On the shelves of specialized stores there is a wide range of different weights and shot. However, judging by numerous reviews, most avid fishermen and hunters prefer to use home-made products rather than factory-made ones. Due to the fact that shot is a consumable material, and sinkers are often lost, hunters and fishermen have a constant need for this raw material.
It is this category of consumers who is interested in where to get lead for casting? According to experts, there are several effective ways to extract lead. You will find information on where to get lead for sinkers and shot in this article.
Getting to know the material
Lead is and has excellent anti-corrosion properties, due to which this chemical element is used in the manufacture of protective coatings in shipbuilding.
Lead is immune to x-rays and radioactive radiation. For this reason, special protective sheets are made from this metal, the task of which is to protect a person from intense radiation.
After the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, when transported by helicopter, reactive substances were contained in containers surrounded by lead ingots.
The most common uses of this metal are fishing and hunting. Due to the fact that lead is inexpensive and easily melts, it is easy to make a projectile for a firearm or a sinker for fishing tackle from it.
Due to the softness of lead, such a weight can be easily crimped and will be easy to attach to a fishing line without additional equipment. If difficulties with melting usually do not arise, then the question of where to get lead is very relevant. Below are several popular lead mining methods.
From battery
For those who are interested in where to get lead, experienced fishermen and hunters recommend paying attention to the battery. Finding it won't be difficult. All you have to do is go to a scrap metal collection point. In this case, you will have to spend a little money. Those who want to save money can be advised to look for it in a landfill. Old batteries often gather dust in car enthusiasts' garages. If you know car enthusiasts, you're in luck. The owner will be only too happy to get rid of such rubbish. Judging by numerous reviews, batteries are considered the most common source for the extraction of lead, which is presented in the form of special plates. Non-ferrous metal is easy to melt.
How to extract?
Having obtained a battery, beginners often ask the question of what to do next. Experts recommend performing a complete disassembly. Only in this case will it be possible to remove the lead plates. Since they are in acid, they must dry out before melting. Judging by the reviews, disassembly will take at least six hours. The plates dry within 24 hours. Melting will take one hour. In general, you will have to work on one battery for at least a day and a half. As a result, after melting the plates, up to two kilograms of lead can be extracted. Whether it is worth spending time on this, everyone decides for themselves.
From fishing weights
If there are no car enthusiasts you know, and there is not a single battery found at the scrap metal point and the person does not know where to get lead, experienced craftsmen recommend purchasing this non-ferrous metal in the fishing products department. However, this method is less effective, since you will first have to buy lead weights and only then melt them. 1 kg of lead costs approximately 200 - 250 rubles. However, with the necessary raw materials, you can make good shot for ammunition using a homemade method.
From car wheels
Another option where to get lead is a car service. Since the car wheel is equipped with special balancing weights, if necessary, they can be dismantled and used for other purposes.
According to experts, one such weight weighs 50-60 g. Judging by numerous reviews, 1 kg will cost no more than 50 rubles. For beginners and those who have no idea where to get lead, experts recommend using car weights.
But today lead is not used in its pure form as a material for their manufacture. Often this is zinc with impurities of babbitt - low-melting. The composition may include antimony and tin. In addition to weights for wheels, lead is also extracted from sliding bearings, and less often from sealing gaskets.
From the counter
This method is suitable for those who have friends who work in the water utility and power grid. Employees of these services quite often have to deal with meters, install or break seals. They are made of lead and, when dismantled, are no longer valuable, so it is possible to agree on regular supplies of this non-ferrous metal.
Where can I get a lot of lead?
According to experts, you can use a communication cable with a lead sheath. To make the coating, lead is used, which, judging by reviews, is very soft and can be easily removed with a regular knife. Depending on the brand of cable, the thickness of its protective layer can vary from 1 to 2 mm. Due to the fact that bitumen is applied on top of the lead coating, and the product itself is wrapped with steel tape, those who want to extract a low-melting non-ferrous metal will have to do a fair amount of tinkering.
Experienced professionals recommend that beginners perform this procedure at sub-zero temperatures. In this case, it is much easier to separate the bitumen. Bituminous substances melt well. It is enough just to hold the cable over the fire for a while. The bitumen will flare up and it will be much easier to remove. According to experts, it is lead shells that provide the largest amount of the necessary metal. Compared to lead extracted from a battery, cable lead is much cleaner.
In addition, during the melting of battery plates, a lot of debris remains, which is often more than the non-ferrous metal itself. For this reason, before starting melting, the plates are carefully tapped. The main purpose of these actions is to get rid of the filler. Otherwise, there will be a lot of unnecessary slag in the container with molten lead.
Can be ordered from the supplier
For those who have already tried all the methods and no longer know where to get lead, we can recommend ordering non-ferrous metal from the manufacturer. Judging by numerous reviews, in this case you will have to pay about 170 rubles for 1 kg of a fusible substance. Much cheaper, about three times, you can buy lead at a non-ferrous metal collection point.
Finally
Regardless of the method used to extract lead, when working with it, you must adhere to safety precautions. Lead is a very toxic substance; it must be melted in a room with good ventilation or exhaust hood. Many home craftsmen prefer to work with it in the fresh air. If this recommendation is neglected, the released electrolyte vapors can cause irreparable harm to human health. In addition, to avoid getting burned, you should be as careful as possible with molten lead.
The article discusses where to get lead for shot, making sinkers, and more. There are several options, everyone can choose something for themselves.
Instructions
Warm up the container in which the melting will take place. Place the container securely over the gas burner. Light the fire. Adjust the gas supply so that the flame is small. Wait until the container warms up. Heating is necessary to evaporate moisture from the surface of the container, burn out organic substances and prevent the destruction of ceramic dishes due to rapid uneven thermal expansion.
Melt the lead. Place a few pieces of lead in a container. To avoid burns, do this with tongs or a spatula. Wait until they are completely melted. Add portions of lead to the melt until the required amount of liquid metal is obtained. The gradual addition of lead to the melt accelerates the melting process, since solid fragments come into contact with the liquid fraction, which increases the contact area and improves heat transfer.
note
Melted lead has a very high temperature. Be careful not to get it on your skin, clothing or flammable objects. Work outdoors or in a very well-ventilated area as lead fumes are toxic.
Helpful advice
You can even melt lead in a tin can, placing it firmly over a gas burner.
Lead is immediately recognizable by its external characteristics; it is quite flexible, does not break, easily melts under a hammer, and has a dark gray color. It belongs to the fusible metals, as it melts at 327 degrees. If it is alloyed with another metal, the melting point can significantly decrease or increase. Lead is quite suitable for foundry work at home
Instructions
It is not at all difficult to obtain lead; it can be obtained from organizations involved in the recycling of raw materials. It is advisable to purchase purer lead. Before you start melting lead, prepare a mold into which you will pour it. Take a cast iron pan, put it on the fire, put the pieces of lead in the pan and keep it on the fire until the lead looks like a shiny liquid. Make sure there are no small pieces left. If the temperature required to melt lead is exceeded, it will begin to take on a reddish hue.
While the lead is on the fire, prepare the mold for pouring by warming it up slightly to avoid partial or uneven casting. After this, clamp the form in a vice attached to the table. For these purposes there are also special clamps and molds with welded handles.
Once the lead has melted, use a knife or spoon to scrape off any debris from the surface. Then use a large spoon to scoop out a small amount of lead and carefully pour it into the mold, placing it near the pan, as it may splash and cause serious burns on your hands. People who constantly work with lead prefer to pour it into a mold with a special spoon that has a small recess on the side.
The finished product will cool down in at least an hour. All costs due to the uneven fit of the mold parts can be cut off with a knife.
Lead can also be extracted from a regular battery. To do this, disassemble the battery by first draining the acid and leaving it upside down for one day. Then break off the sides of the battery and remove the lead plates that are in rubber bags. Melt them as described above. And charcoal will help prevent surface oxidation during smelting - just sprinkle it on top of the lead while smelting.
note
Despite the fact that lead melts easily, it fills the mold less well than other low-melting metals.
Lead should not be poured into a cold mold, as it may splash when it comes into contact with a cold surface.
Sources:
- lead melting point in 2018
Tip 3: How to protect figurines from oxidation after melting lead
Lead has been known since ancient times. Archaeologists quite often find figures of deities and jewelry made from this material. Lead is also popular in our time - for example, sinkers for fishing tackle are made from it. This metal melts quite easily, so figurines, beads and bracelets are cast from it. However, lead has a rather significant drawback: it very quickly becomes covered with an oxide film and loses its shine.
What is needed for this?
The oxide film on lead appears quite quickly after melting. Cleaning it mechanically is completely useless - it is a rather labor-intensive process. In addition, the cleaned surface will also quickly begin to oxidize. You can protect weights, beads or electrical connectors using the following substances:- ;
- ;
- varnish.
Also prepare a pack of paper napkins, and for working with acid, chemical glassware, gloves and a respirator.
Home and industrial methods
There is literally a homemade way to protect lead surfaces from corrosion. There is always sunflower oil on the farm. Pour it into a bowl and immerse the newly smelted figurine in it. Hold for about five minutes, remove, place on a layer of napkins and let dry.In production, it is usually used to protect lead parts, in other words, where industrial oil is sold. You can order graphite lubricant through the online store. The lead product will retain its shine for a long time.
If the product is large, you can simply wipe it with a cotton swab dipped in vegetable oil.
Fishing varnishes
You can coat the lead figurine with metal varnish. In a store that sells products for fishermen, you can often find a special “fishing” varnish designed specifically for such purposes. There are a variety of colors available, but if you want to maintain a metallic sheen, clear is best for you. The industry also produces fluorescent “fishing” varnishes.Get rid of oxide
If there is already an oxide film on the surface, it can be removed with concentrated acid. Remember that for chemical experiments it is better to use chemical glassware. An ordinary glass jar may not be strong enough, and using metal or plastic objects is not at all advisable. Don’t forget to also take precautions - you need to wear gloves when working with caustic acids. A protective mask is also advisable. Dip the object into the acid and wait until the oxide film disappears. Carefully pour off the acid. Let the product dry, then lubricate it with oil, graphite grease or varnish. When working with lead, remember that this material is toxic.Lead has been known since ancient times. This metal is indispensable in many industries due to its physical and chemical properties. To use lead, you need to know its melting point, which will allow you to make the necessary materials and parts from it. It is easily forged, very ductile, and is also inert to acids at normal temperatures.
Lead Applications
One of the most common uses is to make bullets, shot and other firearms projectiles. And the opportunity for hunters to make homemade bullets was created thanks to the cheapness of the metal and its low melting point.
Fishing sinkers are also made from lead. Due to the fact that the metal is quite soft, it can be fixed to the fishing line without the use of special devices, simply by crimping.
Lead also has anti-corrosion properties, so it is used to apply a protective layer to iron products and to make protective sheaths for cables. Also, this feature of lead allows it to be used in the production of paints and varnishes.
The main component of red lead, or red lead, which is used to paint the underwater part of a ship, is a pigment that contains lead.
This metal is often used in the form of alloys. Sheets containing lead, for example, can protect against X-rays and radioactive radiation. During the accident at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant, which was accompanied by intense radiation, bags of lead ingots and shot were used to stop dangerous processes in the reactor. To protect the people who were on the helicopters delivering this cargo, lead sheets were used. The unique features of this metal in this case turned out to be irreplaceable.
Melting point of lead
The melting point of pure lead, which does not contain impurities, is 328°C. When melted, the casting qualities of already ductile lead are improved. This allows hunters to cast projectiles for weapons.
Lead can be melted even at home or over a fire.
However, to pour into molds it is necessary to bring the metal to a fluid state. To this extent, lead can be produced at a temperature approximately 100-200°C above the melting point. The boiling point of this metal varies within 1749oC.
When molten, it has noticeable volatility, which increases with . Lead vapors and lead dust can cause acute poisoning in humans. For severe intoxication, a concentration in the body of 0.3 g of lead or its components is sufficient.
In old car batteries. The electrolyte is drained, and the lead plates are remelted quite easily. I also came across lead plates in hardware stores like Samodelkin.
If you need a little lead, you can purchase fishing sinkers in sports or hunting stores.
I can tell you where can I get lead, and for ridiculous money. You need to contact the post office. They use disposable lead seals, which they then don’t know where to put. You can’t throw them away - you can cause damage to the environment, and the collection of seals is usually not organized. Therefore, you can arrange an appointment for disposal.
Well, as a child, we hunted for old batteries for the sake of lead, crushed them, pulled out the lead plates, cleaned them, broke them and put them in a container on the fire until it melted, and then into a pre-prepared form.
1) The easiest way to buy sinkers for fishermen is made of lead. There is a large assortment of sinkers of various sizes and shapes, as well as different weights - from 0.5 g to 230 g. As an example, I give one option: Lead sinkers Salmo Faceted With Ring And Swivel 100G - 185 rubles.
2) Lead cable (tape), weighs 11 kg with a tape width of 8 cm and a thickness of 1.5-2 mm at a price of 100/kg. Moreover, 1 m of tape weighs 2 kg. such lead will cost significantly less than ready-made sinkers.
3) The next option is lead hunting shot, it also comes in different varieties, for example this one at a price of 99 rubles/kg (RTG MetPromStar, LLC, Moscow).
So choose what suits you best. If you look hard enough, you can still find lead.
There is a lot of lead in batteries, although it will take a long time to get it out of there, and the used batteries themselves still need to be found. Usually, there are a lot of them near garages, since some drivers simply put them out without having the desire to tinker with them themselves. You can also purchase lead at fishing and hunting stores.
Lead can be purchased at a fishing store, where it is sold in the form of sinkers. Next, lead can be extracted from old used batteries; this method was used by my grandfather, who was an avid fisherman, and in those distant times it was perhaps much more difficult to obtain lead than it is now. I remember him melting lead grids from batteries in the backyard, and all the dirt would float to the surface, and the liquid lead would remain at the bottom.
I also completely agree that many high-voltage cables, which are laid either in the ground or over some kind of metal structures, have a lead sheath. But now there are no unattended cables left, so this method is not very accessible. And finally, the easiest way to get lead is to contact the guards of some base with sliding gates, which are sealed with lead seals every evening, and every morning these seals are torn off and thrown away. Often they are just lying around on the gate and you just need to pick them up.
If for fishing, then in the store, but for other purposes it is better not to mess with lead at all. This is the most dangerous and insidious metal, it imperceptibly penetrates the human body and begins its dirty work, after which the process of replacing calcium with lead is irreversible.
In addition to all the options listed, I’ll add one more. The shells of communication cables have a lead coating, which is easy to cut even with a knife, but a heavier knife is advisable. This shell is quite thick, 1-2 mm, and is easy to melt and cast into the desired shape. True, it is coated with bitumen on top, and steel tape was wound in two layers on top of the bitumen, so it takes a little tinkering. Bitumen is easily separated in the cold, but you can melt lead directly with bitumen, it then flares up, which makes the melting process much faster.
By the way, the lead sheath of date cables contains more lead with less hassle and is cleaner, but it is much more difficult to smelt lead from battery plates and the output is minuscule, plus a lot of garbage. Before remelting, the plates must be tapped somehow so that as little filler remains as possible, otherwise you will end up with only slag in the molten container. Yes, the lead in batteries is not the purest, they say it contains impurities, in addition, much more harm to health occurs when extracting lead from the battery plates, here there will be vapors from the electrolyte and vapors from the lead itself, which is still disgusting.
Therefore, when melting lead, you need good ventilation or, even better, an exhaust hood, or in the open air with a breeze. And in no case should you melt more volumes indoors, this is extremely dangerous to health. Be extremely careful with liquid lead too.
Lead is sold in stores serving fishermen. In ingots, for self-production of sinkers.
Lead can be smelted from battery plates, but the result is very little, much more waste. The lead sheath of the cable will give much more of it, and it will also be cleaner. When melting lead, you will need a well-ventilated area. If you need a small amount of lead, you can buy fishing weights at the store.
