[daengmei]

I've not yet started casting, but over the last year have been scrounging lead, mostly from the salvage lot. They, all knowing of course, told me it was lead but I knew better, it said so on the ingot. I know it's harder than lead, just from the pinging sound and can't scratch it easily with a fingernail. http://wiki.owwm.com/(S(b25an555041...ectCookieSupport=1#Manganese_Babbitt_Metal_13 shows exactly what I have and describes mine as follows,

Yet another brand of babbitt metal made by United American Metals Corporation. Even though the name contains the name "manganese," according the the companies literature, it does not actually contain any of this element. This lead based babbitt is 5% Tin, 14 3/4% Antimony, and with the remaining balance being Lead making it a ASTM B23 Grade 8 Babbitt. This babbitt contains less tin than the companies "Stonewall", making it most useful for slow turning shafts only.

What do ya'll recommend, how to use (if I can), etc?
I've only got the 1 ingot, 5 lbs I think it weighs.

 

[arkypete]

I have found two types of 'babbit' in the local scrap yard. Ones got copper in it so called red babbit and the other has a blue sheen to it and wonder of wonders it's called 'blue babbit'
I use both to sweeten wheel weights mostly. I have made bullets for my 375 Whelen. I found it to make wonderful bullets, harder then ....an ex-wifes heart.
If you make pure babbit bullets treat them like 'solids' used in Africa.

Jim

 

[baddad457]

I've not yet started casting, but over the last year have been scrounging lead, mostly from the salvage lot. They, all knowing of course, told me it was lead but I knew better, it said so on the ingot. I know it's harder than lead, just from the pinging sound and can't scratch it easily with a fingernail. http://wiki.owwm.com/(S(b25an555041...ectCookieSupport=1#Manganese_Babbitt_Metal_13 shows exactly what I have and describes mine as follows,
What do ya'll recommend, how to use (if I can), etc?
I've only got the 1 ingot, 5 lbs I think it weighs.

Alloy it with pure lead to better take advantage of the antimony in it. Unless you just really want super hard bullets.

 

[pisgah]

Best use is to use it to harden up pure lead.

 

[daengmei]

Now I get to confuse myself trying to figure the amount to mix....I got plenty of time to learn...no molds yet. I'm still playing with melting the stuff and cleaning the dross. Thanks for all the info.

 

[baddad457]

Now I get to confuse myself trying to figure the amount to mix....I got plenty of time to learn...no molds yet. I'm still playing with melting the stuff and cleaning the dross. Thanks for all the info.

What I do is break it down into grains to figure the ratios to mix. a pound is 7000 grains, from there you can multiply by the percentages to find the amount in grains of each part of the alloy. Then add into the equation the amount of lead you want to mix. Do this on a calculator before ever actually doing the alloying.

 

[twodot]

if it was me and I had a couple of buckets of wheel weights and a 5 pound chunk of babbit, I would melt it all together and call it good.
..

 

[John Kort]

daengmei,
If you mix it:
50/50 with lead you will have an alloy of about 17 bhn.
1/3 / 2/3 lead = about 14 bhn
1/4 / 3/4 lead = about 12 bhn

John

 

[daengmei]

Now ya done it! Took away any chance for a confusion headache..... Thanks fellas.

 

[mjyeagle]

this post interested me so i tried to make some babbit of my own i used a rosebud on a oxy acetline and melted some solder wheelweights copper and some birdshot i cast some 300 gr wfngc i also quenched them in ice water let them cure for a week i had 2 rejects so i wanted to see how hard they were so i smacked one with a hammer not much damage the second one i put it in a vice and hit it sideways to see how brittle they were it bent but did not break have not shot any yet but will post results when i do i think there is some real potential in babbit for hunting loads thanks daengmei for sparking my idea