Alloy math

[Don McDowell]

Ok , all you aspiring mathmatitions/metalurgist. Here's the problem
25 lb brick of pure lead + x lb of tin = 16-1 alloy...
You will be graded on the bell curve

[SgtDog0311]

Would it be 1lb,9oz of tin?
I struggle with such stuff. But seems like you'd have one lb of tin for the first 16 lb of lead, and one oz for the next 9lbs of lead.

btw... if you turn the temp down in your pot 50 degrees is you bullet gonna get heavier or lighter?

[Kurt]

Melt the 25# brick down and cast 1# ingots no problem

[Don McDowell]

Would it be 1lb,9oz of tin?
I struggle with such stuff. But seems like you'd have one lb of tin for the first 16 lb of lead, and one oz for the next 9lbs of lead.

btw... if you turn the temp down in your pot 50 degrees is you bullet gonna get heavier or lighter?

John, I'm thinking you're pretty close, or at least that's about what I came up with too.

On the temperature thing most of the molds I have will drop a lighter bullet when the alloy and the blocks aren't quite to temp.

[Don McDowell]

Melt the 25# brick down and cast 1# ingots no problem

Yeh that is an option, but the Scoth/Irish in me wants to make the ingots all mixed and ready to go at one time.

[Kurt]

I don't like spending time making ingots either. I been doing this on and off for a couple weeks melting down the dip solder that his work gave him for me. 800 plus pounds of 60/40 wiped off circuit board solder they have to pay to have scrapped out. My Son said my Dad will take it for nothing Right now I have a couple 5 gallon buckets cleaned and in muffin ingots.

[Steve Anderson]

My math question is simple. I buy 16:1 from Walters. I'll run out to the garage and cast for a couple hours, get them lubed via pan lube. Then load into my brass. It probably takes a total of 3 or more hours to get a batch of 150. It only takes a "few" minutes to empty the brass once I get to the range. What's up with that? The math just doesn't work out?

[Don McDowell]

That is a tuff one. It's also one I've pondered for years and have yet been able to find the answer to. LOL

[Gussy]

New math = 20lbs lead, 1lb tin = 20 to 1

Now shoot it. If it works, keep using it. If it doesn't change one or the other.

Life's complicated enough without hurting my brain with fraction of a pound on a 1 lb scale which will not measure small amounts.

[Don McDowell]

20-1 does work good for some things, but most of what I'm shooting now gets along really good with 18-1 or 16-1.
Besides these things are 25 lb bricks, and I'm not sure I got any good idea how to lob 5 lbs off of the things.