Author Topic: Determining the purity of Lead (Read 5670 times)

Will Ketchum · « **on:** May 23, 2007, 12:02:32 PM »

Do any of you have a simple way for me to determine just how soft some lead I have is?

I have access to a bunch of lead bricks some are marked as low level radiation shielding lead. I have a plumber's ingot and with the old thumbnail scratch test these bricks seem as soft as that.

Also what is the going price for lead?

Will Ketchum

Delmonico · « **Reply #1 on:** May 23, 2007, 12:44:02 PM »

Will I keep some of the crayon point type 32 Lee bullets around cast out of known alloys and see how soft I can go with out making a mark on the ingots, but any bullet should work. With that said I am 99% sure what you have is pure lead.

Hell-Er High Water · « **Reply #2 on:** May 23, 2007, 02:54:32 PM »

Will,

A way that will give you a "relative" hardness to a known sample is to take ingots of both the known and unknown samples and with a steel ball bearing between them compress them in a vice or arbor press until there is a measurable indentation in both. By measuring the diameters of each indentation you can get a "relative" hardness of one to the other. The softer will have the larger indentation. I usually use a 1/2" - 3/4" diameter ball bearing.

HHW

Advertising · « **Reply #3 on:** **Today** at 06:30:44 PM »

Will Ketchum · « **Reply #3 on:** May 23, 2007, 03:57:13 PM »

HHW, thanks for the tip......I don't think I have any ball bearings around but I guess any piece of steel would do the same thing.

Will Ketchum

gw · « **Reply #4 on:** May 25, 2007, 06:56:39 AM »

Will---Send me about 1/2 a bullet and I'll get you the exact composition of what you have. This is part of what we do where I work, I know the operator of the equipment quite well and it won't be a problem. If you need my address, PM me.

Will Ketchum · « **Reply #5 on:** May 25, 2007, 09:16:38 AM »

GW, thanks for the offer. I may take you up on it later. The lead is in bricks just a little bigger than a building brick. Each weighs about 50#s.

Will Ketchum

Delmonico · « **Reply #6 on:** May 25, 2007, 12:06:04 PM »

When you do Will, report back, I'm curious.

Will Ketchum · « **Reply #7 on:** May 28, 2007, 05:37:51 PM »

A good friend of mine has a bullet casting business. He tested it for me and said it was pure lead

I have no idea what lead is going for now but I have nearly 600 pounds.

Will Ketchum

gw · « **Reply #8 on:** May 29, 2007, 05:59:15 AM »

Will, that oughta last you the rest of the year!!

Quincy1 · « **Reply #9 on:** May 29, 2007, 06:22:29 PM »

Pure lead in small quanity in Bay Area is .75 - 1.00 Lb Depends who is working
counter at the Steel yard.

I have a friend up in N. Ca and he bought 5,000 Lb for a sailboat keel and paid .35 - .40 a lb. delivered.

Quincy

Silver Creek Slim · « **Reply #10 on:** June 11, 2007, 09:31:11 PM »

That'll keep ya in business fer a while, Will.

Slim

quigleysharps4570 · « **Reply #11 on:** August 05, 2007, 06:40:11 PM »

Yep...that 600m lbs. oughta last you a day or two.

I've the Saeco Lead Hardness Tester by Redding that I use to test lead...course a bullet has to be cast in order to do it.

boot strap jack · « **Reply #12 on:** November 17, 2007, 06:36:00 PM »

I have been gone running the nuke circuit this past fall. Yes the lead you are using is pure.
Jack

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