Stick-on Wheel Weights

ScottV

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I just bought 46 lbs of stick on wheel weights from a local scrap yard. They are soft lead, I can scratch them easily with my fingernail. They have a sticky glue foam pad on the back for sticking to the inside of rims. Should I melt them in a pot, other than my pouring pot, and flux with candle wax then pour into my ingot mold? Will all of the glue pads that I can't get off come to the top where I can skim them off?
 

LedHed

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You have a problem. The adhesive burns black smoke - smells! Try to get as much of the adhesive off as you can. It is good lead - a real pain to clean. Do it outside with an old pot - little at a time so the neighbors don't get too irate. The crud will rise.
 

ScottV

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Thanks LH, I'm in the country so neighbors are no problem. Lol. That will give me something to do while I wait on hooks. Lol
 

LedHed

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Just stay up wind and be safe.
Curious to see how much soft lead you recover. Saw some eBay auctions with bids @ $60 for 50+lbs (free shipping) of WW lead!!!!
 

toadfrog

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Soak them suckers in alcohol . Most adhesive will loosen ,peel off the foam . That way you only have to deal with burned glue residue.
 

Fatman

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Already been said they're great lead but a pain to smelt down for use. Stay up wind is correct. first batch I ever had a guy told me to soak in goo gone then dry then smelt it was pretty bad. Use a cast iron pot not your regular pot.
 

ScottV

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I soaked some in acetone and the glue turned to jelly. I could just scrape it off. When I get them all cleaned, I'll melt them in a cast iron pot and flux them. Then I'll ladle it into ingots. Lots of work but I should end up with 40+ lbs of soft lead.
 

Hawnjigs

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How many buckets of wheel weights were required for 40# stick ons?
Tried acetone, & it works, but kinda expensive.
Toad, where do you get cheap alchohol? What concentration is it?
If the sticky WWs are covered over with paint thinner, the plastic tape eventually just floats off when the glue dissolves. The thinner can be saved and re-used. Dunno, paint thinner is the cheapest solvent out here, & not as fume dangerous as others.
 

ScottV

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One five gallon bucket about 1/3 full weighed 48 lbs. I used the acetone to begin with just because I already had some already. It is too expensive to use just for this though. Each one of these squares are 1/2 oz.
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ScottV

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Me too, I'm looking for a cast iron pot that's not too big. I'm gonna get the glue off of them and melt them down all at one time.
 

Old's Cool

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I've been using scrap stick on wheel weights for years casting bullets. Simplest method is melt them down outside and just stand up wind. Skim off the slag. Flux the pot. Your done. Simple and safe. The less you physicaly handle the lead the lower your chances of dermal absorption or particle ingestion. Be sure to always wear gloves. Have fun. Be safe.
 
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