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craigster
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #15 - Apr 3rd, 2013 at 6:27pm
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In the USA, (You need to Login or Register to view media files and links)

A good outfit, family owned.
  
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boats
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #16 - Apr 3rd, 2013 at 7:36pm
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I get Sheet lead cheap from a Friend of mine who owns a junkyard. Most Xray booth sheathing but a fair amount of Flashing too. Cast Minnie Balls with it but don't use it for my Schuetzens. It needs to be fluxed well and cleaned up, then tin added.  Both cost, gas to run the pot while cleaning up and buying tin is not cheap.   

Pre alloyed 1/25 from Roto Metals is just right ready to go.  Use more 38/55 than anything else. 300 grs am getting 24 bullets to the pound.  Perhaps 40 or 50 lbs per year coveres the 38 and right many 32's too.   

Just not worth all the trouble to prep the scrap sheet to get it ready for a fine target rifle were bullet quality is the key to sucess. And not save much money even if going to the trouble.

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Aussie_Hunter
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #17 - Apr 3rd, 2013 at 8:02pm
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hank you all for the comprehensive info and especially to Macca, as I live in Australia and northern Smelters is only 300km. away will get my supplies from them, thanks again all Aussie Hunter.
  
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Aussie_Hunter
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #18 - Apr 4th, 2013 at 8:57pm
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Contacted Northern Smelters, at $5.35 kg for casting lead will get some from them next time I am in Brisbane where they are,again thanks for all the info, a mine of good solid facts from you guys,
  
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Aonghas
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #19 - Apr 6th, 2013 at 6:24am
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Aussie_Hunter wrote on Apr 2nd, 2013 at 11:39pm:
have a large batch of recycled projectile that seem to have had the tin component lowered way too low ( I think we had it too hot when melting for the first time and also it had a high proportion of .22lr projectiles in it. Cant get my hands on any lino type for love or money  and am looking for suggestions to up the tin content. Looked at using solder but amount needed would make it unrealistic. Had a few jars of tin ore until I threw them away a few years ago Murphy is alive and well!!Any suggestions greatly appreciated.


Some years ago I hardened-up 12-bore balls by melting old car (automobiles yo you!) door handles with lead.

I rather overdid the job because the balls almost rang when in the bag together. One ball, fired into hawthorn (very hard and dense) I cut out, and it hadn't deformed at all.

I used the remainder by casting into small ingots which I added to soft lead, and then cast bullets. They're not quite armour-piercing, but halfway there.

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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #20 - Apr 6th, 2013 at 6:26am
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Schutzenbob wrote on Apr 2nd, 2013 at 11:54pm:
I’m not sure what you’re asking. The recipe that I’ve been using is 1 in 20 (5% tin) However, recently I’ve been trying 1 in 16 (6.25% tin) with good results, and I’ve heard rumors that some folks are even using 1 in 10 (10% tin).


I part lead, 1 part auto wheel(balancing) weights.

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Cat_Whisperer
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #21 - Apr 6th, 2013 at 5:44pm
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Quote:

...
Some years ago I hardened-up 12-bore balls by melting old car (automobiles yo you!) door handles with lead.
....
Aonghas



Hmmm.  Zinc.   right-much hard.  DON'T breath the vapors!

  

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Aonghas
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #22 - Apr 7th, 2013 at 2:04pm
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Cat_Whisperer wrote on Apr 6th, 2013 at 5:44pm:
Quote:

...
Some years ago I hardened-up 12-bore balls by melting old car (automobiles yo you!) door handles with lead.
....
Aonghas



Hmmm.  Zinc.   right-much hard.  DON'T breath the vapors!


Yup,but then, you don't exactly take a great lungful ot two of lead vapour for the bracing atmosphere...

Now if you really want to harden lead, get a block of charcoal and make a depression in it. With a propane (oxy propane is better) torch get the charcoal pit glowing red, and melt some silver in it, then add a slightly larger quantity of lead.

Cast it quickly, and it's the nearest to armour-piercing I've (accidentally) made. (I used to work in a metallurgical firm where we made zirconium-copper and zirconium-nickel alloys for adding to and making armour-piercing steels...

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Cat_Whisperer
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Re: too soft lead for casting
Reply #23 - Apr 7th, 2013 at 6:08pm
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I've cast TIN bullets - measured out at 42 on the Rockwell B scale.  (Same as copper jacketed bullets). 

  

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