# Buying lead in Northeast ohio



## Dude5285 (Aug 31, 2014)

Starting to make my own sinkers. Grandpa has a ton of sinker molds and a melting pot. Does anyone have any ideas where to buy lead? Amazon seems to be pretty pricey. Just wondering if there is any local shops to by lead


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

you should get some posts from ogf members that have lead they will sell. you can use hard lead for jigs but you want soft lead for sinkers like barrel sinkers where you have a pin going through the sinker. hard lead sets up faster than soft lead making it hard to pull the pin or rod out of the sinker. you also want soft lead for making split shot sinkers. but for any sinkers that doesn't use a pin or rod to leave a hole in the sinker hard lead will work just fine.

if you don't get any on ogf try ebay.
sherman


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## meats52 (Jul 23, 2014)

Maybe put a post in OGF Marketplace that you are wanting to buy some lead. I have seen lead for sale on craigslist also. You can even try some of the scrapyards. The scrapyard that I take my aluminum cans to sells lead. It's old wheel weights(hard lead) that will work for pouring jigs or certain sinkers. Like Sherman said the hard lead is not good to use for barrel or egg sinkers or reusable split shot.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

meats52 said:


> Maybe put a post in OGF Marketplace that you are wanting to buy some lead. I have seen lead for sale on craigslist also. You can even try some of the scrapyards. The scrapyard that I take my aluminum cans to sells lead. It's old wheel weights(hard lead) that will work for pouring jigs or certain sinkers. Like Sherman said the hard lead is not good to use for barrel or egg sinkers or reusable split shot.


some good advice. I posted I would pay 1.00 per lb plus shipping of lead and wanted 40 to 50 lbs. it wasn't long before I got what I wanted.

if you don't get some on here you can get what you want on ebay. there is one listing for 50 pds lead. then he ships 55# of lead for 75.00 with free shipping, if you want that much. if not just type in lead and get what you want. but remember you want soft lead for barrel type sinkers or split shot. but for jigs and bottom bouncers bank sinkers and such hard lead works just fine.

how much lead are you looking to buy? do you want soft or hard lead? I would sell maby 20 or 25 lbs of hard lead for 1.50 a lb with free shipping. pm me if interested. im doing 3 4 5 oz no roll sinkers right now and need my soft lead myself. the no roll sinkers are like barrel sinkers but flat. they have a pin that goes through the mold then you pour the lead and then pull the pin out leaving a hole through the sinker.
sherman


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## Dude5285 (Aug 31, 2014)

Yea thanks for all the help. I'm long to make round and flat sinkers for perching. Hooked into a couple **** heads last year and broke line so I lost quite a few sinkers. Looking probly for soft lead. I was looking on ebay too just wasn't sure of the quality of it. I do want to eventually get air brush and make my own spoons and jigs. Lost about a doz. Jigs this winter on logs.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

by the way shipping isn't bad for lead. just ship in a priority box from usps. I shipped 47 lbs for 12.50 I think is what it cost me. if it fits you can ship up to 70 lbs for a flat rate.
sherman


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## grant778 (Nov 22, 2014)

A little bit off topic but why not consider buying tungsten or maybe tin instead? Its a lot better for the environment, and better for your health as well.


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## Weekender#1 (Mar 25, 2006)

Just go visit your local scrap yard, lead should be available there if not the next one will have some. Just avoid tire weights as they have to much alloys and it does not melt good. Some old pipe or pluming lead is good stuff. Scrap yards have a pile of it, you have to re-melt it that gets the dirt and stuff out of it. I bought a corn bread mold to pour my own ingets. works like a charm.


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

Do they just pop out of the cast iron or do you use some kind of release?


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## Dude5285 (Aug 31, 2014)

My grandpa just used old muffin tin to make ingots but he has no idea what he did with all the ingots. Found one of his molds. Just have a lot of digging. Found about 500 bottom bouncers he had made through his years of fishing


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

We get tire weights , old sheet lead and other sources from scrap yard. Heat out side and stir with a wooden spoon. Skimming off the dirt on top. Stir some more and skim some more impurities. When its finally clean. We stand a bunch of aluminum pop or beer cans on the concrete. The oval divot in the bottom make great ingots. And what spills on concrete gets put back in the pot to clean and reheat and use. Oh best part is when the lead hardens just knock over cans and lead falls right out.


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## ironman172 (Apr 12, 2009)

Weekender#1 said:


> I bought a corn bread mold to pour my own ingets. works like a charm.


it sure does work good, that is my preferred ingot for the melting pots to pour jigs and weights


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## fishingful (Apr 5, 2004)

Thanks for the idea. Was trying to figure out how to melt 10 lb blocks. I got a rusty one down stairs


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## gino (May 14, 2008)

Buying lead
Hi guys I do a lot of my own Reloads I get my lead from a local reloading shop they have soft lead on occasion that didn't come out to the right size and I think there in twenty or thirty pound bags I pay thirty bucks also if you can't find that just buy a bag of number nine shot that will melt pretty quick


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## Chris_H (Aug 27, 2013)

Gino where do you find shot for $30 a bag if you don't mind me asking? For skeet I don't mind how uniform it is.


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## viper1 (Apr 13, 2004)

Speaking of shooting. One year we made a big score from our local sporting club. We cleaned up the lead at the targets. Sifted it and was surprised at the amount.


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## Chris_H (Aug 27, 2013)

If you have a willing club that shoots an abundance of clay targets there will be hundreds of thousands of pounds of lead. A club I used to belong to reclaimed 232,000 pounds in roughly six months. Reclaiming lead shot is a fairly large business.


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## gino (May 14, 2008)

Hey cris I'm in Canada just fifteen minutes to Buffalo there's a shooting supply plant I think they make the shot there but I could be wrong there called hummeson shooting supplies I get it there I shoot a 28 gauge for upland and the price for a box of shells is ridiculous here for 28 gauge shells if you can't get a hold of them shoot me a pm and I can see what I can do to get it over to you


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## hookedonfishing (May 4, 2013)

you can get tire weights from tire shops but geting harder find ones without bunch diffrent alloys. i would try scrap yards not sure what regulations r now on lead was 50 cents a pound for soft lead couple years ago . if your just geting into using molds make sure use it outdoors or in well ventialed area n never let water hit hot lead .to get your sinkers to release from molds easier spray them with pam cooking spray or another cooking spray should work i always used pam u will also need something to clip the spurs on the sinkers n probally something to clean hole out unless ur useing brass eyelets


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## meats52 (Jul 23, 2014)

hookedonfishing said:


> you can get tire weights from tire shops but geting harder find ones without bunch diffrent alloys. i would try scrap yards not sure what regulations r now on lead was 50 cents a pound for soft lead couple years ago . if your just geting into using molds make sure use it outdoors or in well ventialed area n never let water hit hot lead .to get your sinkers to release from molds easier spray them with pam cooking spray or another cooking spray should work i always used pam u will also need something to clip the spurs on the sinkers n probally something to clean hole out unless ur useing brass eyelets


 The best thing I have found to make the sinkers release from the mold easily is Rapine Mould Prep. Just put it on one time and your good for a long time.


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## Bassbme (Mar 11, 2012)

If you're having problems with incomplete fills, a wrinkly finish, or your castings releasing from the mold, just smoke the mold. Actually smoking the mold is something you should always do anyway. 

I just roll up a bit of newspaper and light it on fire. Hold the mold over it and let the smoke do its thing. It works great. You also want to smoke your insert pins if you're making sinkers or weedless jig heads.

As far as lead, it's like everyone has said. Soft lead is fine for some weights and some jigs, but if you're making spinnerbaits or buzzbaits, you're going to want a hard lead. If not, after a couple of fish the wire is going to be loosening up in the head. I learned that the hard way.

For spinner baits and the like I use a Lyman #2 lead alloy. I guess it's a little pricey at $2.43 a pound, but it's well worth the price from a durability standpoint. 

It being substantially harder than pure lead also makes it more sensitive. It's great for any kind of weight or jig where you're looking for sensitivity close to that of Tungsten.


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## sherman51 (Apr 12, 2011)

im using a brand new mold to make 3 4 and 5 oz no rolls sinkers for saltwater fishing. I have no problem with the sinker cavity filling or getting the sinker loose. the only real problem I had was when pulling the center pin with hard lead it didn't want to come out. I had to hook the mold under a table and twist and pull very hard to get the center pin to come out. I switched to soft lead and it comes out real easy.

if your not getting full sinkers or jigs or rough finishes on them your mold or lead is to cold. and your sinkers should just come loose from one side and a small peck with a pair of pliers should release the other side and your sinker should just drop out. I have never treated my molds but I make sure my lead is warm enough and my mold is good and warm before starting my pour. and I've poured big saltwater jigs and small round head jigs and barrel sinkers and bank sinkers and the only time I wasn't getting full smooth pours was if my mold or lead was to cold.

most jigs spinners and bank sinkers and anything that doesn't have a hole through the finished product you can use hard lead. you can even pour other type sinkers with hard lead its just more work getting the center pins or rods out.

please let us know where you get your lead and how your molding is going.
sherman


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## buckeye dan (Jan 31, 2012)

If you need lead check your local gun clubs. Sometimes they will let you mine the banks for a donation. Also some metal recycling centers have lead squirreled away. Generally for about $0.80/per pound. Then there is always hitting all the tire centers but you'll probably find most of the lead from that source is spoken for. But some may have the newer stick on weights (not the older clip on type) that is pure lead that some of the bullet guys have turned their noses up to.

If you could find an old salvage sail boat with a lead keel weight you'd be set but the bullet guys are keen to that source too so they are hard to find. If you run across hard lead just trade it for soft over on castboolits. It'd be a shame to waste good bullet alloy on sinkers since it's getting harder and harder to find.


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## Drm50 (Dec 26, 2014)

Lead
I live in SE Ohio, I have a lot of lead. Hard lead is my problem. I make all kinds
of jigs, spinner baits,sinkers,ect. I also make my own bullets. I would trade my
soft lead for hard. I am getting ready to smelt down several hundred pounds
into ingots. Most of it is soft plumbers type lead. Also I'll give you guys a couple tips. When using hard lead on pull pin type molds, wipe inserts on rag
with WD-40, it will work opposite of flux, pin will release easy. On do-it moulds
same moulds are available in the black handle pro series, spur on these is 
smaller than blue or Orange series. Soft lead flows and fills out better than hard. Jigs with Barb collar are hard to get to fill out with hard lead. 1/64 and
1/100 oz jigs are just about impossible to pour with hard lead. Adding a small
amount of tin to mixture will give it better"flow", and keep lead from oxidizing.
I'm willing to trade hard for my soft but I don't want to get involved in shipping.


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## TomC (Aug 14, 2007)

Depending on how much you are wanting, Im getting ready to do my Spring time melt down. I save up a years worth of good wheel weights and melt them down in the spring Melting down wheel weights is a lot easier than most people think. The first thing I do is sort them. I sort them by removing all the zink,fe, and other junk weights out. Next I go thru and take out all the stick on wheel weights. Most stick on wheel weights are pure soft lead so those get melted down separate. I use an old cast iron dutch oven that can hold 80lbs of clean lead at a time, and a turney fryer burner. I start out with a full pot of wheel weights and slowly keep stiring them, and remove the metal clips, and any weights that don't melt that I may have missed. Once the pot is full, I continually stir and flux it to make sure its really clean. Once the pot is full, I ladle it out into the 4 mini muffin pans. I use a ladle big enough that lets me pour 5 ingots with one ladle full. Once the pan is full onto the next by the time I have the 4th one full the first one is set up and flip it over and refill. I do this till the pot is close to empty. 

THe one thing you have to watch is temperature control. If you run your pot too had its hazardous plus other metals that you don't want will get melted in. I run a low temp pot and once the pot is full of clean lead, I turn the temp down even further. I usually make 750-900lbs of clean ingots in a day. Out of the ingots I make, I keep all the soft and usually only a 100lbs or so of the hard lead. The rest I sell in 50lb and 100lb lots and on occasion sell the whole lot as one. If your looking for some send me a pm, I sell it for usually $1.00-$1.50 a lb. I have done shipping in flat rate boxes but the post office hates it, 50lbs is most I would do in a large flat rate box.


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## fishdealer04 (Aug 27, 2006)

If you are having trouble pulling your pins out of your sinkers spray them with cooking spray first and then use them. Slide right now.


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## Flathead76 (May 2, 2010)

Make friends with a service crew at your local water department. Alot of the old lead side lines get replaced with copper after the repair. These are from houses built in the 20s. If you see them doing a dig up on an old house just ask them if they would be willing to forget to throw it in the truck if a 12 pack of pepsi appeared out of no where. You would be surprized how much pouring that you can do from just one old line.


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