What/where/who is the best source for lead? I'm wanting to get into casting and don't really know where to get the lead.

I picked up a box of wheel weights from the shop when I took one of the cars in awhile back, but most of them didn't look like lead. A friend of mine mentioned he had heard that wheel weights weren't lead anymore.

so where does everyone get it?

My oldest son is out in his driveway melting down blankets! Yep, the ones they use to shield your privates or other parts of your body when they're xraying your foot. His FIL gave him 8 of them, I think. Each is heavy and made of lead.

The real key is your skill as a scrounger. When I told a buddy I needed lead, he came to a club meeting with a couple of boxes. They contained the lead piece he used at work to install new gas meters in homes. He kept the old ones instead of tossing them. Around here, they even used lead for water pipes (its why we're so dumb.) If you aren't sure, dump the old wheel weights into the pot and see if they melt (or rise to the top.)

One of the best places to scrounge lead is the bullet backstop of ranges. Some won't allow it. But public ranges don't prohibit it, its just unsafe if others are shooting. So it gives you something to do on a rainy day! The old bullets wash out of the backstop and accumulate like gravel at the bottom of the dirt. You pick them up and take them home for additional processing. I washed them to remove dirt and grit, then let them dry in the sun. The lead will then melt (be careful of trapped water) and the copper jackets or steel cores will float on the molten lead.

My son is casting ingots in an old fashioned cast iron cornbread mold. He makes little half ears of corn. I did the same 40 years ago. At least you don't need to worry about anyone grabbing your bucket of lead and running off with it. Lead ain't Texas cotton balls.

The best approach is to tell everyone you know. Suddenly lead comes from the oddest places. And you'll need tin. Look for bars and rolls of solder (50-50) at yard sales.

__________________
Dick Burg

Check the swap & sell forum at Castboolits.com. Always lead, tin etc. for sale.

Try a search for Rotometals, they most times offer free shipping and their lead is what they say it is. (not junk)

Indoor range scrap is a never ending waste product that the ranges are often happy to have someone take away...

Wheelweights are still one of the best sources. For years , scrap dealers didn't want them because of the steel clips. But with metal prices today , they bring a godd price.
True , some states have banned lead alloy weights , and even a few of the 'lead-free' weights will ruin a pot of otherwise good metal. So ya gotta be careful and sort thru them. If ya GOOGLE 'lead free wheel weights' , you'll find more info.

Yes, beware of zinc WW’s since they are out there and more and more are being made all the time. If you have a good eye you can easily tell them apart. If you want to be extra careful just smelt at the lowest temp you can and lead will melt before zinc and you can fish them out before they melt down. More and more places are having to deal with the fact that lead is being labeled a hazmat item and has to be picked up by someone certified with who or whatever. I would be careful with any lead that has been exposed to radiation. If it has been tested and isn’t hot then go for it. But when in doubt… The same goes for battery core lead. The stuff can be toxic. I’m really thinking of just going the Rotometals route since as already stated you know what you are buying. I have to guesstimate if my Lyman alloy #2 is really close or not. And all the little voodoo tests for lead hardness really do nothing for me. My test is does it lead line a barrel with the right lube at the right velocity. Just put the word out and cruise forums in the classified area. Also you might try Craigslist locals. I don’t eBay lead since shipping small amounts gets cost prohibitive and the box is almost always about to explode…

Robometals.
For my area it's no longer possible to find free lead sources. People have thier contacts, vet the lead and sell it on eBay. While I've had reasonable luck buying it from the Boolits forum I've pretty much settled on buying it from Robometals. I know exactly what I'm getting and it isn't that much more than eBay or the other private sellers.

thanks for the replies.

do you guys mean rotometals or robometals? I see a rotometals.com...