[Ryan]

Has anyone ever use the lead from the battery cables that fit on to the battery post? If so how pure of lead is it? I have a friend who has a couple of 5 gal buckets of the cable heads. But before I junk up my garage with more stuff I will never use I thought I would check it out first. Thanks Ryan.

[Fatman]

If it's from car batteries if I'm reading it right, most lead from car batteries is about 85-87 percent lead, with a mixture of anti-mony and some tin.

It is usable for bigger sinkers and jigs and if you mix a little tire weight or a small amount of pure there is no reason you can't use it. Make sure you melt it outdoors to smelt it all down and clean it up, it will most likely smell while you're doing it but the resultant lead will be fine. Once you have it all cleaned you can try it in whatever molds you have and have a list of what types work best in those molds.

Check out the sticky on fluxing and do that also it will clean up the lead even more. With prices the way they are every bit helps.

Fatman

[sagacious]

Originally Posted by Ryan

Has anyone ever use the lead from the battery cables that fit on to the battery post? If so how pure of lead is it? I have a friend who has a couple of 5 gal buckets of the cable heads. But before I junk up my garage with more stuff I will never use I thought I would check it out first. Thanks Ryan.

The lead battery attachment clamps are a softer alloy than the battery terminals and the lead inside the battery. It may have a small amount of hardening elements in it (probably some metallic arsenic, and some strontium and tin), but I wouldn't worry about that. It will be slightly harder than 'pure' lead, but should pour just fine.

Just melt it down, flux it thoroughly, and pour into ingots. That's good lead-- no reason to let it go to waste.

Good luck, and be safe!

[Ryan]

Thanks I will give it a try. Ryan