Who needs lead (tire weights)?

[ReeferMac]

Had to buy 2 tires for the truck yesterday. The place I use is in Harriman. He had 9 plastic pails filled with assorted used tire weights. They used to have a guy that came around but they haven't seen him in a while. Offered to sell me some.

I'm not casting ... yet, but I know some Knox area guys are. PM me and I'll give you the location.

[xsubsailor]

17 minutes ago, ReeferMac said:

I'm not casting ... yet, 

Grab them while you can !!!!

[Omega]

2 hours ago, ReeferMac said:

Had to buy 2 tires for the truck yesterday. The place I use is in Harriman. He had 9 plastic pails filled with assorted used tire weights. They used to have a guy that came around but they haven't seen him in a while. Offered to sell me some.

I'm not casting ... yet, but I know some Knox area guys are. PM me and I'll give you the location.

What price were they offering them for?  I have been buying lead at around $1 a lb, plus shipping, and every now and then I'll grab a better deal.  I would love to get in on a boat keel, or x-ray room demolishing gig, I would be set for life..well for a long time anyway.

[ReeferMac]

LOL!

He didn't offer/ask a price. Think he was fishing to see what I'd offer?

[RED333]

" Back in the day" a few years ago, unclean, clips still on and unsmelted and zinc culled out WW was $0.50 to $0,75 a pound. Clean (see above) was $1.00 a pound. I have not bought lead in a few years and do not "need" to, so I do not know what the price of the stuff now. Lead is getting hard to find and cost a bit more.

Please, what ever you do stay away from car batters, the chemicals that come off when smelted WILL KILL YOU.

[DeepSouth]

Last time I bought wheel weights it was $40 per bucket. Sort the trash, scrap metals, zinc and steel for about a third of a bucket of good alloy clip on's and lead stick on's. Next time in, new manager wants $50 per bucket, no way.

I carried a truck load of aluminum cans and electric motors to scrap. They had lead pipe for 20 cents per pound. I got all they had, 112 lbs.

[JunkiCosmonaut]

I would be interested in buying wheel weights. I just started casting. 

[JunkiCosmonaut]

On 12/16/2020 at 6:23 AM, RED333 said:

Please, what ever you do stay away from car batters, the chemicals that come off when smelted WILL KILL YOU.

That explains why I smell colors while I'm casting battery lead.......

[DeepSouth]

"Please, what ever you do stay away from car batteries, the chemicals that come off when melting WILL KILL YOU.

Fixed it.

If the battery has top post you dump the water/acid out. Fill about halfway with water, replace caps and shake it, repeat 3 or more times. Leave it open to dry for a few weeks then take a big hammer to the post. Remove them from the battery, that's all the good lead you'll get from a battery. You just removed about 3/4 pound of lead. Figure what you saved if lead is a dollar or 2 per pound. I get $15 for side post and $20 for top post batteries at the scrapyard.

[Swede]

Unless the steel and zinc weights have been picked out, which is unlikely in a tire store, assume that those buckets will be slightly less than 50 percent lead.  It varies with the town and whether it's a tire shop or a car dealership.  My estimate is based on the last couple of batches I got from a Toyota dealership;  a small town tire shop will probably be a better source, but keep that in mind if you decide to offer to buy them.

[frankmako]

 the last four 5 gallon buckets i got i only got about 1/4 of lead out of them.  the rest was zinc and steel.   not bad for free.  

[Grayfox54]

Wheel weights have been made of steel or zinc for the last 8-10 years.  I think it was an EPA thing. Anyway, real lead weights have gone the way of the Dodo. Very hard to find them any more. I seriously doubt you'd get much at all out of those buckets.