wheelgun luke Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I have some old lead wool laying around, that I don't think will ever be used for it's original purpose. Is it ok to throw it in the casting pot? I have read that battery lead contains too much arsenic to use for casting, so I was wondering if there would be any similar problems with lead wool. Thanks for your help. WL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Larsen E. Pettifogger, SASS #32933 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 I have some old lead wool laying around, that I don't think will ever be used for it's original purpose. Is it ok to throw it in the casting pot? I have read that battery lead contains too much arsenic to use for casting, so I was wondering if there would be any similar problems with lead wool. Thanks for your help. WL Must of been a pretty heavy sheep. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelgun luke Posted May 18, 2011 Author Share Posted May 18, 2011 No, he had cottonballs. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 WL - Lead wool is NORMALLY made of pure soft lead. I would melt it down separately from other lead materials you are recycling, cast ingots from it, then test the hardness. If nothing else, use the thumbnail test - soft lead will scratch easily and deeply with a thumbnail dug into the surface. If you can't even mark the surface of the ingot, you have a very hard alloy that may not be useful for bullets. Automotive battery alloy does not contain arsenic - it contains calcium. This makes it very hard to cast at regular temperatures, and it will create clumps of calcium arsenide and calcium antimonide if added to the normal bullet casting alloy of, say 3% antimony and 1% tin and a little arsenic. Plus the dross can give off very poisonous gases. So, THAT is why you don't use maintenance-free modern lead batteries. A little arsenic in lead casting alloy actually helps with the castability. Good luck, GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smithy Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 What is lead wool and where does it come from? Ie. what is its original use? Because I've never heard of it and am interested to hear. Smithy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Edward R S Canby, SASS#59971 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 What is lead wool and where does it come from? Ie. what is its original use? Because I've never heard of it and am interested to hear. Smithy. A common use is in making lead wool blankets. These blankets are used to construct temporary radiation shields in the nuclear industry. Particularly radioactive pipes can be draped with the blankets to reduce the exposure to nearby workers. Temporary corridors are erected to get workers through areas of high exposure. Google "lead wool blankets" for pictures and dimensions. I suspect much of the US supply has been purchased for use in Japan. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Texas Jack Black Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 What is lead wool and where does it come from? Ie. what is its original use? Because I've never heard of it and am interested to hear. Smithy. It comes from thin strands of lead it is twisted and was used to cold caulk cast or steel pipe joints. T J B Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Garrison Joe, SASS #60708 Posted May 18, 2011 Share Posted May 18, 2011 What is lead wool and where does it come from? Ie. what is its original use? Because I've never heard of it and am interested to hear. Smithy. From Google, which is usually faster than asking a buncha cowboys http://www.maycoindustries.com/lead_wool.htm GJ Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Captain Woodrow Cahill, SASS # 54363 Posted May 19, 2011 Share Posted May 19, 2011 From Google, which is usually faster than asking a buncha cowboys GJ But not nearly as entertaining. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelgun luke Posted May 19, 2011 Author Share Posted May 19, 2011 My knowledge of it, was to seal cast iron or steel pipe. PVC is much easier to seal. So I thought I would put it to better use. Thanks GJ for the help. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.