Galena

[One Shot]

Well on the weekend I smelted 150+#s of Galena aka lead. Mostly from roof flashings plus a 40# lead doughnut. I smelted it all down and then made muffin ingots with it. I took 40# of the new muffin ingots and resmelted those down and added 2# of tin for some 20-1 for my Gibbs and BPCRs. I made that into muffin ingots as well but stamped the number 20 into them. I have to rebuild a handle for my Lyman Mag furnace. As soon as that is done then I will smelt some 20-1 and cast some bullets for the Gibbs and then I can get back to do some shooting. The rest of the lead gets stamped with a L meaning pure lead and it goes in the box with the rest for casting some RBs.

[Nessmuk]

That reminds me I need to prep my lead, too. Gonna need something to cast in the cold winter months ahead.

[RobD]

I just picked up 58lbs of 99.9% pure lead to add to the 62lbs I've got left.  This should keep me going for a while with casting .530 balls and fishing sinkers, as well as mixing with a bit of tin for the alloy PPB slicks that'll feed the Sharps.  Life is good.      

 

[Winter Hawk]

About 30 years ago in Oregon I called a scrap yard and asked for lead.  They had some and wanted to know how much I needed.  "Fifty to a hundred pounds'" I said.  Yes, they could help me with that.  I got there the following day and the owner himself came to show me what he had.  He asked me if I was building a sailboat that I needed so much lead.  "No, I shoot black powder and need to make bullets."  "But you told me on the phone that you want fifty two hundred pounds."  When I explained what I had really said he called a worker over; "Carl, you take care of this clown!" and he stomped off.     I felt kind of bad about it so went with the whole 100 pounds....

True story!
~Kees~

[One Shot]

I just picked up 58lbs of 99.9% pure lead to add to the 62lbs I've got left.  This should keep me going for a while with casting .530 balls and fishing sinkers, as well as mixing with a bit of tin for the alloy PPB slicks that'll feed the Sharps.  Life is good.      

Excellent on the score of pure lead. I use range lead, WW etc for fishing weights etc and keep the pure lead for the MLs and alloys.

[Ohio Joe]

About 30 years ago in Oregon I called a scrap yard and asked for lead.  They had some and wanted to know how much I needed.  "Fifty to a hundred pounds'" I said.  Yes, they could help me with that.  I got there the following day and the owner himself came to show me what he had.  He asked me if I was building a sailboat that I needed so much lead.  "No, I shoot black powder and need to make bullets."  "But you told me on the phone that you want fifty two hundred pounds."  When I explained what I had really said he called a worker over; "Carl, you take care of this clown!" and he stomped off.     I felt kind of bad about it so went with the whole 100 pounds....

True story!
~Kees~

That's a great story, Kees... 

I suspect the owner just felt like the lead market dropped... 

[10thumbs]

  Lead pipe is worth getting if you have a connection. When they run across those in construction, they are only too happy to get rid of them.

[Winter Hawk]

Lead pipe is worth getting if you have a connection. When they run across those in construction, they are only too happy to get rid of them.

I went to the local scrap dealer the other day and got another 50 lbs of lead, just to last me "until."  about half was lead pipe.  So now it's time to chop it up, melt it all down and make muffins from it.

~Kees~

[Hank in WV]

Just be careful there is no water in there anywhere.

[Doc Nock]

Just be careful there is no water in there anywhere.

My Dad had a work buddy who's pappy was a plumber... he told us a tale of a big ole fire under a HUGE cast iron pot they used to smelt down lead pipe (it was prevelant or all there was back then ) and a pot was part way full when one of his brothers threw in a chopped up piece that had a bit of residual H20 inside and they all escaped unscathed but it blew the entire pot of lead out...Heared that story when I was early teens and it still gives me fit...

[Hanshi]

Over two years ago before we moved to Maine I'd garnered some 400+ lbs of lead probably 150 + lbs of WW.  I managed to stuff about 50 to 75 lbs of soft lead in the trunk of the car and that's all I now have.  All my powder and replacement lead is still with a ML friend in Va.  I have yet to find a way to get it u; here. 

[Bigsmoke]

Sounds like a road trip is in order.
I guess this is starting to be a really nice time to drive through New England, so what are you waiting for?  Anyway, that's what I'd do.
About 850 miles, depending on where you and he are at.  Personally, I would try to figure out a way around NYC, though.
On the other hand, it might just be less expensive to give him the lead and such and buy more.
Just saying.

[Doc Nock]

You might be right big smoke John...

I drove to VA years ago to a chap who was going blind or some such and getting out of casting...I got an older RCBS furnace and like 5- 5 gal buckets of COWW...I"m still melting them into ingots cause I Pinch each one with a side dyke to make sure it's the real deal...

I got snookered early on paying a garage for their weights and most were AL or Zinc...luckily I had a friend just starting out a garage that loved my giving them to him to save him $$$.  Now I crimp everything before it goes into a casting pot to ensure it's COWW.

I bought my Lead from the Foundary and got enough 5# bars to make my $100. minimum for free shipping at that time...

I cast the WW for my .45 LC and the soft lead in RBs for the GPR

[doggoner]

Doc Nock

Why bother with the plier pinching? The lead based weights will melt before the zinc ones and the zinc ones will float to the top. Melt in smaller batches and skim when the steel clips start showing up. The zinc weights will still be whole and save you a lot of physical effort. By the by--- 9 #'s of WW and 1# of 50/50 solder will give you an alloy very close to Lyman #2 alloy. Lyman #2 is more or less the "standard" the other alloys are compared to. The 9#/1# mix comes from an older how to Lyman cast bullet book. It can be used in your unmentionable guns.

You can save the zinc weights and use them to cast fishing weights and save your lead for the important things like round balls and 45 LC. Just a thought.

doggoner

[Doc Nock]

thanks!
Those are all GREAT thoughts! I appreciate it...

I'm an old, old putz of Germanic origin and dang if I didn't buy some "pure" lead nuggets from Roto that got like cottage cheese so I trashed that stuff and got 5# bars of 99.9% lead. they also had Range lead in nuggets so I wondered if it may have gotten mixed up?

Hell, I started using Hitec coating for my revolver bullets and now I am making them even softer then COWW plus I have the cleanest bore you ever saw! I even coated a buddy's 40 cal BPCR bullets once

Since I started using Hitec I sold off the Foundry #2 stuff I'd bought...

I guess even with a thermometer, I don't trust the temp using my double burner Camp Chef 30K BTU burner so I just nick em to be sure... but I've read that Steel, AL and Zinc will float while lead melts...

Unmentionable gun?    I've heard that term" unmentionable" applied to ladies undergarments in days by gone ---now they flaunt them!

I'll have to remember that one...