Thread: Where to buy Tin and Antimony?

Where do you casters buy your metals? Mostly, where do you get tin and antimony??

Cheers

Wheel weights

I was kind of meaning a more virgin source thanks Maca

mico metals ????

@Kurt

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100-...AbTest=ae803_3


And

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/High...AbTest=ae803_3

I love the Express

https://www.dlm.co.nz/
Wait until you see the price I think they will make the mix to your spec,
The price is very high if you plan on selling bullets virgin metal is way too expensive
your bullets will be as pricey as jacketed bullets, Thats why the custom bullet makers all stopped

If you are really that interested in making specific alloys get a large batch of wheel weights melt them down and have a sample analysed by a analytical lab probably cost about $75 -100. Adjust tin with solder.
Antimony is just for hardness but without any tin will foul the bore like you wouldnt believe. There are plenty of alloy mix recipies around and also bullet hardness comparitors but generally a mix of just wheel weights, lead and a bit of solder works for me.
As to testing hardness simplest way is to put 2 bullets nose to nose in a vice if the both mash up the same they're the same hardness.

You need about 9 to 1 mix, SFA wheel weights?

Pewter is my main source of cheap tin. Second hand shops etc. Scrap metal dealers have the occasional printers lead which is high in antimony. To test the hardness of your alloy use pencils as follows. If he pencil will scrape the alloy it is harder.

6B = Pure lead, about 5 BHN
5B
4B
3B = 1in20 tin/lead alloy, age softened, about 10 BHN
2B
B
HB = Lyman no 2 alloy, about 15 BHN
H = Linotype, supposedly about 22 BHN,
2H
3H
4H

Originally Posted by Tommy

@Kurt

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/100-...AbTest=ae803_3


And

https://www.aliexpress.com/item/High...AbTest=ae803_3

I love the Express

I seem to always have at least 3 things in various stages of shipping progress coming from Ali

I have a supply of plumbers solder sticks and I dont cast anymore

Originally Posted by Kurt

Where do you casters buy your metals? Mostly, where do you get tin and antimony?? Cheers

If you repeatedly fail to give pay attention to your wife, she may cast you aside and supply antimatrimony.

Originally Posted by Kurt

I seem to always have at least 3 things in various stages of shipping progress coming from Ali

Christmas, every week!

So what is a stick of plumbers wiping metal worth?

Depends on who you buy it from I pay $13.00 + gst from an engineering supply shop retail is probable double that.