your own bullets will confirm what your final BHN will be but you should be in the ball park.

[Lloyd Smale]

I wouldnt doubt if both numbers are right. Ive gone through tons of linotype threw the years and it varys alot. Most of the linotype a guy will get is probably closer to 20 bhn then it is to the 20-24 bhn that new linotype will give you. Some tin and antimony are lost from the printer using it over and over and by the time you get it its a bit tired. Some printers added tin and antimony to sweeten it and some just got rid of it and bought new so the actuall tin/antimony of the stuff you get can vary alot.

[darkroomdan]

Thanks for the replies!
I had thought the the 1 to 1 would probably be close to Lyman #2 - would 2 to 1 (2 parts lead to 1 part lino) be close to the BHN of Wheelweight?
Thanks again,
DRD

[res45]

1 to 1 Lino/Lead will give you alloy approximately that close to Lyman #2  BHN 15.   5 lbs. Lino and 10 lbs. pure lead will give you the approximate BHN of WW alloy around 12. 

You can water quench those same 12 BHN bullets straight from the mold and raise the BHN slightly higher than Lyman #2.

[darkroomdan]

Thanks res45 - that sounds like a plan! That's what I was hoping for - 1 to 1 or 2 to 1 depending on the use...

Thanks again for all the help,
DRD

[darkroomdan]

res45,
I went back and looked at the Lyman manual (#49) and you are correct it's 84/4/12 - don't know where I read the 84/8/8 - maybe I just dreamed it...
Anyway, many thanks,
DRD

[Kenneth L. Walters]

My Lyman Handbook says that Linotype is 84% lead, 8% tin, and 8% antimony - is that the correct ratio of metals? I found another source (http://www.lasc.us/CastBulletAlloy.htm) that says Lino is 84/12/4 - so which is right?
I have both pure lead and some Lino and am trying to figure out a mix ratios that will give me Lyman #2 and a Wheelweight equivalents.
Thanks,
DRD

Linotype is ALWAYS 4% tin, 12% antimony and 84% lead by weight.  It is a eutectic alloy and always has this composition.
 
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Type_metal

[Lloyd Smale]

Allways is a strong word. I know from experience that linotype will vary in hardness from about 22 to 18. Ive had batches of virgin linotype that varied  between 20 and 22. So there is defineatly some variations in how its made by different foundrys and it definately can loose something when used over a period of time. I know for a fact that the printer i got a bunch off of one time said he had bars of antiomy/tin that he had to add to sweaten the mixture over time. He showed me a few and they were marked with the foundrys name and had linotype plus in letters on them. He also would sell his old used stock cheaper then the new stock because of the fact that it had lost some of its tin and antimony. Pretty hard to doubt him when it would test at about 18bhn. Something was missing that added to the hardness. By the way he also told me that back in the day his dad would test all the new linotype and monotype they got in and many times would return a batch because it wouldnt pass his hardness tests so well it may suppose to be a certian content its surely not ALLWAYS going to be right.

[Kenneth L. Walters]

Linotype is ALWAYS 4% tin, 12 % antimony and 84% lead by weight.  That is the definition.  Do manufacturers always get it right?  Certainly not.  But that doesn't change what linotype is.