Rob Olling Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I have a chance to get probable 600# of lead weights almost free, but am not shure if they would be pure. How do you tell??? The blocks are 25# weights coated in plastic, are these normally pure??? I have not gone to see them yet but they look like they are about 1" thick and about 8" x 16". It is more lead than I will ever use so I will probable end up giving half of it away, I figure the easyies way will be to just chop it with an axe as I need lead/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 Rob, Most large blocks are hard lead. But I have come across some that were the butter soft type I really like. One thing though, these have never been covered by anything. What are these weights from? That might help us tell you what they will be. Check them with a magnet before even thinking of taking them. Weights for lifting are cast iron, as are alot of counter balance weights out there. The coating is what bothers me, never on lead. If they are lead, peel and melt out side in a large cast iron pot. Then make smaller bar for use. Test the first one you make with your finger nail. (once cool ) If you can carve it with just your nail, well you hit a mother load. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Olling Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I have not been able to talk to the guy who has the lead yet, but am going to get ahold of him tomarrow. I was thinking that because the blocks look thin they would be hard because soft pure lead would bend pretty easily. I am thinking about seeing if I can get on to cut open and take a look. Ya, I will be shure they are not cast iron. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 If that is as thin as it looks, you should be able to bend it real easy if it is soft lead. Like put it on the curb side and step on it. It should bend, then again I weight 240. Are those diving belt weights? : Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Olling Posted February 5, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 I am not shure, I think they are race car weights or just generic weights, but nicely packaged though. They are at a scrap place and they guy wants $10 for what looks like about 600# of them from what I can see in his pics, I was hoping they were pure lead. I will find out tomarrow if the scrap guy has any info. I was hoping that I would score and never need to start looking for lead, but its probably to good to be true. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadlystreamer Posted February 6, 2004 Report Share Posted February 6, 2004 IF that's lead, you indeed have hit the mother load. WOW!! you'll have enough lead in one pkg. to last you acouple years, if not longer depending on what you make with it. Think of how many 1/4oz bodies you could get out of one of those. Let us know what you find out tomorrow. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boomer Posted February 6, 2004 Report Share Posted February 6, 2004 I'm guessing that its not pure lead. Everyone always says scratch it with a finger nail, and I'll not argue with that, but being one who is never without a pocket knife I like to slice it with my knife. Pure lead will give you a nice long shaving and the newly exposed metal is bright sliver color. Alloys are harder and don't "slice", and the metal isn't as shiny. BUT What difference does it make. The only mold that I've ever found it critical to use pure lead is for split shot. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted February 15, 2004 Report Share Posted February 15, 2004 well what was it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Olling Posted February 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 It was not pure lead at all, I talked to the guy on the phone and he said he could not bend them. He sounded real shady, and was not telling me all the info so I just forgot abour him. Guess I am goung to have to hit a few scrap yards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadlystreamer Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 It was probably a melted down Ford Pinto. I used to get it from the telephone company in large sheets after it was taken off the wires of something. Sheets about a foot long and about 4 or 5 inches wide. Can't remember where they got it. I doubt if they still use it but it might be worth a call to your local phone company and see if it's available. I melted it down into the little bars and still use it today, for what it's worth.. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Olling Posted February 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 At this point it is no big deal. I dont have a lead pot yet, Don't have a mold yet, guy I have been trying to get with to have a mold made has not answered me back. I would only be making small 1/ and 1/16 jigheads so alot of lead is not needed plus I will probably end up using 50/50 pure and wheel weights. The whole deal is waiting until I get the mold confirmed and orderedfor a crappie jig body then I will get on the ball on jigheads for it. And I leave for Arizonia tuesday for a few weeks, so it looks like it is not going to get done this month. A little dissapointing, but thats normal. It must just be me, I have had many poor experiences trying to do business will small shops lately. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 Rob, What kind of mold are you looking for? Pour, or spin. Have sources for both. Would not recomend the wheel whieghts for jigs that size. Where are you located , maybe I can help you locate some. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WidowMaker Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 The best way to aquire lead is to find someone who is dealing junk iron on the side and maybe not reporting their taxes. I have found out that the "proffesional" junk dealers will charge the market price because if youre not willing to pay it they already have a bulk buyer who is. Also they move their junk so fast that they may have hundreds of pounds of lead one day and its usually gone within twenty four hours. With the smaller guys they will often think of you first when they do come across some lead. Also you can barter with them by offering them something of equal value such as a junk car or some aluminum window frames. I have one of these guys i deal with and he is good as gold. When i do come across some junk iron i will take it to his place where i have my own pile to dump it into. He knows everything in that pile comes from me and he keeps track of it weight wise. He then compensates me with an equal valued amount of lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WidowMaker Posted February 16, 2004 Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 The best way to aquire lead is to find someone who is dealing junk iron on the side and maybe not reporting their taxes. I have found out that the "proffesional" junk dealers will charge the market price because if youre not willing to pay it they already have a bulk buyer who is. Also they move their junk so fast that they may have hundreds of pounds of lead one day and its usually gone within twenty four hours. With the smaller guys they will often think of you first when they do come across some lead. Also you can barter with them by offering them something of equal value such as a junk car or some aluminum window frames. I have one of these guys i deal with and he is good as gold. When i do come across some junk iron i will take it to his place where i have my own pile to dump it into. He knows everything in that pile comes from me and he keeps track of it weight wise. He then compensates me with an equal valued amount of lead. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Olling Posted February 16, 2004 Author Report Share Posted February 16, 2004 I was looking to have a mold made for a small plastic crappie jig body( I posted a picture a while back in the soft plastics forum). I is my favorite crappie jig as well as hooking into some nice size Cats and Bass and was discontinued. So I was looking to make my own. I got a hold of 3 places, one quote was high, and the other 2 were about the same, well I decided on the one that I thought had the best reputation, but the guy seems a little to busy. Judging from the plastic body I am going to have to hand injection mold it. Its a little itty bitty guy, barely 3/4" long. I am in Sun Valley Ca, just north of Los ANgeles Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jigmaster Posted February 18, 2004 Report Share Posted February 18, 2004 Lead.....the relentless pursuit of the Holy Graille of jig making. I used to get it where ever I could scrounge it........scrap yards, tire shops, etc. Consequently, some of the lead I ended up with was less than desirable......20% junk, etc........would keep cloggin up the pot. This week, I hit the motherlode........a friend of a friend......had access to a closed down gun shop locally......the owner had passed away. He was an avid reloader of pistol and rifle rounds. Guy wanted to get rid of this lead, so I went to check it out. Walked away with 277 lbs of pure lead, in bullet form, as well as a 1/4 diameter wire on spools. BINGO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So, I am set for a few weeks. Ha Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
deadlystreamer Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Yep! I'd say you did pretty good. I think you'll get more then a few weeks out of that. Nice find. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richoc Posted February 19, 2004 Report Share Posted February 19, 2004 Ok guys, I got to let my system out to getting lots and I mean lots of good soft lead. Rich's Lead in to Gold Program just 3 payment of 29.95, and you will have more lead than you can use. Right now I have all most 1 ton, 2000 lbs. Paid no money for it. Did blow a strut on the car bringing home the last score, 850Lbs. of butter soft lead in 8 and 5Lb chunks. Well you guys ready?????????? Talk to your plumbers in the area any find out who fishes. Then ask what they do with all there scrap lead. : Then tell them you will trade them baits , for lead. I pay 18 cents a pound at the scrap dealer so I credit them that amout in baits. The old lead pipes they get paid to remove is the only lead I know of that will work good for split shots and it pours small jigs like butter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
