How to identify zinc in wheel weights

[Black Jaque Janaviac]

I've read that zinc can contaminate a batch of casting lead.  The advice I've read says to avoid "shiny" wheel weights.

I've got a bucket full of wheel weights.  About 3/4 of them are painted silver and are consequently "shiny".

A small fraction of them are just plain shiny metal.  

Which of these shiny ones should I discard?

I hope it's not the painted ones as that would have me chucking 3/4 of them!!!

[475/480]

i would not worry about it,so few to be honest.im new also,i have melted only about  250lb into ingots. seen one i think ,it did not melt temp not high enough just took it out and went on.no problem

[Cheyenne Ranger]

If you are casting at <800 degrees the zinc ones will just float to the surface like the WW clips do.  Skim them off and go about your business.  If you are just getting started you might want to melt all the WW down into ingots.  It's an extra step but makes casting the actual bullets a bit quicker and neater.  
Sometimes I wil add the WW right to the pot that I'm using to cast bullets.  Takes time to skim the clips and junk but saves me the step of a special melting to make ingots.  And sometimes a make ingots :grin:  alot depends on if I need bullets right then or just looking for something to do.
CR