Home Forums Reloading Bullet Casting Auto body lead solder

Hi all, I'm new to the site. I looked all over and didn't see this topic addressed.

I'm wondering about the suitability of using auto body lead solder to cast bullets.

I have some auto body lead solder that is left over from when my dad used it in his body shop in the 1950s and 1960s. I can find the alloy of similar lead that is sold today (Eastwood brand) but have no idea how that compares to the lead that was used 50 years ago for that purpose.

Can anyone weigh in on this?

Thanks.

Welcome to the forum. Can't help with the question as I have no idea the content of that alloy.

There are different proportions of lead to tin in solders. For casting purposes, all the value in solders is in the tin content. I've seen guys trying to get $20.00 for a pound of 50/50 bar solder, when the tin value for a half lb is a maximum of perhaps $5-6.00 or so. The lead value isn't that much, a half lb of lead is worth perhaps $1.00 tops, depending on the current market.

auto body solder usually has some bismuth, in the mix, that won,t hurt if diluted with a good deal more lead, added to the mix but auto body solder tends to have more tin than ideal for bullet casting until its diluted with a good deal more lead , Id treat it as if it was about (30% tin, 70%
lead)solder with a trace of bismuth, and yes Ive done a bit of old school, auto body repairs using it, be sure to flux it if its old pot solder as its bound to have some surface cleaning acid in the mix

http://www.eastwood.com/body-soldering-sticks-10-pack.html

Thanks for the replies!

340mag, you obviously are familiar with the product that I am asking about. I searched the web and found info about currently available auto body solder like that from Eastwood. I just don't know how the alloy of that compares to the same product from 50 years ago.

As an example, household plumbing solder contained a high percentage of lead 30 years ago. Now it is usually lead-free.

Welcome to the Fire