Sources of Lead

[surhuntsalot]

Looking for any sources of lead for making weights. The traditional sources of wheel weights at tire shops appear to have become in high demand... any other ideas san to what, and where to find sources of Lead ?

[chris762]

Maybe try old car batteries. Really old houses might have weights alongside the windows. Pick a part auto wreckers? Shovel and a screen at the target end of shooting range............ Oh yeah, winter. Oops. Dollar store fishing sinkers. About all I can think of at the moment................Maybe some really old paint might have a bit.

[CaberTosser]

I have a connection to a scrapyard, they're a client of mine. The other week I was installing a unit heater for them in their non-ferrous sorting building and there was some interesting stuff in there for lead. I'm guessing these items were from a laboratory or something and maybe used for shielding purposes as they were cast in interesting shapes and were very thick. One employee noted they would probably sell lead if a person was interested. I don't think its a normal procedure, but something they might do for those they're familiar with.

[RiverHawk]

I have a tray of round lead "coins" in the garage you can have. The neighbor brought it over for me because he knows I "reload bullets" haha they're about 1 1/2" round and 1/2" thick. Maybe 40 pounds worth. PM if interested. I can send you some pics.

[Gray Wolf]

My father used to say that some people have lead in their pants.

[qwert]

Originally Posted by chris762

Maybe try old car batteries. snip

CAUTION
"The calcium and arsenic in battery plates are not going to do you any good. The dross from melting them down will, if contacted with water or even humid air will release stibnine, a gaseous arsenic compound."

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...teries.200023/

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Are-Dangerous

AFAIK scrap batteries are worth more than scrap wheel weights and many shops sell and recycle both.
I trade my scrap batteries for used wheel weights.
IIRC scrap battery dealers buy used/scrap batteries for $10-20 depending on size & weight and the intended use of the buyer.
IIRC scrap metal dealers buy used wheel weights for ~$0.15 / lb
when lead prices were higher the going rate for a full pail was $20. they are not really worth that much now, but that is the price tire shops like and the zinc content is a more important factor for value.

Good Luck, YMMV.

[recce43]

Where in alberta are you in ?
I have wheel weights

[clock5849]

When they replace a roof around here, they replace the vent on the roof top that's made of lead for the piping air trap. Spot a re roofing job site and ask about it. Weighs about five pounds.

[EZM]

Originally Posted by CaberTosser

I have a connection to a scrapyard, they're a client of mine. The other week I was installing a unit heater for them in their non-ferrous sorting building and there was some interesting stuff in there for lead. I'm guessing these items were from a laboratory or something and maybe used for shielding purposes as they were cast in interesting shapes and were very thick.

I'd be careful about using lead that has been used over the years as shielding in a lab. Lead is commonly used to prevent unwanted or excess radiation in some applications.

I'm not 100% sure what, if any, or at what level, the residual radiation (or by-product contamination) would exist specifically in lead - but I know that radiation has a residual of several hundred years in other types of metals.

No point in rolling the dice IMO on a source as suspect as this one might be.

[CaberTosser]

Originally Posted by EZM

I'd be careful about using lead that has been used over the years as shielding in a lab. Lead is commonly used to prevent unwanted or excess radiation in some applications.

I'm not 100% sure what, if any, or at what level, the residual radiation (or by-product contamination) would exist specifically in lead - but I know that radiation has a residual of several hundred years in other types of metals.

No point in rolling the dice IMO on a source as suspect as this one might be.

The thought crossed my mind, but if you made it into defensive hollow point ammo then it would just be that much more effective! If a non-lethal shot didn't give them lead poisoning it might still give them cancer!

That being said, if you've ever entered any type of scrapyard (or even the city dump) you're driving through a very sensitive radiation detector. They'd not be allowing in such materials. One time about 8-9 years back I sent my brother with my pickup to the dump, he took forever getting back, I discovered that a box of old RCAF gauges that were in the estate home I bought has something in them that was radioactive. The landfill staff went through the whole load with him to determine what set off the detector. The gauges came back with him.

[coachman]

A couple of years ago a scrap yards in Edmonton would sell sheets of lead for 75 cents a pound. I still have 800 pounds so I haven't looked lately. Wheel weight that you get from tire shops do not have much lead in them anymore. Look for somebody scraping an old dragline or something like it and you will find tons. Be prepared to cut it out, I was get 100 to 200 lb pieces. Batteries do not have much usable lead, take the post off the top and you have the best parts.

[Unregistered user]

Hospital radiology departments. Medical isotopes are shielded in pure lead containers. You can buy these empties from the hospital, used to have a source years ago. They wash them in salt water and check for residual radiation before they release them. Some are plain lead, others were plastic wrapped lead so a bit more work.

[chris762]

Originally Posted by qwert

CAUTION
"The calcium and arsenic in battery plates are not going to do you any good. The dross from melting them down will, if contacted with water or even humid air will release stibnine, a gaseous arsenic compound."

https://www.thehighroad.org/index.ph...teries.200023/

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/show...-Are-Dangerous

AFAIK scrap batteries are worth more than scrap wheel weights and many shops sell and recycle both.
I trade my scrap batteries for used wheel weights.
IIRC scrap battery dealers buy used/scrap batteries for $10-20 depending on size & weight and the intended use of the buyer.
IIRC scrap metal dealers buy used wheel weights for ~$0.15 / lb
when lead prices were higher the going rate for a full pail was $20. they are not really worth that much now, but that is the price tire shops like and the zinc content is a more important factor for value.

Good Luck, YMMV.

Well, That is interesting. I thought batteries might be okay but I am wrong. (insert sad smiley face) Thanks for the info, might have saved my life......

[gunluvr]

Originally Posted by chris762

Well, That is interesting. I thought batteries might be okay but I am wrong. (insert sad smiley face) Thanks for the info, might have saved my life......

If not your life, your sperm's.