Author Topic: Source of lead (Read 3080 times)

bones92 · « **on:** April 10, 2020, 06:53:47 PM »

I don't know if this is considered a "good deal" or not, but I have ordered on a few occasions a 20-lb order of very pure soft lead ingots from Seabrook Fishing Sinkers. I recently ordered another 20-lb box at $42 delivered (that amount just fits into a small US Priority flat rate box).

I asked if I may extend this offer to my fellow muzzleloading compadres. He agreed that he would extend the same deal.

Best thing is to email him direct at orders@seabrookfishingsinkers.fish and mention that Earl Hamilton referred you to him.

This is a bit of a savings off their list price of $46 plus shipping for 20 pounds.

Lastly, I have no part of Seabrook Fishing, but I have been pleased with my dealings with them.

retired fella · « **Reply #1 on:** April 10, 2020, 08:12:29 PM »

Bones, Lead sourcing has been discussed before here. I go to a local metal recycler and get Xray room lead for going rate 90 to 1.00 per lb. I am told that this is a pure as it gets and for about 1/2 your price. Same with old roof flashing. When you buy in ingots you really don't know if it's pure or not.

Bigmon · « **Reply #2 on:** April 10, 2020, 09:36:29 PM »

This is an interesting subject. I have friends that work for the local water company and are regularly dropping off lead pipe the remove as they find it.
This stuff is dead soft and I thought pure. Odd thing is as I melt it and cast balls I get all kinds of crazy colors on top the lead, from blue to yellow and even gold. And I keep getting a colored crust on top even after cleaning and fluxing.
I am wondering if these are impurities, or maybe the lead is too hot? I am melting in an old electric deep fryer and have no way to regulate the heat. I use a dipper to fill my molds.

Ghillie · « **Reply #3 on:** April 10, 2020, 11:08:06 PM »

All of those colors described is an indication it is too hot. Get a lead thermometer and check the heat level. When I alloy lead for heavy elongated bullets I get it hotter and get the colors. After cleaning and reducing the temp to cast bullets the lead is shiny without the colors.

Mike from OK · « **Reply #4 on:** April 10, 2020, 11:48:59 PM »

Quote from: Ghillie on April 10, 2020, 11:08:06 PM

All of those colors described is an indication it is too hot.

I'm far from an expert. But this is my understanding as well.

Mike

Daryl · « **Reply #5 on:** April 11, 2020, 12:06:33 AM »

I agree - temperature a bit too high. These are cast from X-ray room lead.
They should all look like jewels.

bones92 · « **Reply #6 on:** April 11, 2020, 01:02:23 PM »

I would like to source lead from the local metal recycling places in Raleigh, but time is always an issue. I have found the lead from Seabrook to be very soft and pure, as they describe. It's just a convenient way to stockpile some lead for future casting. I haven't casted in a couple years, but I know that I will get back to it someday and it would be nice to have a good stockpile of suitable lead.

moleeyes36 · « **Reply #7 on:** April 11, 2020, 03:07:20 PM »

Quote from: retired fella on April 10, 2020, 08:12:29 PM

Bones, Lead sourcing has been discussed before here. I go to a local metal recycler and get Xray room lead for going rate 90 to 1.00 per lb. I am told that this is a pure as it gets and for about 1/2 your price. Same with old roof flashing. When you buy in ingots you really don't know if it's pure or not.

Yes, metal recyclers are a good place to check for bulk purchases of lead. About 10 years ago a friend and I got 1,600 pounds of unused roof flashing from one for 50 cents a pound. We split it and I still have about 250 or 300 pounds of it left. That's a lot of casting.

Mole Eyes

Bigmon · « **Reply #8 on:** April 11, 2020, 06:32:55 PM »

The balls I cast are silver shiny like normal new lead. But the colors seem to be floating on top. I try to move it away from the top as I fill my small ladle. They are very soft.
I suspected that it may be too hot.
But I wonder why I keep getting the crud like slag on top. As I clean it off it stays the different colors?
Thanks for the input. I am going to try and improve my casting system.

D. Taylor Sapergia · « **Reply #9 on:** April 11, 2020, 08:00:23 PM »

Having melted your pot of lead, cleaned it with flux ( I use beeswax), and removed the dross, the surface of the lead that is exposed to the air will oxidize almost immediately, and more dross will be created. I ignore it and cast around twenty balls, then flux and scrape again, taking away the floating layer and discarding it. the surface of your lead pot will not stay shiney - least, mine doesn't.

Hungry Horse · « **Reply #10 on:** April 11, 2020, 08:27:29 PM »

I live on Clear Lake in Northern California, and have found a source of lead rarely mentioned. Sail boats deteriorate with time and often sink,or become salvage. Many have a lead filled keel that can run 400# or more. Quite often this lead can be obtained simply by coming up with a way to move the severed keel, and haul it away. Quite often the lead is good soft plumbers lead. Boat storage businesses, and marinas, are good places to check. Boats are after all just a hole in the water you throw all your spare cash into, so there are alway owner trying to get free of this.

Hungry Horse

OldMtnMan · « **Reply #11 on:** April 11, 2020, 08:37:27 PM »

Quote from: Daryl on April 11, 2020, 12:06:33 AM

I agree - temperature a bit too high. These are cast from X-ray room lead.
They should all look like jewels.

Those are too purdy to shoot.

Bigmon · « **Reply #12 on:** April 11, 2020, 09:06:02 PM »

I am learning. Thanks to all.
I have never had a problem shooting them. As with all my guns, and balls, they shoot better than I do.

Daryl · « **Reply #13 on:** April 11, 2020, 09:09:20 PM »

The mould is a .570" Lyman that casts .574" x .574" in the pure, dead soft lead that I use.
I used these in the Kodiak .58 SxS I had for a while.

hudson · « **Reply #14 on:** April 12, 2020, 06:28:25 PM »

I have used lead pipe from the local scrap yard for years with no problem. Do not use the soldered joints save those for those new fangled cartridge guns.

bigsmoke · « **Reply #15 on:** April 14, 2020, 05:36:37 PM »

Thinking maybe 15-20 years ago, I had a rather serendipitous happening. A fellow came into the shop and told me that he was tearing down an old clinic, and in taking the walls down in the x-ray room, he found that it was lined with lead. Would I be interested in buying half of it at some ridiculous price per pound. I think it was like $0.25 or something. I said "$#*!, yes!!!" So, into the shipping and receiving area and we started weighing it. I forget exactly how much lead I wound up with, probably around 500 pounds.

yulzari · « **Reply #16 on:** April 17, 2020, 02:52:16 PM »

A recent source I have found is from stained glass workshops. Especially those who remake old windows. The lead is soft and the joint solders use very litle solder for the job unlike lead water pipe joint soldering. There is a lot of muck to skim off the molten lead before ingotting but it easy to scoop off.

Bigmon · « **Reply #17 on:** April 17, 2020, 06:49:26 PM »

I also have some sheet lead that came from shower room floor pans in a hospital. It seems very soft also, but was really dirty with what I thought to be grout from the tile? But now after a few years laying outside the rain has cleaned it up a llot. I made some ingots from it a few years ago and they are still shiny? I am concerned it may not be OK but it does seem very soft?

Daryl · « **Reply #18 on:** April 18, 2020, 04:49:02 AM »

Still shiny is a little weird, Bigmon, and suggests a tin mix.
All of my pure lead ingots have grey'd in the course of a year or 2.

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Author Topic: Source of lead (Read 3080 times)