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melting wheel weights

9K views 60 replies 24 participants last post by  ozo 
#1 ·
I recently came into three 5 gallon buckets of wheel weights. I want to know if there is an easy safe way of melting this stuff. I know it needs to be done out side, no problem there.

My goal for now is to pour it into ingots for later use. Whether that be casting bullets, fishing sinkers, or decoy weights I am not sure yet so the actual composition is not important.

Without buying an expensive melting pot what can a cheapskate use? Yard sale cast iron skillet on the side burner of my gas grill?
 
#3 ·
68c15:

In some states, and California is one, the wheel weights are no longer allowed to be lead. They are now steel. It might be prudent to go through the bucket with a magnet and weed out any all steel wheel weights before you try melting them down. Steel melts at a tremendously high temperature you can never get to in a melting pot and will just float to the top of the molten lead. The mounting clips are steel and do the same. If any appear during the melting process just skim them off.

A quick search on google revealed a cast iron lead melting pot from Lyman that you heat on a camping stove outside. At $15 how can you go wrong.

http://www.adorama.com/LY2867795.html?gclid=CMr2sYK-ibkCFYZ_Qgod4xwAfA

LDBennett
 
#4 ·
68c15, you probably already know this, but just incase some of the weights will probably be made of zinc, and steel they most likely will not be all lead. I have a bunch of zinc and steel weights to take to the scrape yard now.
 
#5 ·
I likr to melt them down and pour them into ingots, it makes for easier storage.

Oh, the zinc will melt at a higher temp just as the steel so they'll float to the top to be skimmed as well.
 
#6 ·
After seperating the good from the bad and you have it all melted down, be sure to flux the molten lead. Drop some sawdust into the mix, let it smoulder then stir it in as best you can. The crap will all float to the top and you can skim it off. Any sawdust will do, I prefer pine because I generate a lot of it.

Need a mold?
Go to the dollar store and buy a steel mini muffin baking sheet. Fill each muffin hole with lead, let cool and dump. It makes a bunch of 1/2 lb ingots.
Also be sure to use a stainless steel spoon, the dollar store has those too.

I bought a cast iron stew pot from Academy and use it for my smelting pot.

Doing it this way means you will only be putting clean lead into your bullet pot, when you get one.
 
#7 ·
I don't cast bullets but I made some lead biscuits using a gas grill on the back patio.I used tire weighs and bullets that were laying on a shooting back drop out in the local desert and melted them together.
It took around 10 minutes for them to melt.It looks like liquid mercury when it's melted.I skimmed the impurities off the top then poured it into an old biscuit tray and after it cooled a few minutes I turned them over and tapped them out with a hammer and let them cool the rest of the way.
 
#9 ·
Yes. Provided you have one you no longer want to use for cooking. A fish butane fish fryer would work well if you have one available to you. Be safe. Wear a full face shield. DO NOT LET WATER DRIP INTO YOUR POT.
I have a scar over my left eye from letting a drop of sweat drop into a pot of molten lead. I wear glasses and that saved me from being blind in that eye, back then there were no plastic lenses so the glass caught some of the lead!! When water hits the lead, it basically explodes so don't be bending over looking at your pot of lead!!!

When I first started melting wheel weights, I used the kitchen stove and a cast iron pot, not very safe in the enclosed kitchen but it did work. Later, I got some better equipment and moved the operation outside.
 
#10 ·
I was making ingots awhile ago and added a bunch of plastic coated tarpon gigs to the pot. They were no longer usable as the plastic coating was torn and peeling off. I figured that the plastic would melt and float to the top. Holy moly! Apparently there was still some water trapped under the coating. I had a bunch of little holes in my shirt and little burns on my skin. I had to stand 30 feet away until the volcanic activity subsided. Water and hot lead are NOT a good combo. Sorry for the hi-jack.
 
#11 ·
Folks, be very, very careful handling and melting lead. If you have never done it before read up on all the cautions involved with lead. Like has already been said, one drop of liquid will empty a pot of lead. I can say this from experience. It doesn't slosh out, it explodes. BE CAREFUL.
 
#12 ·
I melt down a wheel weights about once a year in the back yard using my fish fryer and a cast iron pot. The steel clips will float to the top and you can skim them out when you flux the lead. I use candle wax to flux, always completely dry to avoid problems when water meets hot lead.
 
#13 ·
turkey fryer and a cheap iron kettle. Use cornbread pans to make the ingots and a metal spoon and ladle from the dollar store to catch the dross and dip the lead to pour into the cornbread pans.
 
#14 ·
I check all my wheel weights with a pair of side cutters before they go into my pot. Lead weights will score very easily, zinc and steel are very hard. I don't want to chance a zinc one getting by me. One zinc weight will ruin a whole pot of lead, and you'll know it when it happens, your alloy will look like oatmeal instead of mercury.

Like said before me. Flux your pot once it's all melted down and you've skimmed all the steel clips off and don't sweat into the pot or you'll get visited by the Tinsel Farry. The first time I smealted wheel weights she visited me and I could've filled a nice spruce tree for Christmas. :D
 
#15 ·
As long as you keep your melt below 700 degrees the zinc will float along with the steel
 
#16 ·
Almost 50 years ago I helped some friends cast bullets and decided then and there that casting was not for me. If it is bare cast bullets I want I just buy them from the local dealers. But I rarely if ever use plain cast bullet. I mostly used the copper plated versions (Rainier) to help reduce the risk of leading up a barrel.

Casting bullet for me seems way too risky.

LDBennett
 
#17 ·
Almost 50 years ago I helped some friends cast bullets and decided then and there that casting was not for me. If it is bare cast bullets I want I just buy them from the local dealers. But I rarely if ever use plain cast bullet. I mostly used the copper plated versions (Rainier) to help reduce the risk of leading up a barrel.

Casting bullet for me seems way too risky.

LDBennett
I'm with you there LD. I do cast and have a boatload of bullets casted and about 200-300 pounds of ingots and probably about 300 pounds of lead waiting to be melted. I dont, however, hardly ever shoot with lead. I just keep them around in case of the Zombie invasion. I mostly shoot with the Ranier's of FMJ's. The only lead I fire is in my Marlin SBL in 45/70. I use lasercast bullets and have had no leading issues.
 
#18 ·
ok, so far I have
moisture is very bad
keep it below 700*F (I have an IR gun that goes to 1000)
after it is all melted add some pine saw dust. how much per quart?
stainless slotted spoon for skimming slag
stainless ladel for pouring into cornbread pan (wife don't really use it anyway)

do I need to stir it after adding saw dust?
 
#19 ·
My smelting pot holds around 30 pounds of melted lead. I add enough saw dust to cover the top of the lead by about 1/4 inch. Once it starts to smoke and get chared, stir it into the alloy by pushing it down with your laddle. It'll naturally want to float to the top. Once it's all chared real well, skim it off and your ready to pour into ingots.

Sounds like you have everything else in line. Have fun and be safe. :)
 
#20 ·
yes. Molten lead needs to be stirred almost constantly so the temp remains even. You will constantly be removing dross and you will need to flux fairly often too. Every time you add lead, youll need to flux.

Instead of sawdust just get a package of cheap stick candles from the dollar store. cut them into 1" chunks and use that as flux. don't sweat the rope wick, it will float to the top with the rest of the dross and you will skim it off. Its a little less smoky than sawdust and doesn't stink as bad.
 
#24 ·
cleansing oxides form the lead actually.

Molten lead is pure and clean and will oxidize very quickly. Fluxing does 2 things. It causes all the impurities to coagulate and float to the surface so you can skim them off and it also helps the melt flow into the mold better, giving you a better fill.
 
#26 ·
cleansing oxides form the lead actually.

Molten lead is pure and clean and will oxidize very quickly. Fluxing does 2 things. It causes all the impurities to coagulate and float to the surface so you can skim them off and it also helps the melt flow into the mold better, giving you a better fill.
I didn't know that either,I'm glad somebody else asked the question.I did end up with a pot full of copper jackets and a couple of wheel weights that didn't melt made of something else besides lead.
 
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