4 replies to this topic

[1145climber]

Hey, I was wondering if it was ok to use lead wheel weights for cars to melt down and make ball milling media out of...

before anyone gets mad, yes, i know its been discussed before. but there have only been a few posts on the matter in different threads, and they all seem to contradict each other... so i want to make sure, just because i dont want to have my ball mill become a cl*ymore mine... for example, someone once said:

If you do decide to Mill BP, Use ONLY L-E-A-D (Hardened Lead Is Fine Unless it's a "Buddies" home brew of melted Wheel Weights for the "Lead", do not use that either)

and yet it seems that plenty of people still use them

so, i know its possible to cast wheel weights, but my question more lies in:
1. will the media be hard enough? and
2. will the media be, most importantly, non-sparking?

any comments/concerns/verbal thrashings are greatly appreciated as always

P.S.- if any of my specific questions have been discussed and i happened to miss them when i search, you can also point me in the direction of one of those threads...

[RegimentalPyro]

I've used wheel weights for my media in the hope that the lead would be hardened and allow me to make longer lasting media. This didn't work. The media I cast with it wore at exactly the same rate as my other media cast with pure lead. Furthermore I had to melt the lead out from the steel clip on the wheel weight - which was a pain, I can tell you!

The best and cheapest source of pure lead is found in your local DIY store. Go and ask for a roll of lead flashing for roofs. You should be able to get a 1000 halfinch balls out of one ?20 roll.

Note! Nicking the lead off the church roof is generally frowned upon.

[Lil_Guppy]

An even cheaper (i.e. free) source of hardened lead is the bullet backstop of a gun club. Any lubricant, dirt, or copper (or other jacketing) floats to the top and skimmed off leaving pretty much pure lead/antimony behind. The only disadvantage I see is figuring out the exact percentage of antimony.

[1145climber]

but will the wheel weight casted media be non-sparking? isnt that a problem?

also, so it wont be hardened and will be too soft?

[alany]

They will be fine for the job, no worse than any number of other sources of lead scrap.

The only way they'd be sparking is if you left the steel bracket on them using them as-is, or didn't skim the slag off the melt which might contain particles of grit and brake dust. It is definately worth giving the melt a good stir and skim.

Add antimony if you want them harder, but honesty dead soft pure lead is just fine for milling if you have nothing better. It will contaminate a bit and wear but it isn't a huge deal. If you are concerned jacket them in copper or brass, or just go with brass media.