Whats is lead worth for reloading?

[flashwilcox]

I have a buddy with access to a lot of lead. He is thinking of making ingots out of it. At least melting it down twice before casting the final ingot.

To make a long story short he runs a salvage yard and this stuff showed up. There is work in getting to the lead, breaking down old large wire.

He can get .75 - .80 a lb. without anymore work.

What would the extra work be worth. I think someone is trying to low ball him.

I have no idea and i figured someone here might know.

[Commiblockakspecialist]

Local scrapyards in my ao sell lead inglots for 1$/lb

[twgnc]

Last I saw people selling lead ingots or melted tire weights the going price was around $1 per pound.

Personally if it were me and he could get .80 per lb AS IS vs reclaiming it and melting it down into ingots and reselling I would take the AS IS price and be done with it.

[flashwilcox]

Originally Posted by twgnc

Last I saw people selling lead ingots or melted tire weights the going price was around $1 per pound.

Personally if it were me and he could get .80 per lb AS IS vs reclaiming it and melting it down into ingots and reselling I would take the AS IS price and be done with it.

That is what i was wondering if the extra work would pay or be worth it.

[Sigiloso]

Originally Posted by flashwilcox

That is what i was wondering if the extra work would pay or be worth it.

Part of it is what type of alloy it is, or if it is pure lead. If there is a lot of tin in it it is worth more.

I have seen it in gun stores and muzzleloading shops for $1.25 or so a pound.

[flashwilcox]

Originally Posted by Sigiloso

Part of it is what type of alloy it is, or if it is pure lead. If there is a lot of tin in it it is worth more.

I have seen it in gun stores and muzzleloading shops for $1.25 or so a pound.

He says he can get it to about 95% pure with his double burn/smelter process. I tried to explain the input needed to get it there let alone the labor.

Oh well really muzzleloaders are the market as far as guns go, i would think. Then again i don't really know.

[Road_Clam]

The going price for typical "COWW" (clip on wheel weight) lead is about a $1 to $1.25 / lb. shipped. If you can detail the exact tested BHN hardness the price will go up a bit

[dramagram]

$1.15/lb

[Blacktop]

Around here $1.25 lb for small quanity like 10 lb

If someone wants say 50 or 100 lbs price is around $1

at .80¢ lb it would not pay to process it.

[Renov8]

We had a lead abatement company offer to pay our range .60cents/lb. and they would come in and sift the soil on all of the berms. We decided not to do it.

[Sigiloso]

Originally Posted by flashwilcox

He says he can get it to about 95% pure with his double burn/smelter process. I tried to explain the input needed to get it there let alone the labor.

Oh well really muzzleloaders are the market as far as guns go, i would think. Then again i don't really know.

Depending on what he is smelting out of it, he may actually be lowering the value. If it is just dirt and such fine.

Muzzleloaders prefer pure lead, however those who cast pistol and rifle bullets( a larger market) are often willing to pay more for harder alloys with more tin and antimony. "Burning" the tin out can actually be a bad thing, particularly with tin bringing $8-$10 a pound.

Everything you need to know about lead bullet casting alloys and more: http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...nd-Lead-Alloys

[flashwilcox]

Interesting info everyone

he is breaking down old wire. This is encased in metal. Each 2 foot piece weighs about 10 lbs. He figures 2 lb copper 4 lb lead , 2 lbs of metal with the rest being plastic. It came in monster spools and was used in underground applications.

sig there is some tin and very llitle highdollar metal that is non magnetic

[like-a-ghost]

Originally Posted by flashwilcox

I have a buddy with access to a lot of lead. He is thinking of making ingots out of it. At least melting it down twice before casting the final ingot.

To make a long story short he runs a salvage yard and this stuff showed up. There is work in getting to the lead, breaking down old large wire.

He can get .75 - .80 a lb. without anymore work.

What would the extra work be worth. I think someone is trying to low ball him.

I have no idea and i figured someone here might know.

Check out www.buffaloarms.com they sell lead for making your own cast bullets. *might give you some ideas too!

[Sigiloso]

Originally Posted by flashwilcox

Interesting info everyone

he is breaking down old wire. This is encased in metal. Each 2 foot piece weighs about 10 lbs. He figures 2 lb copper 4 lb lead , 2 lbs of metal with the rest being plastic. It came in monster spools and was used in underground applications.

sig there is some tin and very llitle highdollar metal that is non magnetic

As a kid, I helped a neighbor break down some wire that was lead sheathing over thin flat strips of copper wrapped alternately with paper. Messy. The lead was easy. Separating the copper from the paper was a pain in the ass, but of course it was, and is, more valuable.

My reward was getting to keep a bunch of the lead, for casting round balls, for my muzzle loaders.

[Returned]

Originally Posted by Sigiloso

As a kid, I helped a neighbor break down some wire that was lead sheathing over thin flat strips of copper wrapped alternately with paper. Messy. The lead was easy. Separating the copper from the paper was a pain in the ass, but of course it was, and is, more valuable.

My reward was getting to keep a bunch of the lead, for casting round balls, for my muzzle loaders.

Why separate the paper from the wire? Unless you are keeping it as wire, that is. If you are remelting you just cut the wire and put it in the crucible and the paper will act as flux.

[Sigiloso]

Originally Posted by Returned

Why separate the paper from the wire? Unless you are keeping it as wire, that is. If you are remelting you just cut the wire and put it in the crucible and the paper will act as flux.

He wasn't remelting the copper, but selling it for scrap, and for them to take it and be able to weigh it, had to be separated from the paper, as I recall.

[flashwilcox]

Thanks ghost and Sig those sites are most helpful.

[Sigiloso]

Originally Posted by flashwilcox

Thanks ghost and Sig those sites are most helpful.

You're welcome. No professional interest or experience, but I have been scrounging lead and casting for about 40 years, and am always willing to help.

[Road_Clam]

I have an opportunity to salvage about 2500# of lead for "free". Well as always NOTHING is "free" Problem is it's a junk sailboat keel. I'm told older sailboat keel lead tends to be soft (which is ideal for me with my BPCR application). Second problem is I need to dispose of the boat as part of the deal which will cost me about $600 in material waste fees at my local town dump. Last problem is how the hell do I logistically cut and move 2500# of lead into manageable sections.

[boomerdog]

I scrounged sheet lead from the sheetrock removed from a hospital, cut it into strips with a hatchet. Rolled it up into balls to fit into smelter and cast ingots in old steel muffin pans. Maybe you could hack that keel with an axe?
You're probably well aware but I wouldn't torch it for any reason, lead fumes are deadly. Let me emphasize that, lead fumes are EXTREMELY toxic and once in the body, never leave.

[Returned]

Originally Posted by boomerdog

I scrounged sheet lead from the sheetrock removed from a hospital, cut it into strips with a hatchet. Rolled it up into balls to fit into smelter and cast ingots in old steel muffin pans. Maybe you could hack that keel with an axe?
You're probably well aware but I wouldn't torch it for any reason, lead fumes are deadly. Let me emphasize that, lead fumes are EXTREMELY toxic and once in the body, never leave.

sorta accurate...

Lead most certainly leaves the body. It DOES get harder once it bonds in place of calcium in bones but that takes a bit. There are plenty of compounds that are used to remove it from the body before it gets to the bones.

Lead only Fumes when it is boiled (too hot). You should not be boiling lead. Just use gloves, use lead remediation (aka keep your smelting clothes separate and not washed in the same washing machine as your normal clothes). Have your blood tested regularly if casting a lot or even if you shoot alot indoors (especially indoors, the lead from primers is FAR more bioavailable). Metallic lead is not bioavailable in any significance.

I used to cast with lead in shop class in middle school. Yes, lead can be dangerous but all that is required is consideration and understanding. FUD not needed.

DO NOT GET LEAD FROM BATTERIES, melting lead from batteries is extremely toxic and the out-gassing is DEADLY. Don't fuck around with it. SERIOUSLY. Should only be handled when you have proper safety controls and your back yard is not the place.

[Sigiloso]

Once upon a time my father worked for a company that produced lead sheet, flashings, and X-ray panels of the type described above.

One of the jobs in the plant, was for an employee to "burn" (weld for lack of better description) the stack onto the boot of the flashing, both lead, with a torch. It took some skill. My father actually taught me to do it. (child abuse maybe)

Also in the plant was a large continually running "pot" with melted lead, then poured out into a thick sheet and subsequently rolled to the proper thickness.

All of the employees were regularly tested for poisoning, I don't recall if any were ever positive. As an aside they were provided "all you can drink" milk in the lunchroom, to provide for the bone/calcium thing Returned mentioned above.

Part of the treatment regimen for lead poisoning, is called "chelation" wherein a substance is introduced into the body that binds with the lead and allows it to be removed in urinary excretion. So no, it is not there "forever".

Were I to tackle the sailboat, I wouldn't hesitate to use a torch, it would be safer than creating dust with a saw(one of the reasons lead is usually sheared when cut) I would use a respirator (or a suitable surplus gas mask) and have an eye out towards ventilation, with open windows and fans(or destruction of the boat around the lead first, whatever the situation may be)

[KernelKrink]

Dig a series of trenches, set the boat above them, then set fire to the boat. Boat gone, lead melted out into large ingots you can handle. Problem solved...

[twgnc]

Think I saw a vid somewhere where a guy cut a boat keel up with a chainsaw. Seemed to work surprisingly well. Be sure to use a good respirator though. People get a bit overboard with the fear of lead and other things of that nature but some common sense safety precautions go a long way.

[Sigiloso]

Originally Posted by twgnc

Think I saw a vid somewhere where a guy cut a boat keel up with a chainsaw. Seemed to work surprisingly well. Be sure to use a good respirator though. People get a bit overboard with the fear of lead and other things of that nature but some common sense safety precautions go a long way.

Yes a chainsaw will work for lead, but the dust is a problem and will linger wherever you do this. A respirator will protect you at the time, but you want to do it somewhere that you can mitigate future exposure, through easy cleanup or burial.

I'd be willing to bet this has been done multiple times before, and again these guys would know:

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/foru...nd-Lead-Alloys

[like-a-ghost]

Originally Posted by flashwilcox

Thanks ghost and Sig those sites are most helpful.

You're welcome...