This is to let every one know that the US goverment and car mfgs. are moving to end lead in wheel weights. This may happen as soon as the next 12 months.
They are replaceing lead with zinc and steel. Buy what you can, now.
Mike Circle
This is to let every one know that the US goverment and car mfgs. are moving to end lead in wheel weights. This may happen as soon as the next 12 months.
They are replaceing lead with zinc and steel. Buy what you can, now.
Mike Circle
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I'm luckier in my area JP, I"m still paying $20 a bucket for a full five gallon bucket and I'm buying every one I can get my hands on. At the rate you paid you're better off to go the the antimony man or
Art
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i had to pay 25 bucks for a one gal. bucket with half steel and half lead WW at less-shwab two weeks ago, never again, whent to a ma and pa shop today and got half a 5gal bucket for 10 bucks, i asked the guy there if any were steel, he said that they aint gona switch till they have to, im gona call some local recking yards tommarow about WW, i might find a mother load in one of them.
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They don't give a dam about lead being used for wheel weights. They just don't want bullets being made.
+1 Changeling. I guess this means the guns are coming out of the safe and my buckets of WW are going in.
SO FAR up here where I live we don't have that problem YET but it's coming. Maybe you'll see me on an episode of “Hoarders” some day with WW buckets stacked to the ceilings............
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They don't give a dam about lead being used for wheel weights. They just don't want bullets being made.
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500 lbs of “purchased” wheel weights were smelted in my back yard on Saturday. The yield was 320 lbs of alloy, 50 lbs of stick on weights, yet to be melted and 180 lbs of steel clips, iron, zinc, and pot metal weights plus assorted valve stems and detritus. Only the small scale repair shops will still sell their scrap wheel weights around here.(S.W. Florida) The chains all claim contractual obligations with recyclers. Metal recycling yards want $.75 to $1.00 per pound of assorted trash with a few wheel weights thrown in.
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I'm frustrated and mad too,'they' come at us from every direction. If you like dirt bikes, for instance, your rights to ride are always under attack. And so it goes, one thing after another. But, in spite of the looney tunes, this is a great state, easily the best. Unfortunately, that's why so many “people” come here and stay. That said, harness all that frustration and GET IN THE FIGHT! I complain too, but that doesn't help, only action matters. The simplest way to fight back is support an
Hey, guys, I'm a relative newbie and only just found this thread. You think you've got problems, you should see what we go through in South Arica. I'm a bit nervous to get into politics because that's not what this forum is about. Let me just say that politics is what is screwing you (and the rest of us) and offer some pointers. To start with, I'm sure y'all remember Senator Bill Richardson ? He wrots a great little book called “Confrontational Politics." Do yourselves a favour whether you live in California or elsewhere, get a copy ASAP. You'll learn a thing or two about how to handle the leftist “do gooders."
Yes, I can tell you from personal experience as a pro gun activist for several years that only action will get you anywhere. Yeah, I know you shouldn't have to, but that's how it is. They will take you to pieces bit by bit as they have done to us here. We came close to successfully resisting because of a huge effort by a handful of us, and we lost only because we didn't have enough guys willing to get their hands dirty. The lesson was that we could have won if enough guys had fought.
My observation of the US is that it has enough people still committed to freedom to win these battles. Let me mention one particular pointer to that. In Anglo Saxon countries like UK, Canada, Australia and NZ, typically 2% of voters are paid up members of political parties. I'm told that it is more like 30% in the US. That indicates a much bigger willingness to participate. You guys can win this, but only if enough of you take part in the action.
You can start by voting out the sitting government, or at least delivering some shocks in marginal seats. Then get to work on the bureaucrats. Its a big undertaking, but my gut feel is that you have the resources and willingness to fight that we did not, at least in sufficient numbers.
Start with Bill Richardson's book, then call him and ask him what advice he can give you.
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Thanks for the info Ubetcha, that makes sense. tturner53, it all depends on the ratio of the mix. I'm pretty sure mixing some clip-on WW with a bunch of stick-on WW will make your mix harder, not softer; especially if you drop them into water from the mold.
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Scored today on stick-on ww. Stopped at a recycler on my way home from work, he had a barrel with 140 lbs. of stick ons at .20 cent a pound. Even loaded it in my truck with a forklift! Assuming that's mostly pure lead I can mix it with regular ww to make a softer alloy. What would be the bhn of 50-50 stick-ons and regualar ww?
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Thanks Ubetcha, it sounds like you know what you're talking about. In the short time I've been a member I've been getting a crash course on cast bullets and alloys. Learned more in the last few months than in the previous several years.
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The letters such as Al,AW,and MC are indication of a style to fit a certin design of rim.For instance most GM alloy wheels use a MC style.These are lead weights with a coating to prevent corroson to the alloy rim
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I've never tried competitive shooting, except to see who can knock over the most Campbell's soup cans at 25 yards, me or my 15 year old son. I can tell you without a doubt that young eyes will beat years of practice. We usually shoot a coffee can full of 44's (loaded down to 44 spl) and another of 38's in an afternoon, so quantity is a bit more important than absolute sameness bullet to bullet. If it looks good as it drops from my 6 cavity Lee molds, its good enough to use at the ranges we shoot. I cast wheel weight alloy for my 32 acp, 9mm, 38/357, 44 and 45 acp. If I want them harder, I just drop them in water from the mold, size them and then wait a couple of weeks. so far I haven't had leading problems when used with a good lube, but I still am learning. Check out www.lasc.us for good articles on cast bullets
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GL , that's what I wanted to know. I'm paying more attention to my wws nowadays, and will be smelting them down at a lower temperature, then make ingots for the Lee pot. My 'generic' alloy is kept in a big cast iron pot that I heat up on a Coleman stove, use that one for ladle casting, save the good stuff for the bottom pour. I just keep adding to the cast iron pot when it gets down, the alloy is probably never the same for long, kinda like stew. Since I joined the CBA recently I'm getting more particular, these guys aint foolin' around when it comes to competition.
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My guess is that the AL, AW and AL-MC are weights suitable to be placed on aluminum and magnesium wheels, they won't discolor as an ordinary WW. Some of them seem to have a “plastic” coating on them, I melt them and shoot them. At first, I kept all the AL and AL_MC weights separate , but they seem to melt and cast the same. You'll know if you find a steel or zinc weight, they are lighter, brighter, and will float if you keep your pot just warm enough to melt the weights when you add them. When you pick them up, you can almost “feel” that steel and zinc are harder and lighter. I own a Lee Pro-20 pot and keep it just warm enough to fill out the molds when I cast. I cast fast, cast cool, and haven't had any problems. Thermometer?, I just keep it hot enough to cast steadily, and generally have to turn the temperature on my pot down as it empties. Maybe someone with more casting experience will disagree, but this works for me
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Got a 1/2 bucket of wws today at Big-O. The manager wouldn't give up anymore than that because he casts for his 9mm and 380. I don't want to admit how much I paid, but now you guys got me in a panic. Some of them are shinier(cleaner looking) but appear normal otherwise and are marked “AL", “AW", and “AL-MC". Anybody know what these markings mean? I've looked all over this forum but can't find any reference to the meaning. One more question, trying to avoid buying a thermometer, any idea of the temperature range on a Lee Production Pot? Mines about 25yrs. old, bottom pour 10 lb., still going strong. Maybe I should add Richard Lee to my heros list.:shock:
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I stopped at a couple of tire shops today and hit it pretty good. One fellow said he had to send all weights back per regs. but after a few min. of conversation and found he use to own a couple of 45-70's when younger he gave me a 80lb bucket.
The others were just as generous and I would up with 280lbs for around $11.00 from 4 shops.
I gave the ex 45-70 owner a 12 pack of pop for the guys in the shop.
I am not trying to brag as I normally pay .10 per pound for weights.
All of the fellows that have posted are right as they are getting harder to find and if you want some of the scrap stuff you better get talking to your local shops and make it worth there while to help you out.
One fellow had a full 5gal but he said that he absolutely had to send them back to corporate as they monitor how many he sends them and no amount of persuasion and money could change it. Thanks Jim
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Buy what you can, now.
Mike Circle
That's the bottom line folks. There is no political solution. I feel confident we will be able to buy all the lead we want, or can afford to pay for, in our lifetimes but the days of free to dirt cheap wheel weights are coming to an end.
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I live in Louisville, KY. Honestly, this is the biggest city by far in KY, and also the most liberal. Luckily we are a small enough city that I can drive 15 minutes and be in the middle of nowhere where noone cares what the heck you do. I recently bought WWS for 25c/lb from a Chevron tire shop. One Chevron owner (an older fellow) told me he couldn't help me out because he gave all his lead to his buddy who casts bullets. So, I found another Chevron and the owner was more than happy to sell to me. I went to probably ten different tire shops to try and find WWs. When I talked to a guy at Firestone, he got super awkward and told me that the WWs “are already taken care of.” Whatever that means, he looked and me and spoke like I was trying to do something shady. I just recently have gotten into casting and reloading and I'm in love. I'm only 24 years old, and I cringe to think that maybe one day there will be laws preventing me from participating in my favorite hobby. “From my cold, dead hands.” I would honestly be tempted to move to Texas if the ever secede.
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"I guess that explain road kill.It must be that all those animals are just waiting along the side of the road for wheel wights to fall of of the passing vehicle so they can run out and eat them.Only they don't bother to look both ways and SPLAT:shock:"
After seeing some of the new coloring book propaganda, that's not really far from the agenda being promoted.
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Maybe I'm paranoid, but I think the whole thing was cooked up to come after our ammo big time. I don't believe they give a rat's @#& about lead in the environment. They just hate us, especially since the Heller decision. The NRA is kicking butt all over the country and the sissies are pissed and want to get back at us.
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