Purifying Lead

[justafeedboy]

My neighbor gave me a sizable amount of scrap. he decided he would never use. In it is 64 + pounds of lead sheathing, lead sheets, and about 10 lb of 60/40 solder. The lead sheets and the sheathing bend and scratch with you nail, I know they are soft. As far as the solder is concerned I didn't know if it is possible to melt it in a controlled fashion monitering it with a casting thermometer, what I was hoping to do is melt a pot when the temp reads 621 degrees f the lead should be starting to melt, any thing that is not lead is not melted and would be skimmed off between 621-650. The next step would be to let the pot cool when it is below 621 the lead should solidify and I'd be left with liquid tin. Would this theory work? Do you have any other ideas?

 

[necchi]

Nope, your 60-40 mix is gonna stay mixed.

Once it's mixed it becomes an alloy, now it's not lead and it's not tin,,it's something else made of the compounds lead and tin.
I understand it can be seperated but it's using a $50K machine and centrifueg an such, :idunno:
That mix can come in handi for cast bullets for BP cartridge shooters and other CF applications so hang on to it

 

[justafeedboy]

Thanks for the advice.

 

[Bill Hall]

Right, mixing metals is pretty much a one-way street. I read something the other day that stated you could actually separate lead from alloys by using some kind of acid, but it sounded expensive and VERY DANGEROUS! Any body want to dump acid in a pot full of molten lead? Thought not. :rotf:

Hard lead alloy also makes good fishing sinkers. Bill

 

[justafeedboy]

I also got 450 lbs of number 8 magnum shot any uses for it other than shot

 

[Bill Hall]

Cut off the legs of old blue jeans and sew one end. Fill with the shot and then tie off the other end, or sew it up. Make it about 10" long, and now you have a very steady shooting rest. I also use these shot bags for holding down weird shaped parts on my workbench, so they won't move when I work on them.

Sell it, or trade it, to someone who reloads shotgun shells. Check with a local skeet club, #8 is pretty common among skeet shooters. Bill

 

[HOGGHEAD]

If you can easily discern the 60-40 from the other lead then do so. You can sell that for a good price if you wish. If you have any decent amount of it.

As far as the shot is concerned I would locate a local skeet club. You could get a good bit of money from that stash. You can melt it down for bullets, but I would sell it. Tom.

 

[Zonie]

justafeedboy:

I agree with the other folks who say that once mixed it is almost impossible for the average person to separate the metals.

Then we get to the strange area about lead/tin alloys.

Pure lead melts at 618 degrees F.
Pure tin melts at 450 degrees F.

Mixed together in a 60/40 ratio the melting point of the mix starts at 362 and is complete at 455 degrees F.
Put another way, adding tin to lead lowers the melting point of the lead.

 

[paulvallandigham]

YOu certainly can get your money out of Magnum #8 shot by selling it to Trap and Skeet shooters. It does make a fine shooting rest, but putting sand in that same bag, instead of the lead shot, will save you a Hernia! Smaller lead bags are being used by Chunk Gun Shooters, so there is a market for that kind of thing.

Magnum shot has antimony in it. You can't separate it out. So, sell the shot as SHOT, and use the money to buy some pure lead. Or use the shot yourself( I don't know how long it would take to shoot up 450 lbs. of shot if you only shoot MLERS- trap shooters who shoot several times a week will go through that much shot in a couple of years, or less) When I was at a Cabela's Store, they were asking about $40.00 per 25 lb. bag of shot, a month ago. So, selling that shot for any price less than what the going retail price will have guys standing in line to buy it.

 

[bchannell]

I'd trade to 60/40 to someone who casts cartridge gun bullets. They'll usually trade you pure lead fast, because they need the solder to add hardness and castability.

 

[napolean]

I think having 450 lbs of shot would be a good reason to start thinking about a nice little flint fowler, or perhaps a percussion double?
Jon D

 

[trent/OH]

I think having 450 lbs of shot would be a good reason to start thinking about a nice little flint fowler, or perhaps a percussion double?
Jon D

Ultra dittos. 450 pounds is 18 bags of shot, times $40 equals $720. That goes a long way towards a new gun or two!