I've got about 15, five pound ingots of this stuff, and would like to use it for bullet casting. I know there is a lot of Lead and Tin in it, but I'm not sure of the other stuff. Can anyone help???? Thanks in advance. billt

As you know, there are different types of Babbit alloy, and they do or don't contain a lot of copper. The ones that don't have any copper would be really swell alloys for casting or hardening lead.

That bar there doesn't appear to have a numerical designation that would indicate composition. Maybe you could call the company and ask them. If you are lucky, that company only makes one type, and there's no copper in it. I wish you luck.

From the drastic differences in copper and lead content, I'm going to guess there are big differences in specific gravity. I'm fixing to go out to dinner, but if you like, I'll type you up a procedure that only requires a powder scale to measure specific gravity.

This other thing might, might work. Put a drop of copper solvent (gun cleaning type). on a bar. If you don't have any, use household ammonia. If there is much copper in the alloy, maybe (maybe) that spot of ammonia will turn blue. Copper fouling in a gun barrel sure does.

If it turns out you've got the high copper Babbit metal, you may be able to melt it and skim off copper dross. Don't ask me. Ask a bullet casting expert. I'm just a chemist.

You could try fluxing with sulfur, which is how copper is removed form lead commercially. I say you could try that. I wouldn't. The sulfur will stink like Hell (literally), and the dross will sit around and start stinking like rotten eggs.

If you're interested in all that, indicate, and I'll see what help I can be.

H. C.

Billt
I'm not a chemist, but I am a bullet caster. I picked up some babbit metal at the scrap yard, that I imaginatively call red babbit, because it has a red cast.
I've used this alloy in my 375 Whelen, just as is. This is one hard alloy.
I've found this ally to cast perfect bullets.
Jim

I'd cast a bullet in a mold you know well, weigh it compared to what your "normal" cast bullet weighs, test it for hardness, and, if the 2 answers are within reason, keep casting it.

Thanks for all the info guys. I am going to try casting this stuff a little later on. It does seem to be a good alloy for bullets. At least worth a try. billt

What I would use it for, provided it doesn't have too much copper in it, is to enrich my wheel weight supply. Try, say a half pound of the babbitt with about 20 pounds of cleaned WW. Should make a decent alloy.
Paul B.

Call the "Federated Matals Division" of the American Smelting and Refining Company.

Babbitt can be MANY things so if there's no marking those guys may make only one alloy. If that's the case, they'll be able to tell you pretty quickly.