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Joined: Feb 2013
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Got in about 300lbs of mostly lead wheel-weights at that rate of what the salvage yard pays this weekend. Time for some sorting, and have to pick up another propane tank for my fryer. This brings me up to roughly 800lbs. in wheel-weights, and figuring closer to 600lbs+ of cleaned ingots with a 20% loss ratio on the clips and other dross.
[Linked Image]
The above added to the 200lbs. (already sorted below), will make for a back aching day of smelting in the near future.
[Linked Image]

Last edited by novalty; 02/10/14.
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Nice haul.

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It's not much of a setup, but it works.

Butane stove, cheap stainless stock pot and a muffin tin for an ingot mold. The dykes/side cutters are for checking for non-lead WWs. The ladle is a simple stainless kitchen ladle and the blower is from an old powervented water heater. I have a pretty steady supply of these blowers, so if anyone would like one, jist let me know.

[Linked Image]

The dykes are a good way to identity steel and non-lead WWs, but there are other signs, such as the rivets visible in this pic.

[Linked Image]

About 40 pounds or so of "muffins".

[Linked Image]

Not too bad for an hour or two worth of time spent.


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Nice job bruinruin!

I was going to start melting down some wheel weights yesterday, but the wind was blowing, and wasn't going to waste the propane in my fryer trying to keep the flame strong outside. So I resorted to sorting the last haul of about 300 lbs. I got in (see above). Got through 8 jugs of the above, and only ended up with about 10 lbs (half of a Folger plastic coffee can) of junk wheel weights, and miscellaneous: valve caps, valve-stems, bolts, nuts.

On the sorting the weights, a couple that are easy to spot are Steel & Iron. The steel ones are a different design and stand out, and the Iron wants usually have a clear stamped "FE" on the front. Lastly, zinc the bane of any caster--if not clearly marked they resemble coated lead wheel weights. I use a pair of pliers to test, if they bite in then it is lead, if they just scratch they are zinc. If you drop on concrete they make a ringing noise opposed to the thud of lead. First thing I check when sorting is the pinch marks at the bottom of the weight where the removal took was used to remove from the rim--this saves some sorting time if the lead is already indented.
Scarring Samples on Lead Weights
Steel Wheel Weights
Iron Wheel Weights
Zinc Wheel Weights

Last edited by novalty; 02/24/14.
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I used the muffin tin thing too but my muffin tin was tinned.
It did not work out so well. So I made my own ingot molds out of 2" angle iron with handles. They work out great.

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Today I got 2 batches through my dutch oven, guessing about 130-140lbs and end up with around 110lbs of clean ingots.
[Linked Image]

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Nice work!

Its getting warmer here; I'm thinking about getting two or three moulds for spring. Its gonna get real muddy...



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Nice work, Novalty! I smelted again yesterday afternoon. I'll try to post up a few pictures afterwhile. Lightman


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Thanks lightman. I still have about 360 lbs. of lead to melt down. Not sure if it makes much of a difference but I do see a variation in the lead color, assuming from different temps when I ladled it into the molds--as some look shiny and other look frosted.

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Hoof hearted? Ice melted.


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Originally Posted by 5sdad
Hoof hearted? Ice melted.


shocked


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Finishing melting the last of the almost 900 lbs of lead that I had picked up since last year.
This is the waste from the last 450lbs or so.
[Linked Image]
Most of my equipment set up.
[Linked Image]
Last 160 bars, about 178lbs by my estimate.
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]
[Linked Image]

Guess over 600lbs total in ingots, should last me several years at the rate I shoot--have to lower that estimate if the Mrs. keeps shooting at her current rate.
[Linked Image]

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Watch those tailgate cables.

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I do, and stop when the weight gets close to my own. They'll get a break for a little while, as Im out of lead to melt down until my next batch of about 100lbs arrives.

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I still have a bunch of wheel weights to sort and melt down. Sorting, what a PITA! Starting to look like it may not happen until fall. Glad you got another smelt in before hot weather sets in. Lightman


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Is sorting necessary if you have a thermometer and just skim everything that doesn't melt at 650 or so?

I have a bunch to do this spring. There's 4 plus 5 gallon buckets of ww in my garage and one bucket is pretty dirty, someone at the tire shop poured oil over them. I'm guessing it'll cook off.

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That's how I do it. And yes the oil will burn off.


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So you guys that use propane burners and dutch ovens - do you build wind breaks/shields around them to be more efficient? How long does a five gallon tank last? What is the minimum BTUs should I be looking at getting from a propane cooker?

And Bruinruin, how does the blower help? I use a fan to blow CO out the garage door. I haven't found a cheap range hood to build a home made fume hood.

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