Linotype to buy or not

[Bigslug]

If you're confident of its composition, take the local scores where you can. If it's some of the harder "type" alloys (see our forum lead alloy calculator), better still.

I bulked up my own inventory with a lot of range scrap, which I segregate into (1.) jacketed, (2.) shotgun slugs, and (3.) other people's cast.

1 and 2 are very soft of 1% antimony or less, so the "sweetener" mixes are very good to have around to turn that into something more versatile. 3 tends to end up in the vicinity of clip-on wheel weight, but you never really know until you slag each batch down and put it on a hardness tester. A bucket of lino or other "type" will go a long way in improving the soft stuff.

[uscra112]

Never pass up Linotype.

[brokeasajoke]

There has been some good info in all this an stand up members that have PM'd me. Lots of good people here.

[Rickf1985]

I am seeing a lot of soft lead spacing in that bucket. They are bent and twisted which you cannot do with linotype, it will snap off.

[indian joe]

There has been some good info in all this an stand up members that have PM'd me. Lots of good people here.

a little bit of linotype goes a long way but it wont rot in storage either ....never let a chance go by with soft lead - grab that every opportunity you get, its scarcer all the time.

[rockrat]

In 5 years, that $3500 for 1000 lbs of lino will probably seem cheap, if prices go like they have been. 5 years ago, that same 1000 lbs of lino was less than half of todays price.

[Soundguy]

If it was me I would buy that. Lino is handy stuff to have around.

Pure tin will often be double or triple that price, seems fairly reasonable to me.

Normally I mix roughly 50% Clip on Wheel Weights, 50% soft range scrap and I may add a little Pewter or Lino for rifle to harden it up a touch.
But for most of my shooting that mix works fine.

yup.. tin is crazy.. I tend to stock up on lino and use it because of that..

[brokeasajoke]

I offered $2 and they said no I may offer 2.50 or see if they will sell spacers and linotype separate at separate price. Should I take a bathroom scale to weigh?

[Dusty Bannister]

A bathroom scale might be off a little bit, either way, but better than lifting a bucket and guessing by how it feels. Sorting the spacer strips from the lines of type would be a good plan. And if there are individual small pieces with a single character on the end, consider that the same price as the lino. But sort it out later as that is likely Monotype and a stronger alloy of tin and antimony. Good luck on your negotiations.

[fredj338]

I would buy the alloy from Roto at that price, better than getting it in type form IMO. The alloy in the spacers can vary quite a bit from the type. At $2 per, sure, buy all of it. Back in the day I used to get lino in 22# pigs for 50c a pound. Wish I had bought 2000#.

[Rickf1985]

I just looked at Roto's prices and WOW!!!!! 2.60 for pure lead, 2.35 if you buy a half pig and 1.85 if you buy 1,000 lb. pallet. Crazy!! I figured that once it was outlawed for all uses the prices would drop some since demand would drop drastically. Face it, us bullet casters are not much of a demand in the big scheme of things.

Lyman #2 is 3.60 lb.. When you figure a 170 gr. rifle bullet will get you 41 bullets per lb. that works out to $.088 per bullet.

[Kent Fowler]

Never pass up Linotype.

Yes, 10 years from now $3.50 will be a bargain