Where to get lead and other alloys?

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  • Last Post 26 June 2008
oldcars posted this 20 February 2008

Hi I just joined the CBA yesterday and found one tire shop out of about a dozen in my area that will sell me thier old wheel weights, 20 for a 5 gallon bucket doesnt seem to bad. Anyway I am looking for a place where I can geta couple hundred pounds at a time with it costing an arm and a leg. Does anyone know where I might be able to get what I need? I called all the recycle centers and they wont sell to private parties, maybe thats just a california law.  I will starty asking more questions when a get a good stock pile of wheel weights, lead, tin and whatever else I can find.

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CB posted this 20 February 2008

oldcars

Keep asking around. Our local scrap yard keeps brushing me off also whenever I ask for lead to make fishing weights. Never say to a merchant or common citizen that you want lead to make bullets. They just don't understand the concept, politically incorrect kinda thing. Say yer wanting to make fishing weights or effigy door stops for art work. PERSEVERANCE   :dance   ..............Dan

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Ed Harris posted this 21 February 2008

The ploy that always work for me was that I was building a sailboat and needed a ton of lead for the keel.

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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CB posted this 21 February 2008

Wise ploy Ed...

I tell them I need if for molding parts for model WW2 aircraft replicas.. Works every time and they actually help me find some if they dont have any...

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klw posted this 20 March 2008

Art Green has most popular bullet casting alloys.  Probably not wheelweights but just about everything else.  I've got a standing order for 100 of linotype per month.

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CB posted this 20 March 2008

Who is Art Green and how do we get ahold of him?

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klw posted this 20 March 2008

I suppose I should not find that question surprising but I do.  Art Green and Bill Furgerson use to advertise in Handloader Magazine constantly.  Probably well over 20 years.  So since I read their ads all those years and bought alloy from both of them for decades I expect people to know them.  Art, incidentally, actually help Bill get into the business.

Both men are old.  Bill is in his 80's and Art is approaching 80.  Bill's health is clearly failing.  Last time I called him he didn't remember who I was.  That really saddened me.  Art is still going strong.  Works, I think, 16 hour days.  His significantly older brother is also still working.  Their family's health is so good that they all are in a national study about why some familiies just doesn't have health issues and live a very long time.

Bill has been trying to convince Art to fill his orders for him.  It isn't going to happen.  It would be a lot of work for Art and just straight profit for Bill.  Art is old but he isn't stupid.  This has strained the relationship between these two.

Art's alloy is fairly inexpensive.  He sold alloy to print shops for decades.  Now that type isn't used in printing anymore he has gone back to all those places and bought the metal back.  That's why he can charge about $1/lb plus shipping for linotype.  Most other places, I think, are charging right at $4/lb though shipping is sometimes included.  You price might be higher than $1/lb. from Art.  I've been buying metal from him for well over 20 years so I suspect that I might be getting a better price.  Then too I have two tons on order.  100 pounds a months essentially forever.

The best way to reach Art is to call him 310-274-1283.

Art is a real gentleman in every sense of the word.  He can actually make being concerned for his customers into an art form.  Very very nice guy.

You'd think that as along as these two (Bill & Art) have been providing bullet metal that a web site like this one would know them.  Seems strange to me that you all don't.

 

 

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devin1955 posted this 20 March 2008

Is he the guy in Beverly Hills? I have a buddy that told me about a guy in BH he visited once long ago. Bought some tin and foundry type from, and was just full of good advice.

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Ken Campbell Iowa posted this 20 March 2008

Hi, consider getting on google or the yellow pages and locate a commercial bullet caster in your area ... if you buy up front a couple thousand pistol bullets ( usually  cheap enough, and high quality ) ... the owner might sell you a bunch of his alloy in bars/bulk ... not real cheap, but ready to go ... my guy is a Magna caster, has 92\6\2 which is med hard, and I don

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klw posted this 20 March 2008

devin1955 wrote: Is he the guy in Beverly Hills? I have a buddy that told me about a guy in BH he visited once long ago. Bought some tin and foundry type from, and was just full of good advice. That's him.

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Mauserman posted this 21 March 2008

I just go to the local scrap metal dealer... He ask how big of barrel you want takes the forklift sets it on the scales weight it and loads it on my truck... Biggest problem I have is paying and unloading the thing........ Check with the local recyclers of metals , Heck the guy even thanks me saves him shipping. :D MM

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largecaliberman posted this 26 June 2008

If you know of an indoor shooting range, .>go and ask the owner if you can clean up his range for FREE!!.  Usually, these indoor shooting range have to hire some HAZMAT company to do it and these ranges would end up paying for the cleanup.  Also, offer them a price to haul out the once fired brass.  I usually offer them 1/2 the asking price of scrap dealers, so you might want to do some research on the price.  :lovecast:

Also, contact a local radiator shop for their radiator drippings.  On that, I had one shop that asked for two cases of Coronas and a bottle of Merlot. I managed to get around 980 lbs and ended up with 890 lbs of refined solder.  The shop owner said he had that accumulated for “years” and did not know what to do with it..>.>.>

Needless to say, he asked me to check with him a year from now. 

Another shop I asked was very greatful because I offered to clean off ALL the lead residue including cleaning the trough and I ended up with a little over a ton of the “rubbish".  With that, I ended up with around 1600 lbs of lead solder.  I felt so guilty .> about that deal so I offered him two cases of Coronas. 

 

So-----the moral to the story is, just ask.  If you don't ask, someelse will..>

 

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