Kevin Van Dam Forums

Can I use the lead @ my local car dealership that they use to balance tires with??? I mean they have a giant bucket of them and they toss them out when it gets full, instead of spending money on lead can I just use the scraps that I can get for free? Should I clean the lead off or when I melt it down all the crap should come to the top so I can scoop out???

You need to melt it down in a big cast iron pot over a propane cooker (turkey fryer works best). You need to clean all the gunk out of it and the steel clips. Then you need to flux it several times to remove the dirt and gunk.. once that’s all done you can pour it into ingots and use it. All the crap will not come to the surface, maybe 10% of it will. You will need to read up on fluxing lead to be able to clean it completely.

Wheel weight lead is not pure lead, often times there will be tin mixed in causing it to be lighter than normal. A 1/2 oz jig might only weigh 3/8oz with wheel weight lead.

wheel weight lead is a hard lead ,  when pouring certain molds i will mix some soft lead in with the wheel weighs the lead seems to pour easier and it makes the jig heads a little harder. they hold up better.  just add some wheel weights to your soft lead the slag rises to the top use a kitchen spoon to remove the slag and your ready to pour. always pour in a well ventilated area you dont want to breath in the fumes. I wear rubber latex gloves when I"m pouring to protect my hands.