Rice Farmer
Member
Does anyone use Babbitt Ingots as a source of tin for Bullet casting?
Roto Metals say theirs is 90-92% tin, 4-5% Antimony, 4-5% copper.
Roto Metals say theirs is 90-92% tin, 4-5% Antimony, 4-5% copper.
Thanks, yes the Babbitt was free, was mainly concerned with the copper content. I think I'll go ahead and melt the big bars down to smaller units for mixing it latter. Have about 8 or 9 lbs of it.you could but I'd look at any/every other option I could first.
but I'm cheap.
scrap yards, thrift stores, garage sales, electrical supply stores, anything that cut's the cost a couple of dollars and is somewhat repeatable.
you really don't need that much, 1 lb. will work with 99 lbs. of ww alloy just fine for most of your daily mundane stuff.
Thank YouTreat basically as tin. Pure tin is cheaper. divide by 45 to get 2% tin, Sb is 0.08%
Great, thanks for the advice. Will use a dipper.if you bottom pour the Tin Babbit metal with copper will drive you nuts trying to keep the nozzle clear
To remove the copper, flux, bring the pot down to 550 (IIRC) as it sits, little pimples will appear on the surface, skim them out, keep in mind antimony is also attached to the copper...sometimes this works
I dipper cast, so it's not a problem for me
When I was still Working at ALCOA they rebuilt some pumps for the Hydraulic presses, the Machinist give me the babbit shavings after they line bored the bearings, weighed 40# all total, with an assay of the metal
Went to the Ranch and got the bars, one is marked, Nickel Babbitt XXXX ,I re read my post and I wasn't clear
the copper floats when you use the Tin Babbit for adding tin to the melt
the Tin Babbit metal by itself, the copper does not float, try not to get the tin too hot, I did and the ingots had a copper color on the outside, did not seem to hurt anything, but probably best not to
I was melting shaving and had a hard time controlling the heat, Plumbers Gas fired pot at the time
this was 1984
Thanks saves me having to buy some tin. You've been a great help.Babbitt is basically bearing alloy and there are many kinds. Treat most as tin, the other stuff gets diluted so much it is 'almost' trace material that will have no effect. Nickel is a mixture (not a molecular alloy in lead) so IIRC will flux out. Cu in the alloy is good but less than 0.2% won't make any difference. Body(wiping)/radiator/plumber's lead is mostly lead with enough tin that it will stick and spread easy.