I have absolutely zero experience in casting, so don't hold this queation against me.

I know a lot of people use wheel weights for casting, I was wondering if you took apart an old lead acid battery and used the plates? Can this be done, anyone try it? What sort of alloy is in those things? Seems like there would be a lot of lead in one of those things.

Anyways, have a little urge to cast my own, and just thought of this.

Jeff

I am fairly new to this to, but DO NOT use Battery lead, toxic fumes can be produced by heating the acid/battery/plates , Sean

Nix.

Not only is it dangerous to you, the battery plates contain (or usta) calcium which will mess up your alloy.

There is no guarantee that you will get a battery that is old enough to do this with. The newer batteries, since about 20 years ago, have cadmium, and that is a no-no component for us to use. Not only is it more toxic when hot, it won't let the boolits cast correctly. Leave the batteries to the battery folks, and never accept lead from batteries, even if there is a guarantee by the vendor that there are no bad elements in the lead. ... felix

It not the calcium as much as it is the cadmium. Some calcium can be tolerated in a lead mix because it usually will float out enough to grab as garbage when fluxed. But cadmium cannot be taken out with home style tricks. ... felix

See, I learn something new everyday. That sure didn't take long. Thanks a lot guys.

Jeff

We gotta watch out for you new guys. We need more to join us in our forays of lube making, bullet designing, mass mold orders, and other such sane endeavors.

The next thing that will happen to you is very easily forseen. You will be walking through the woods. Looking down, you will find an old cartridge case for a rifle caliber you don't own, or maybe never even heard of. You will stick it in your pocket, and it will eventually migrate to yor reloading bench. In a couple monthes, you will pick it up, and look at it again.

Unfortunately for you, you will go to a gun show sometime soon after that, and happen to see a rifle of that caliber. It will follow you home. You will then buy dies, and find they are rare or non-existant, and you will pay more than you did for the rifle.

Then you will need a bullet mold, and casting equipment, and lead, and before you know it, you'll wind up in Winnemucca, Nevada with a bunch of wild eyed cast bullet shooters, wondering whut the hell happened to you?]

Waksupi, what makes YOU such an expert on this matter? Huh? {BSEG} sundog

If it makes any difference, the amount of lead you get from an automobile battery, is tiny, compared to the proportion of the work it takes. I have done a total of one! And thank goodness I didn't ruin a big melt with the paltry, useless results. They're right... It don't even make good bullets. Don't do it.>>>>>>>>>>Bug.

Waksupi, it's a disease and luckily there is no cure.
Ed B

jpothof....I've done this and there's not enough lead in the plates to make it worth while and it's a mess what with all the chemicals etc.

You're better off hitting the guys at the local garage for WWs, the local telephone guy for old cable sheathing or a friendly plumber for salvage stuff that he pulls out./begale