Bullet Casting 101
- Thread starter IllinoisCoyoteHunter
- Start date
rocknrollgen
New member
Question about wheelweight composition.
This is a great thread for us newbies to boolit casting, it popped right up when I did a search for "Bullet casting problems". I have been prepping to get some casting done ever since I realized that the shooting sports were going to be a target for elimination by the current administration as soon as they destroyed the rest of our economy.
I collected about 150# of wheelweights from a friend who owns a few tire stores, bought a Lee 20# pot and started melting. But some of my melts turned "frothy" on top and I started asking questions about the composition of the wheelweights. Turns out our state (WA) is in the process of banning lead WW, so I have a mix of lead and other metals in my wheelweights. Steel is not a problem since I can't melt it and it just floats to the top, but apparently several other metals bad for surface tension are being phased in as lead is phased out. I can't find any information on composition vs stamps on the weights and my friend doesn't know of any information source either. I am separating the weights by stamp but there are many stamps by different manufacturers and I can't tell the composition from "MC, Mn (ok, manganese?), Zn (Zinc), T-Type?, P, Al (Aluminum?) and combinations. Even within stamp types there are variations. Al stamped weights appear too heavy to be pure aluminum, most have the look and feel of lead, but I don't want to contaminate any more melts than I already have. I recently bought an appropriate range thermometer from Midway, the posts on this thread helped a lot. Any advice on what WW stamps to avoid and which are OK to add to the mix? Also does anyone know what the composition of diving weights is?
I suspect more and more states are going to put pressure on lead as a hazardous substance so what is the DIY going to turn to when the lead sources dry up?
I realize that this is an old thread but I wanted to get the WW question in as the answer may help others in the same position.
This is a great thread for us newbies to boolit casting, it popped right up when I did a search for "Bullet casting problems". I have been prepping to get some casting done ever since I realized that the shooting sports were going to be a target for elimination by the current administration as soon as they destroyed the rest of our economy.
I collected about 150# of wheelweights from a friend who owns a few tire stores, bought a Lee 20# pot and started melting. But some of my melts turned "frothy" on top and I started asking questions about the composition of the wheelweights. Turns out our state (WA) is in the process of banning lead WW, so I have a mix of lead and other metals in my wheelweights. Steel is not a problem since I can't melt it and it just floats to the top, but apparently several other metals bad for surface tension are being phased in as lead is phased out. I can't find any information on composition vs stamps on the weights and my friend doesn't know of any information source either. I am separating the weights by stamp but there are many stamps by different manufacturers and I can't tell the composition from "MC, Mn (ok, manganese?), Zn (Zinc), T-Type?, P, Al (Aluminum?) and combinations. Even within stamp types there are variations. Al stamped weights appear too heavy to be pure aluminum, most have the look and feel of lead, but I don't want to contaminate any more melts than I already have. I recently bought an appropriate range thermometer from Midway, the posts on this thread helped a lot. Any advice on what WW stamps to avoid and which are OK to add to the mix? Also does anyone know what the composition of diving weights is?
I suspect more and more states are going to put pressure on lead as a hazardous substance so what is the DIY going to turn to when the lead sources dry up?
I realize that this is an old thread but I wanted to get the WW question in as the answer may help others in the same position.
Welcome to the forum.
I would copy your question and start your own thread on the topic to get more participation and answers.
The EPA is causing all lead wheelwights to be phased out nationwide. I think it is by some time in 2011; not sure about that year, but it is coming soon. So WW alloy will cease to be available in wheel weights.
Zinc is the trouble maker as it interferes with mold fill. As long as you keep your melt a good 50 degrees or more too cool to melt zinc (787.1°F (419.5°C)) the zinc weights should float to the surface, too.
Here is a good discussion of alloys and I think it will answer your questions.
I would copy your question and start your own thread on the topic to get more participation and answers.
The EPA is causing all lead wheelwights to be phased out nationwide. I think it is by some time in 2011; not sure about that year, but it is coming soon. So WW alloy will cease to be available in wheel weights.
Zinc is the trouble maker as it interferes with mold fill. As long as you keep your melt a good 50 degrees or more too cool to melt zinc (787.1°F (419.5°C)) the zinc weights should float to the surface, too.
Here is a good discussion of alloys and I think it will answer your questions.
Thanks, guys! I've been loading for a long time but resisted getting into casting until last year. I bought a Sharps replica in .45-70 and bought hundreds of dollars worth of the best cast bullets money could buy. Mostly junk and none would shoot worth a damn! Now I know what I was doing wrong. I'm changing over to boolits! I invested quite a bit in casting equipment over a year ago but it's all still in boxes in my loading room, but not for long. Good info about smelting as well, was going to use the same pot but now I know better.
R&RGen, the letters on the weights indicate the application, not the composition. MC is motorcycle, AL is for aluminum wheels, etc. It refers to the contour of the wheel rim and the type clip necessary to secure it. Other markings may have the clues you're looking for but they vary by manufacturer.
IllinoisCoyoteHunter
New member
Glad everything worked out for you and I hope they shoot well for ya! We will be expecting some pictures of targets!
Six_Rounds
New member
Noobie question here. If I have a dirt berm I can scoop old bullets out of (they are all lead .22lr's or unplated buckshot), could those bullets be melted down and re-used? I know that the outside of the bullets will be somewhat degraded, but shouldn't the lead be mostly useable?
Johnny Guest
Moderator in Memoriam
Short answer: YES
Six Rounds - -
Reclaimed lead from bullet traps and backstops is a prime source for many bullet casters. If the berm is a clay soil, or if it is often moist or muddy, you may want to wash the bullets and shot. Howevef, you can just melt them and skim off the trash before you flux the metal.
See snuffy's posts #40 and 41 above, for how to do it on a large scale.
Good luck to you.
Johnny
Six Rounds - -
Reclaimed lead from bullet traps and backstops is a prime source for many bullet casters. If the berm is a clay soil, or if it is often moist or muddy, you may want to wash the bullets and shot. Howevef, you can just melt them and skim off the trash before you flux the metal.
See snuffy's posts #40 and 41 above, for how to do it on a large scale.
Good luck to you.
Johnny
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IllinoisCoyoteHunter
New member
Be extremely careful NOT to put wet lead into already molten lead. The water turns into steam very quickly and can cause a mini explosion spewing lead in all directions. We call this....the tinsel fairy. It can be painful if not dressed appropriately. Be sure to wear eye protection, gloves, long sleeves, and long pants. In short, cover all exposed skin. Good luck!
The shinny bullets in the post with the pictures indicate too low a casting temperature, not poor fill-out. The frosted bullets below them indicates a higher casting temperature, not necessarily more tin in the melt. Many casters have stated that they get good fill-out with straight WW by casting at a higher temperature without adding any tin.
DiscoRacing
New member
I do
reloader28
New member
All I have ever used is straight WW with nothing added. Never had a problem.
Been awhile since I looked at this thread.
Re, my post #63, above, it turned out it was California that was scheduled to eliminate lead in wheel weights sometime next year. The EPA does have some kind of program going to get rid of them everywhere, but last time I looked it was voluntary. So there is a breather here.
Re, my post #63, above, it turned out it was California that was scheduled to eliminate lead in wheel weights sometime next year. The EPA does have some kind of program going to get rid of them everywhere, but last time I looked it was voluntary. So there is a breather here.
I got a question about remelting lead lubed bullets. About a year ago i bought some lead bullets(300) from i think midwayusa, and my 9mm doesn't like them(jam about every 5-7 bullets). They are the only ones i have ever had problems with in my P95. I recently bought all the stuff to start casting bullets. So i was wondering if i can just toss them in the pot and remelt them down? but i wasn't sure if i needed to something to them first to get out the lube in the groove? or will it just burn off in the pot? Thanks, Jared
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Smokey Joe
New member
Yep...
Jared B 03--it sure will! There may be a little junk to skim from the surface of the molten lead when all is melted, but this is true of lead from any source that you smelt for bullets.
The dirtier the lead is when you put it into yr smelting pot, the more stuff there is to skim.
Jared B 03--it sure will! There may be a little junk to skim from the surface of the molten lead when all is melted, but this is true of lead from any source that you smelt for bullets.
The dirtier the lead is when you put it into yr smelting pot, the more stuff there is to skim.
Bullet lube is great flux, it's mostly some sort of wax.
But be aware, at some point during the melt down of those bullets, there will be a lot of white smoke generated. To stop most of it, just light it with a match or butane lighter. Be sure to stir the molten lead while some of the wax is still on the surface of the melt. That will flux the lead to re-combine the lead oxides with the metallic lead, and remove dirt.
Don't know what you mean by the bubble, so a picture would help. In general, anything that isn't symmetrical will be unstable and print paper all over the map. That said, some very minor defects are ironed out by sizing or by traveling down the bore, so it depends how severe it is. Because some defects can be internal to a bullet (you usually find those by weighing—a bullet that's too light will often have some dross or other waste from the melt pot in it), the only really sure way to know is with a bullet spinner. This spins the bullet to detect vibration indicating it is out of balance. Harold Vaughn describes how to make one in his book, Rifle Accuracy Facts, but you need machine tools and and air compressor and some electronics know-how to do it.