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A quick question

1K views 20 replies 11 participants last post by  gdmoody 
#1 ·
I was given some wheelweights and was told that they needed to be cleaned before I melted them down, how clean do they need to be, they are a bunch of stickies annd clips and what can I use besides Dawn which I have already done?
 
#2 ·
You can give em a rinse to get rid of any large amount of dirt but usually they're not too bad. Flux and stir well and you'll be fine! Just watch out for zinc wheelweights.
 
#3 ·
The only possible reason I can see for "cleaning them first" is because they pick up rubber dust, from tire/road contact. As you melt them the rubber dust burns and stinks. Amazingly, it smells like burning rubber. :rolleyes:

I never let that bother me. I'd just throw 'em in the pot and let 'em melt down. Dirt, clips and anything else floats to the surface.
 
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#11 ·
I'm with Alpo, I don't clean mine, I just dump em in the pot, one at a time. Please, all head what George posted. Make real sure that no water of any amount gets into the lead pot when the lead is melted.
 
#13 ·
Water + molten lead = steam explosion.

I just put wheel weights or scrap lead straight into the kettle, dirt, oil, steel clips, copper jackets and all, whatever ain't lead burns up or floats to the top, I don't worry about the stink of burning oil or rubber, I do it out side, but not when it's raining...............
 
#15 ·
The old wheel weights are about 95 percent lead and 5 percent animony. Very good for casting bullets. The new ones are Zinc. You can not use them.
I add 10 percent tin to my wheel weights. Tin really helps in the castability of the alloy and makes for a nicer looking finished product.
I use zinc chloride salts for my flux. Saved plenty from my days owning a radiator shop.
 
#18 ·
The last time I got hold of any "lead" it was actually linotype, melted down into ingots. That stuff is perfect for making bullets. I usually use a mixture of two to one of wheel weight ingots to linotype ingots.

About that water, I've got a scar right above my left eye, under the eyebrow, from bending over a pot of molten lead. A drop of sweat plopped into the pot and a small "explosion" happened. If I did not wear glasses, I would probably be blind in my left eye now.
 
#19 ·
One time I dropped in the pot a bunch of plastic coated Tarpon weights. Apparently there was water under the plastic coating. I had an amazing splatter pattern. Lucky for me none got on me except for my shirt which is now air conditioned. (holes)
 
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