Time sorting? Ha! Im done w three of the four buckets in the photo. I have a method. I use a strong magnet thats on a strip about 12in long. Its from a 12 in wide nail sweeper and I took the pole off. I lay it in the bucket to make contact w the top layer. Then I flip it over and bring it up to eye level and use my other hand to grab all the lead WW's off and toss it in the lead bucket. I then grab the ones that are zincs and put it in the zinc bucket (20 cents a lb). Then I purge the magnet by sliding iron the edge of the bucket I'm collecting the steel in. If there are any plastic ones they usually don't stick to the magnet, the zinc sticks and the lead stick ons accumulate in the supply bucket. Every once in a while I pull out the lead stick ons and put them in a separate pile and the zinc stick ons all are the same rectangular shape so those are easy to spot and purge from the bucket. the magnet allow me to get and hold a handful of target weights close enough to ID them every time and then I am able to slide the magnet on the edge of the steel bucket to empty the magnet of the steel weights without ever touching them. If I wasn't camera shy id do a video.
Its almost turkey fryer day!
Cool, hope you get 50%, been a while since I hit 50%.
Last few years its been more like
20% Lead , 30% zinc , 40% steel/iron 10% other
the painted steel stick ons are really dominating.
Zinc are slowly decreasing also.
Why I wont pay for buckets of weights , i will "tip" the shop if the buckets are full. Locally for me its not worth going around anymore. Almost was not then. Either theres a insider taking the weights or its so little lead not to bother.
Nice if your scrap yard will give you .20/lb for the zinc wheel weights.
i dont mind sorting, i just do a quick sweep and ditch all the bad stuff and cherry pick the good stuff. Anything remotely questionable gets tossed.
i do sort the bigger zinc and save for later use.
also when I do find lead stick ons those go to the "black powder" bucket.
already got the call, "do you got anymore of that soft lead" some offer me extra if I smelt it down some like the strips , one guy cast his rounds over open fire and says 5 chunks in the diper is perfect.
Not him but this is what he does, he also cast some fat 45/70s
View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng7hArHEiVM