Lead ingots

[flatcreek]

Came across these ingots some years ago. There lead to me but what do I know. Is there a way to tell what it is and what its good for. Probably about 20# a piece and seems soft, I can drive a awl in it fairly easy. May want to start casting or trade it off. I see people always looking for lead.

 

[64Springer]

The only way to know for sure is to melt some and pour into a mold.

675 to 725 degrees.

If it pours well, keep it and use it.

Also, if you drop it on the ground and goes THUD it's very close to pure lead.

If it rings like a bell, it has additives. Tin. Antimony. Zinc. Etc.

 

[flatcreek]

Think they got the thud factor down, just afraid they'll break the concrete. I could drill it and melt the shavings. But I don't know what I'm looking for, never cast any lead.
Thanks Phil

 

[BoomStick]

Strike one with a hammer, you should be able to easily create a flat spot or dent soft lead with a couple blows. From the shape, and not knowing where you got them, they look like old school window weights -which could be lead but were often cast iron. You would not be able to dent one if cast iron...

Edit: sorry, missed the part in the first post about driving an awl into it...so not cast iron. Quality of lead needs melting to know, as 64springer says

 

[flatcreek]

Strike one with a hammer, you should be able to easily create a flat spot or dent soft lead with a couple blows. From the shape, and not knowing where you got them, they look like old school window weights -which could be lead but were often cast iron. You would not be able to dent one if cast iron...

There defiantly ingots, some form of lead, you can see that they were poured when you roll them over. Got them in a building I bought that was and aluminum foundry. But they are not alum. I'll do the hammer thing when I get back up to the shop. From what you say I think there soft lead.
Thanks for the help.
Phil

 

[64Springer]

Think they got the thud factor down, just afraid they'll break the concrete. I could drill it and melt the shavings. But I don't know what I'm looking for, never cast any lead.

Dive in and learn how to do it.

Good luck.

 

[#blackpowderbill]

When I'm unsure of lead that I get. Easiest way I find out my lead is soft or hard. I melt a little bit down cast me up some round ball or suppositorys and weight them.
If they're quite a bit under the mold design weight I know they're hard.

If they're really close to the mold design weight, I've got good soft lead.

This deal of dropping for a ring,ding,this. Hitting with a hammer,writing on it with a number two pencil and scratching it with a thumbnail is witch craft.

 

[64Springer]

When I'm unsure of lead that I get. Easiest way I find out my lead is soft or hard. I melt a little bit down cast me up some round ball or suppositorys and weight them.
If they're quite a bit under the mold design weight I know they're hard.

If they're really close to the mold design weight, I've got good soft lead.

This deal of dropping for a ring,ding,this. Hitting with a hammer,writing on it with a number two pencil and scratching it with a thumbnail is witch craft.

I'll assume you're joking.

 

[ZUG]

I think the OP is fishing for a buyer nothing more ---

 

[leadhoarder]

Those should work well for a 2 bore of you got a barrel with fast enough twist.

 

[springfield art]

Came across these ingots some years ago. There lead to me but what do I know. Is there a way to tell what it is and what its good for. Probably about 20# a piece and seems soft, I can drive a awl in it fairly easy. May want to start casting or trade it off. I see people always looking for lead.View attachment 245533

They're window weights, go inside old fashioned window frames to counter-weight the window going up and down. (Pre-vinyl!)

 

[springfield art]

If you can score the metal with a fingernail, you're good to go!

 

[The Crisco Kid]

I don't think they're window sash weights. The one's I've seen were cast iron with a hole to attach the cord that held the window open. That is until the cord broke and the window was held open with a stick. He has some soft lead ingots from the sound of it. Of course, they could be a kind of sash weight I haven't seen.

 

[Rifleman1776]

I don't think they're window sash weights. The one's I've seen were cast iron with a hole to attach the cord that held the window open. That is until the cord broke and the window was held open with a stick. He has some soft lead ingots from the sound of it. Of course, they could be a kind of sash weight I haven't seen.

Not all were iron, some were lead.

 

[SDSmlf]

There defiantly ingots, some form of lead, you can see that they were poured when you roll them over. Got them in a building I bought that was and aluminum foundry. But they are not alum. I'll do the hammer thing when I get back up to the shop. From what you say I think there soft lead.
Thanks for the help.
Phil

You could find somebody with a lead hardness tester. Plenty of folks in PA that cast lead that should have one. Ask around locally and/or let people here know where in PA you live.

Although I have come across near pure lead window weights myself, I’ve been told by ‘experts’ they were all made of cast iron.

 

[ord sgt]

Those pieces look like old window weights, used to counterbalance old wood frame windows. If so, they are pure lead.

 

[Buckskinquin]

Came across these ingots some years ago. There lead to me but what do I know. Is there a way to tell what it is and what its good for. Probably about 20# a piece and seems soft, I can drive an awl in it fairly easy. May want to start casting or trade it off. I see people always looking for lead.View attachment 245533

We used to melt lead on my mothers back room natural gas stove and pour in tea spoons for spring fishing sinkers. Being flat they’d lay on the bottom and not get washed downstream in the spring current. Easy pessy, even kids can do it.

 

[64Springer]

When I was a kid, we'd take scrap lead and fishing weights and melt it all down to make counterbalance weights for old wooden windows.

I think that's what the OP has.

 

[64Springer]

If you can score the metal with a fingernail, you're good to go!

This includes wheel weights.

 

[flatcreek]

I think the OP is fishing for a buyer nothing more ---

If I wanted to sell them I would just say so in the classified. Being deceptive on here is the last thing I would want to do. Especially after all the sincere help the members have given me.