What is what

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  • Last Post 05 June 2016
parkerhale1200 posted this 22 March 2012

When i am in a market where people sell stuff from there garage, or there parents collection, i run into some lead or tin or zinc or Babbitt(plates,cups,--?knifes, forks spoons(table wear)?--, etc)

How can i tell the difference between those metals???

Does the % stamp meaning about the amount of tin in it??(like 80 to 95%) Are the marks at any meaning?? Like the “angel"???

What is the difference between the sound of zinc and tin if you tap on it with your car key??

What kind of metal will snap or crackle when you are bending it.

I hope there is a simple solution to this, and you can help me out.

Thanks in advance parkerhale

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454PB posted this 23 March 2012

Tin “crackles” when you bend it, pewter is very high in tin, alloys containing antimony have a grainy structure visible at the ends when broken. Type metals will break when struck with a hammer, as will some forms of babbitt. Solders are sometimes marked something like 50/50 to indicate the ratio of tin to lead.

However, I know of no way to tell conclusively what elements an alloy contains short of an expensive analyzer. I've heard others say that zinc can be detected by putting a drop of acid on it and look for bubbling.

For my 40 years of casting, I've used the old method of “test” casting, then comparing weight, appearance, and hardness. Never, ever, mix up large batches of unknown alloy.

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onondaga posted this 23 March 2012

It is easy to be lured into buying fake Pewter hoping for a high tin alloy. Real Pewter, you can cut a sliver off with a sharp knife and it will instantly melt with a match. Fake pewter is Aluminum alloys that are color treated and wont carve with a knife or melt with a match.

You can not scratch Zinc with your finger nail at all.

Soft pure lead scratches easily with your finger nail, even if it is old and heavily oxidized once you get past the oxide.

Gary

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parkerhale1200 posted this 23 March 2012

These where the answers that i was looking for. YEEEEEHA Thanks guys, i really appreciate this

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parkerhale1200 posted this 12 April 2012

Maybe a dumb question, But how do i recognise Babbitt, are there any hints for this also. There are a lot of types of Babbitt, and what is in the babbits alloy that can ruin a good pot of lead. I think more of how can Babbitt ruines a pot of good metal?

With the match worked nice, as well with the knive. I played some time with that stuff and there is even a time difference between pure tin and pure lead, when held into a match. Even the softness tested with a knife is notesebel, between tin and lead, pewter is a little harder, when carved, thanks again.

but Babbitt? With best regards parkerhale

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onondaga posted this 12 April 2012

parkerhale1200:

I actually stay away from babbit but have been tempted to buy old ingots that were specifically marked by a manufacturer  that was findable on Google.

Reality is a harsh thing and it is common for collectors of ingot molds to put anything that will melt in their molds and sell the ingots to curious shoppers and bullet or sinker makers at well above scrap prices. Beware of babbit ingots is a better rule of  thumb unless you are buying them from a seller of certified alloys  like ROTOMETALS. occasionally Roto has terrific sales on Babbit, get on their E-mailing list and they will notify you of all sales.

http://www.rotometals.com/default.asp

Gary

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parkerhale1200 posted this 20 May 2012

What is the big reason that no one wants to use Babbitt, im not in the market for ingots, but more for what people often sell in there garage and markets

It sounds to me its good hard stuff,?

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CB posted this 20 May 2012

Mostly due to the copper content I would think.. I like using lead free pewter my self.

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RicinYakima posted this 20 May 2012

Parker,

Like Gary said, babbit can be about anything that is used for bearing material. As Jeff alluded to, copper and even aluminum is sometimes used. It may be hard, but some is not useable for home casters.

Ric

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tturner53 posted this 20 May 2012

Can somebody refresh my memory on how the acid test for zinc goes? I recall it uses muriatic acid, zinc does one thing and lead alloys another, but what? I got some big chunks of something very hard in a bulk scrap deal, hoping it's babbit.

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runfiverun posted this 21 May 2012

zinc bubbles lead does nothing.

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beltfed posted this 01 June 2016

If the zinc weights are really dirty, esp oily or greasy, they may not react to the Muriatic acid unless scratched thru the gunkbeltfed/arnie

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Brodie posted this 01 June 2016

Personally, I stay away from Babbit.  over fifty years ago my Dad gave me some so I could make my bullets harder.  The Babbit curdled the lead in my pot.  It looked like badly made oatmeal.  No amount of heat would help it, and it took a lot of very hard work to get the mess out of my pot so I could use it again. 

I know that a lot here use it and do well alloying with babbit, but I won't have anything to do with it. Brodie

B.E.Brickey

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gpidaho posted this 03 June 2016

A friend gifted me seven ingots of babbit (federal metals) marked copper hard. With some research I believe the content to be 51% lead, 36% tin, 12% antimony and 1% copper. Alloyed with my pot luck plumbers lead, wheel weights and range scrap it makes some very fine cast bullets. The down side and I believe it's the copper content is that if you use too much babbit in the mix it causes spout freeze in a bottom pour pot. The up side and once again I believe it's the copper, it makes very tough bullets. I like it and am very glad to receive the gift. Gp

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gpidaho posted this 03 June 2016

Sorry, it's federated metals, not federal. Gp

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Myflatline posted this 05 June 2016

Pewter is most always marked on the bottom “pewter". I pass on the ones that I'm not sure of.

I would love to find some copper bearing babbit. The last couple of years, I have been experimenting adding small amounts of copper to my mix. I seems to make the alloy stay together better ( IMO ) more malitable. Copper sulfate has been the easiest to use. You may have to run the bottom pour a bit hotter because of spout freeze but frosty bullets have never bothered me.

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