White metal What can it be?

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  • Last Post 12 February 2015
Steppapajon posted this 14 January 2015

Hello Everyone,I have a mystery metal I really need help identifying.I collected it years ago before I ever thought of casting just because you never know.I have 250-300 lbs of it and i thought it was lead. It was used as a counter weight in a mechanical display. the pieces are about 7 grams in weight but I have Lots of them.I tried melting a few and it doesn't flow smooth like lead. It is too heavy to be zinc.if i hit it with a hammer it deforms a little then cracks. i thought it might be bismuth but that ssems like a strange thing to use for counterweights. I melted 14 grams of wheel weight and added 7 grams of mystery alloy to it and it pops as it melts. once melted it cast a nice smooth shiny slug.Anyone have a clue?

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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onondaga posted this 14 January 2015

Ibuprophen will be needed if you try to make bullets with that stuff and they will not be very good. Get the right stuff, select an alloy for your load ballistic pressure and start off right instead of headache after headache.

Certified bullet alloys are the best way to start and get predictable and repeatable results. Visit Rotometals and shop:

http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm>http://www.rotometals.com/Bullet-Casting-Alloys-s/5.htm

I use their Lyman #2 alloy for hunting bullets and I also make an alloy for recreational shooting using 1:1,  pure lead : Linotype scrap that is very similar to commercial hardball pistol alloy at BHN 15. My recreational alloy shoots the same as #2 alloy, but the #2 expands very much better on game.

I also use pure lead for muzzle loading bullets, shotgun slugs and balls.

Gary

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cheatermk3 posted this 14 January 2015

Steppapa welcome to the forum.

If you live near a scrap dealer you may be able to get it analyzed for free.  Take a small amount in like a few ounces in a small container and ask them “what will you give me for this stuff?” They might shine you on but it's worth a try.

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joeb33050 posted this 14 January 2015

It's silver. William Devane told me. On Fox.

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Steppapajon posted this 15 January 2015

Bill is right I am rich!!!!:wnk:Oh wait no I'm not or I wouldn't be trying to figure out what this stuff is. I would take Gary's advice and buy some Lyman#2 and be done with it.The truth is I hate to scrap it because I am too rookie to figure out what it is. Like I said it made a beautiful slug, shiny, filled out, and very smooth. It rings  when it hits the concrete.Could it be one of the type metals?

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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delmarskid1 posted this 15 January 2015

Maybe babbet metal.

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Hamish posted this 15 January 2015

I cant help but wonder how Garry arrived at those conclusions. I suspect that you would well served having it assayed.  

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cheatermk3 posted this 15 January 2015

You said you cast a slug with  the alloy you made.  Tell us what mold, nominal diameter and as cast diameter.  That could provide helpful clues.

  How hard is the slug you made?

Yes it could be some form of type metal but cast up some boolits using the alloy you made and see how they shoot.

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Longone posted this 15 January 2015

joeb33050 wrote: It's silver. William Devane told me. On Fox.Joe, Get away from that TV and keep going on that 22 cf, i want answers. stepapajon,  What do the bullets weigh? Longone 

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joeb33050 posted this 15 January 2015

If you want a fast good guess as to what the alloy is, measure the specific gravity.

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Steppapajon posted this 15 January 2015

The best I could do was mill a 5/16 hole in a piece of aluminum and cast a slug. Then filed it flat on both ends to .494 with a diameter of .310 it weighs 6.85grams or 105.7 grains. If I did the math right it has a SG of 11.21 grams/ml Verses lead at 11.34 grams/ml. My guess it is a lead alloy of some sort but what would make it brittle? I pounded a piece flat with a hammer and it does flatten but its forms cracks. I did the same with a coww and it is much more malleable.
I hope this helps. I appreciate all of the input and I am learning as I go. I must admit I did enjoy doing the math!

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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TRKakaCatWhisperer posted this 15 January 2015

Steppapajon wrote: The best I could do was mill a 5/16 hole in a piece of aluminum and cast a slug. Then filed it flat on both ends to .494 with a diameter of .310 it weighs 6.85grams or 105.7 grains. If I did the math right it has a SG of 11.21 grams/ml Verses lead at 11.34 grams/ml. My guess it is a lead alloy of some sort but what would make it brittle? I pounded a piece flat with a hammer and it does flatten but its forms cracks. I did the same with a coww and it is much more malleable. I hope this helps. I appreciate all of the input and I am learning as I go. I must admit I did enjoy doing the math!

Likely high lead content + (something).

SINCE you have several hundred pounds, it's worth having it analysed.  Then you KNOW what's in it AND what to alloy it with to make it usable (if possible).

Last year I took everything I had and made three batches, totalling about 1000 lbs.  One batch of WW + mystery metals; second batch assumed pure lead and a bit of tin; third batch Linotype in ingots.

One bach was 400+ lbs one 300+ lbs and about 240 of Lino.  I had the first two measured.  Lead + antimony + tin and lead and tin (30:1).  I KNOW the percentages and can alloy to whatever I want.

 

 

 

 

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Steppapajon posted this 16 January 2015

Well I am having a sample analyzed. Thanks for all the help everyone. I learned a lot and look forward to reporting back when I get a report. SPJ

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 16 January 2015

here is what i would do :: take it to a high school chemistry or physics class and challenge them to tell you what it is. give the bored little cookie munchers something from real life to get interested in.

heck, i would offer as a reward to take the first kid to figure it out ... a shooting trip to the range for the kid and his parents !! gotta fight back against PC that is rotting our children.

ken

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Steppapajon posted this 17 January 2015

Ken, They would probably call the EPA and have me arrested for bringing lead on campus. It is an evil metal don't ya know?:caution::caution:

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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Steppapajon posted this 17 January 2015

I did take it one step farther thanks to the Doc. file JoeB33050 recommended. I cast a slug to .9500 in sq and weighed it at 172.2 grams. I figured it would be more accurate than the 6 gram slug. That works out to 11.061 SG so by the chart it is around 4% tin, 4%antimony or something in between. Would I be right to assume the antimony is more likely since it is somewhat brittle. I also put a sample of 50/50 solder and the mystery metal in the mill vice and pressed a 9/16 ball bearing between them. The samples both indented almost exactly the same for what it is worth. It may have been slightly less on the 50/50 bar.

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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onondaga posted this 17 January 2015

http://www.castbulletassoc.org/view_user.php?id=8738>Steppapajon

That sounds good. I hope your assay is as good. That is a fine alloy as is for a lot of applications if it is 92-4-4.

If  the BHN of your metal is important to know, this method will tell you the BHN:

Gary

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Steppapajon posted this 11 February 2015

assay is............................ 96-2-2 I cast an ingot of pure lead and one of the alloy pressed in the arbor press with a steel ball between. Came out as 10.6 BHN so it looks like I have some pretty good stuff after all. Thanks to Pigslayer for ” 5 x (Lead dia divided by test dia)^2 Equals BHN" Thanks to Gary for "Brinell = 8.60 + ( 0.29 * Tin ) + ( 0.92 * Antimony )>" Thanks to JoeB for the link 3.2.2 HOW AND WHY TO MEASURE ALLOY SPECIFIC GRAVITY.doc And thanks to everyone who commented and or encouraged. SPJ

Shoot, curse, reload, repeat.

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Millelacs posted this 12 February 2015

Ken,

I  like the way you think :)

Robert

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