looking for cheap lead

i thought about getting some leadheadz, but i found out i was gonna have to pay @ $500 for about 360lbs. i cant justify that price. can anyone hook me up with other alternatives?
oh, and no--i dont want anymore fat sacks.
thanks!!!

Interstate battery said I could buy a 5 gal bucket full of tire weights for $20. He thought it would weigh 60 lbs. I think it will be more.

If you're prepared to melt it and form it yourself, you can get bulk lead at scrap metal yards.

Try a shooting range where they will give them to you for free by the 55 gallon drum. Also most tire shops just want to get rid of the wheel weights for free. If they are trying to make a buck that would be a new one on me, as they just give them to the scrap metal guys.

Something that works real well is just to put them in a 4 in PVC pipe filled with some sand or other filler in between, and seal the ends with caps and glue.

Tractor weights are perfect, however they will cost you about $1.00 per pound (cheaper than LeadHedz). I couldn't find any used tractor weights no matter how hard I tried though.

Pete's idea seems the best to me. Used wheel balancing weights put into a sealed container (like the PVC). That is likely what I'll be doing.

I've used olympic plate weights in the past, but they seem to discolor the carpet and coating them with plastic is a pain.

I found cheap used tractor weights in the Salinas Valley of Ca. An unbelievable #600 for $100.00. Six #100 pieces. I cleaned them with laquer thinner and painted the with rubber tool paint. Call around to the farm equipment guys in your area.

Wes, most tire places or even service shops will give the weights away for free. They usually have to pay to dispose of it so you're doing them a favor.

Oh yeah, I filled a tupperware container (About the size of a shoebox with wheel weights and sand and it came out to be about 40 pounds. So, the five gallon bucket will definitely be more than that!

(Message edited by blabel on June 27, 2003)

A buddy of mine went to a local outdoor store and bought some jugs that had screw on tops. He then went to a local shooting range and they gave him spent lead at no charge (he was helping them out by taking the lead). He was able to get 500 lbs. for the price of the jugs which totaled 15.00.

Blabel, thanx. I will try that.

We just test rode our boat with the new locker sac. Very nice. Now for the lead in the bow. Then the back sacs this winter.

we get lead weights from the tire shop for free. we make a form like this then paint them. We've put handles in them to, but if you make them the right size you don't need handles.

But be careful not to get the lead to hot when you pour it in or the form will expand and you will have this!

Don’t use wood forms they can catch fire, burn, and leak. Either use a bread pan, cake pan, or if you want to make one, cut some channel iron to what ever length you want your weight to be and weld flat steal on the end. the channel iron is what I went with and I made some nice 40 lb blocks about 1.5" by 4" by 18" I have a long pictorial of how I made mine in the archives.

how do you melt the lead and in what? How hot do you have to get it?

word, tell us how.

I've tried tire shops and scrap metal dealers in the Knoxville area, with no luck. We did hook up with a private indoor shooting range in Sevierville, and they'll give you all the spent bullets you want for about $2 or $3 per 50 pounds. I have a couple hundred pounds from there in my garage right now, so you could check it out if you want.

I melt my lead in a kettle over the fire. Don't do it inside cause the fumes are toxic :-x Wood forms are fine to use. That's the only time i had that happen and it was because i got it alot hotter than it needed to be to melt. When you start melting it. You'll be able to tell how hot it needs to be. It's easy. If you use lead from tire shops you'll need to scoop out the metal pieces that don't melt. A big spagetti spoon works well.
BTW I used a couple different bread pans and i had to completly tear them apart to get them out. Maybe there's a secret to that i don't know.

P.S. Don't melt to much lead at once or you won't be able to pick up the kettle to pour it out without spilling it. If you had a tripod with a swing arm that would be the cats meow.

Lead melts at 621.5 F. Check out this website to melt and pour lead. Pretty easy, but be careful...Lead is POISONOUS!!!!!!!

http://www.simplicityboats.com/leadpour.html

Good luck

Marlon

I would grease my cookie sheets and bread pans. ;)