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Have a 1/2 oz splitshot mold and need some real soft lead. I've poured a couple hundred and you can squeeze them together but have to pack my vice grips with me. I have bought some 3/8 splitshot that were pretty soft and were a darker dull grey and mine are shiney.New to pouring just thought some of you more experienced could help a beginner.
Yours will dull in time.
slabdaddy I think what you are looking for is "PLUMMERS LEAD" you should be able to get it at larger hardware stores. Also if you happen to know anyone that works for the phone company you might get some of the line repair splice covers they had to remove. Years ago I use to get mine from those guys but things have tightened up. I have bought some from older plummers also, they have pretty much quit using that and if they have some on hand they might sell theirs. There is also something you can put in the lead that will bring the zinc and tin to the top of the pot and you can get rid of it by skimming it off. Good luck, Ferdi aka Fred
Slabdaddy,
From your description yeah it sounds like you have harder tire weight lead, it's probably pouring alright because your pouring bigger size split shots. When it was legal to use lead split shot here in Vermont I used to pour them but I had plenty of pure lead water pipe, and Ferdi's right you need to find some soft lead. Old lead water pipe is great if you can find it, but make sure it's DRY FIRST!!!!!!!!!! or as Ferdi said check with some plumbers and see if they have some lead pipe, lead plumbers bricks. You can check with salvage yards to see if they have any old roof sheathing which is usually pure. If you have lot's of tire weight lead you could check with some reloading groups and see if they would want to trade the tire weight for pure.
If you can't find any pure and don't want to buy any just keep carrying your vise grips but even the tire weight you should be able to close it with just heavy duty needle nose. Pure lead shot will oxidise faster than harder lead so I wouldn't worry about them being shiny
Fatman
Find the recyclers, you can buy old sink traps and pipe. The tin in plumbers lead is a great thing for splitshot and pinch-on sinkers, it makes them a little more durable (more uses) than straight soft lead. Also roofers can help, they can get roof jacks which are pure soft lead, which are great to mix with the plumbers lead.