Author Topic: Were do y'all get the lead (Read 1018 times)

hoghunter2 · « **on:** May 20, 2004, 10:30:13 AM »

Were do you get the lead from for casting round balls. I am going to start casting my own.

powder und ball · « **Reply #1 on:** May 20, 2004, 10:39:04 AM »

Just buy one of those 25 lb bags of lead shot for reloading shot gun shells and melt it down thats what i do but dont use the fancy copper coated stuff.

kjeff50cal · « **Reply #2 on:** May 20, 2004, 04:02:44 PM »

I have a recycler I usually sell aluminum cans to gives me (as a good customer) about 20 lbs of plumbers lead.... the market for lead is depressed and he rather give it away than keep it around I tell 'em it is for fishing sinkers.

Shorty · « **Reply #3 on:** May 21, 2004, 10:44:55 AM »

Powder und ball,
Bagged shot is alloyed and way too hard. Don't you have trouble loading with balls made from it?

Hoghunter2,
I used to get my lead from a plumbing supply business, when I couldn't scrounge enough, but I'd guess that they don't use it anymore.
Fortunately, I got about fifty pounds of plumbers lead from my son-in-law, who got it from his (retired plumber) grandfather.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #4 on:** May 21, 2004, 10:49:53 AM »

Shorty is right that the shot is too hard.

I live in a large city and there is a metals salvage yard not too far. They often have old sheet roofing lead that was used in flashings. It is very soft and good for round balls and other muzzleloader bullets. The last time I stocked up it was 17 cents a pound.

Ramrod · « **Reply #5 on:** May 21, 2004, 02:02:19 PM »

Quote from: Thomas Krupinski

Shorty is right that the shot is too hard.

Thomas, it might be too hard for rifled guns, but it is just fine for smoothebores.

Quote

I live in a large city and there is a metals salvage yard not too far. They often have old sheet roofing lead that was used in flashings. It is very soft and good for round balls and other muzzleloader bullets. The last time I stocked up it was 17 cents a pound.

If I could find it here in Central N.Y. for that price I would buy at least a ton. I'm down to a couple of 5 lb. ingots of plumbers lead out of a few strips I got for free. I had to hack the ingots apart with an axe. I would guess roofing lead would require at least as much Hi-Tech proccessing. Still seems like a good deal though.

Thomas Krupinski · « **Reply #6 on:** May 21, 2004, 02:19:49 PM »

Ramrod, when I buy it is usually around 300 lbs. at a time. I think I have a couple of hundred pounds on hand now. It is usually rolled up in rolls a couple of feet or so wide. I would be happy to send you some, but I think the shipping would kill both of us.

That roofing lead is really soft and all I do is cut off strips with a pair of shears and roll it up to fit in the melting pot. Then melt down and skim off any tar or other coating (usually very minimal) where they had sealed the seams of the sheets. Then just pour into ingots.

alpini · « **Reply #7 on:** May 22, 2004, 02:33:11 PM »

I use plumbers lead also, I pick up all I can from home remodels. Sometimes I can get my plumber buddys to set some aside. Lately though, I've been buying ready-made Hornadys.

Will52100 · « **Reply #8 on:** May 24, 2004, 09:10:31 AM »

Never been interested in casting, got to much to do as it is, and I like shooting swagged or sprueless balls.

The best prices I've seen are from Warren Muzzle loading, Havent' ordered yet but will this weekend. http://www.warrenmuzzleloading.com/catalog1.htm#WARREN LEAD BALLS

Gun Runner · « **Reply #9 on:** May 24, 2004, 01:33:16 PM »

Try to find some old phone wire casings. It is fairly, soft. I know the phone companys pulled out miles of it when they redid Beale AFB. Wish I had know about it, would have had several lifetime supplies.

Gun Runner

Gatofeo · « **Reply #10 on:** May 26, 2004, 11:17:24 AM »

Where I work, there's an environmental department.
Got to talking with a fella from the enviro department and mentioned I was always scrounging soft lead for my cpa and ball revolvers and muzzleloading rifle.
He said he'd see what he could do.
Went out to my vehicle one day and found 40-pounds of soft --- dead soft --- sheet lead used in roofing in the back of my vehicle.
He later called me and pledged me to secrecy. He said that if the enviro office takes it in, it must be "properly disposed of."
This means paying a contractor $$ per pound to haul it away to see that the nasty, evil, toxic, malicious lead doesn't sneak into the house at night and slay the poor, innocent children as they sleep in their beds.
Or words to that effect.
Anyway, if you work in a big corporation you may want to get friendly with the folks in the enviro office. They're not ALL raving tree-huggers.
Incidentally, I melted all the sheet lead down and cast ingots. Gave the enviro guy a bright, shiny, un-wrinkled ingot. On the back of it I stamped 0.999 GOLD.
He said he was going to spray-paint it gold and use it for a practical joke.
I don't know if he ever got anyone with it but sounds like a fine idea!

I also fill a box that printer paper comes in with alternating layers of newspaper and plywood cut to fit inside. This stops any .22 or cap and ball projectile. I keep the box bound with duct tape and made a handle on top to carry it. Pin my targets to it, it doesn't blow around in the wind, and take it back home when done.
The last one I dissected, after it got so burst at the seams it could no longer be repaired, netted about 10 pounds in .36 and .44 balls and conicals, with a few .22s too. It all goes back into the melting pot.
Printer paper boxes, newsprint and scrap plywood or 2X4 lengths are easily found for nothing. The box won't stand up to a .38 Special or any round more powerful, but it will stop a .44 ball propelled by 40 grains of FFFG. Good enough for me!

Ramrod · « **Reply #11 on:** May 26, 2004, 01:21:50 PM »

Gatofeo, how many pounds missed the box? Just kidding! Excelent recycling idea. Beats the heck out of digging em out of the berm.

filmokentucky · « **Reply #12 on:** May 26, 2004, 01:51:26 PM »

Track of the Wolf has some of the best prices for cast balls. Their Hornaday swaged balls are a real bargain.
Lead roof flashing is one of the best casting mediums you can get. It's
pure lead and if you ask nicely, most contractors will just give it to you. I always skim it very carefully though, because being so soft, it can have bits of roofing material in it. If that gets into a ball it can be hard on a gun
barrel.

maddmaxx · « **Reply #13 on:** June 03, 2004, 07:20:50 AM »

Cast iron pipes use lead joints, so if you see any being replaced, it's worth breaking the joint to get it. Also worked installing new water systems. Besides cast iron joints, they used to use lead goosenecks to connect lines together. Got a lot from there. As to what mixture to shoot, Turner Kirkland from DGW said, "...if you don't know what you have, use it anyway." Of course he sold new barrels! BTW, I've got plenty wheel-weights. Does anybody know how to separate the pure lead from the rest of it?

______________________________________________________________Pray for peace, prepare for war; sleep like a baby.

flintlock · « **Reply #14 on:** June 03, 2004, 08:09:33 AM »

I get mine from my dentist...he asked if I could use about 15yrs ago...as he knew that I give talks to the kids at school about the American Revolution...and his kid had told him about....anyway, when they x-ray your teeth, they put that square piece of plastic between your teeth and cheek...inside is a thin sheet of pure lead (or at least thats what he said)...
to block the x-ray...he gives to me each year...he even seperates it for me...I melt down in cupcake tins...I can easily scratch these with my fingernail...and I've found that I get better groups with these than swaged...remember, they have been compressed...at the last competition I was in, most agreed that cast balls usually shoot better than swaged...flintlock

tryit · « **Reply #15 on:** June 03, 2004, 11:47:16 AM »

Hoghunter, where u b stay (where do you live in GA.) I live in AL and have a really good source of lead just up the road from my house. I get 67 lb. ingots at a clip. In fact I am going to buy about 300 to 400 lbs. very soon. The price on lead is slipping steady down. Tryit.

willysjeep134 · « **Reply #16 on:** June 03, 2004, 03:27:46 PM »

I've been told that the tin and antimony will seperate off the lead when you melt it and don't flux it. When I cast bullets for my 30WCF I make it a point to flux the lead really well and mix the gray seperated metal back in. This is not dross, but actual tin and antimony so I have been told. Anyways, I know when I skim this seperated metal off of the melted lead I end up with softer bullets.

I get my lead from the local tire dealer. I just ask them when they have a handfull of used wheel weights to spare. Some shops will even keep and fill a bucket for you and call you when it's full, so they don't have to pay to dispose of all of that lead. You do have to melt the lead outside though because many wheel weights can be painted or greasy. I've been told that wheel weights are just a little harder than dead soft lead, but too soft for things like high velocity pistol loads or heavy rifle loads. My 30-30 doesn't seem to mind much, with copper gas checks and plenty of alox lube though. I've never tried it in a black powder gun yet.