Reeder Custom Guns - Tips On Finding Lead?

I know the possibilities vary by area, but what are some sources of locating useable lead?

I've been gathering information over the last few days. Seems like there are more opportunities near older large cities.

Lot of controversy on automotive batteries. That strikes me as a last resort source.

Thanks.

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take off lead wheel weights. For years I used nothing but wheel weights. In most cases they are prefect for bullets especially if you use gas checks. Stay away from battery lead. I have quite a bit us wheel weights here in the shop if you get in a bind. About 2 years ago I sold well over a ton of lead on this forum.

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I was under the impression that most WW material is now zinc vs lead.

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at the scrap yard. Sometimes they even have clean lead in ingots, though I don't mind dirty lead. I set up outdoors and melt it in a skillet on a gas burner, cast my own ingot.

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I've acquired hundreds of pounds of over the years.

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window sash weights from old houses, plumbers lead, leather workers bench

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style lead wheel weights.

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I went through a 5 gallon bucket of weights I picked up from a local shop Saturday morning, about 125 lbs full. Still managed to produce around 75-80 pounds of ingots.

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50 gallon drums that we shoot into filled with wet sand. When we change the drum we sift out the bullets and re-use the sand in the new drum. A drum usually lasts us about a month. So I have plenty of recovered lead if you need some. A 5 gallon pail weighs about 250 lbs. But if you need some we can plastic bag some of it and put in a flat rate box. Somebody on here said it was running about $2 a lb on the internet. We can go $1 a lb for you if you like. Some of it will be copper jackets but they don't weigh hardly anything. It would take a couple of days to sift it out and run some water over it to clean it up a bit.
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I'm within driving distance.

Thanks.

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The stuff in some modern batteries can turn into poison gas easily. Not much lead for all the work and the danger involved.

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I have a friend that works on x-ray machines and gives me the plates when they are replaced. See if you can find who works on them at your dentist

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There plumbing, each plumbing stack has a lead ring that’s 10-15 pounds of pure, soft, lead. They used it to seal old pipes.

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under the tile of the shower. I was given one last year and got over 70 pounds of lead ingots from it.

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If you can do about $1 or less per lb. you are pretty good. Soft lead will need some harder alloy added to it, perhaps some tin. I like to mix wheel weights (little harder) with my soft lead and add a little tin. The tin increases the fluid character and flows better.

Get the word out and you can luck into a couple hundred pounds in no time. A mix of different sources and alloy is a good thing!

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are mandating ALL water utilities in the nation begin to inventory and ultimately replace ALL lead service lines and connections. The entire NATION. This will be drawn out over some years and should be a real boon for lead casters IF they don't run the prices up and send it all abroad.

We did a replacement program in the 1970's (I happen to know where a bunch of that went, wink) but identified some 300 potential locations to submit for our investigative replacement program, so far. Also cast iron sewer pipe classically was connected with leaded joints. Actually water pipes too but they seldom are encountered. In the ground 100 years and still going. Unless they end up in the scrap yard.

Up north it was popular for the service lines from the meter to the house to be a solid lead pipe. The Flint, MI debacle spawned a new affront in the nation on lead pipe mitigation. This new program is the result.

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I get all my #2 alloy there. I have wheel weights from past years scrounging but I really got spoiled by Rotometals.

I had a hook up at Pittsburgh shop from a work friend whose dad ran the tire shop specifically. It was on a part of town I wouldn’t normally go in since I’m not a fan of crack… I’ll never forget the first day when I loaded up 6 5 gallon buckets and one of the shop guys asked if I was one of those Branch Davidian white guys…

I told him… not yet and handed him a 20. Those days are gone and I got tired of finding zinc

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Tips On Finding Lead?

get in with a few tire shops and offer to buy the

Wheel Weights?

The modern ones are. I have found a lot of the older lead

If your near a body of water, check wrecked sailboat keels

old houses

some of it is but most cars still have the old

A lot of zinc and steel

I also have plenty of recovered lead from

I will keep that in mind.

Stay away from batteries.

X-Ray Technicians

Schools and city buildings are retrofitting

Those who remodel old homes find lead shower pans ..

Just get the word out. You are looking for some

Public Notice... new EPA regulations

Rotometals