Score! Two buckets of wheel weights!

[hunter63]

Was out doing some checking on wheel weights, couple of tire stores told me that they sell it to "someone", (beat me to it), some trade it in? and so forth.
Wasn't looking good.

Then I thought of the one just down the street, so close I didn't even think of it.
Stopped yesterday and the kid behind the counter say to stop today and talk to the owner.

So I did. Owner asked me what I was gonna do with them, so I told him pour bullets. (thinking oh, crap, this can't be good).

Guy says, "Good, you can have all I got, when you run out, stop back, I think it's cool, your building your own".

Then he says, "What up with ammo prices, if you can find it"?
So we discussed the ways of the world for a while, and I left thinking that this is a kindred spirit.

Said thank you, and left with my two 5 gal buckets of lead. (I split them into 4--1/2 buckets so I could carry them)

I think I'm gonna like this guy.

[jim]

Congrats! I need to find another supplier myself.
jim

[hunter63]

Processed the two buckets that I picked up, lots of different kinds, have to be careful, some with zinc.
According to Lee's chapter on casting, zinc is bad.

After a while, you can kinda tell which one are O.K.,I use a "scratch test" with an awl, to tell how hard they are.
Some are even marked Zn for zinc, or Fe for iron.

Zinc melts at about 1400 degrees I think, the pot gets to 900 degrees, so I don't think I have had a problem, so far.

Some are marked "Micro" and seem very soft, some marked "M.C." and "AL-MC" don't know for sure, but they passed the "scratch test" so I melted them.
Some other marking are "T", seems hard, but melt, some marked "P" seem O.K.

Kinda make you wonder if there is a data base on markings?

Got my .357 6 cavity dies in the other day, didn't realize that they didn't come with handles, the round ball and the shot gun slug dies did, so had to reorder and wait.

Came in yesterday, so poured a few hundred .357's to day, not to many "culls" after I got the dies up to temp, and my technique down.

Coated with Lee's Alox and they are drying right now.
Since I paid about $60 bucks for 450 bullets last time around for the .357, I think I am already ahead of the game.

[flatwater]

I lucked out also 10 years ago. My Son is the manager to one of the Costco tire centers