Good source for antimonium?
- Thread starter Chainsaw.
- Start date
I think you are after antimony. I think antimonium is what you get after serving it to anxious revolutionaries. 
Theantinmonyman.com was one source, but the site seems to be gone, so rotometals is another. Note that you do not want pure antimony, as it takes temperatures high enough that there are safety and technical problems associated with it. So you buy pre-alloyed lead and antimony with a high antimony content. Rotometals sells 30% antimony, 70% lead. You would dilute that with your pure lead to get the concentration you want.
Theantinmonyman.com was one source, but the site seems to be gone, so rotometals is another. Note that you do not want pure antimony, as it takes temperatures high enough that there are safety and technical problems associated with it. So you buy pre-alloyed lead and antimony with a high antimony content. Rotometals sells 30% antimony, 70% lead. You would dilute that with your pure lead to get the concentration you want.
stubbicatt
New member
What Unclenick said. Buy the Rotometals blending alloy. Do remember it only takes what, 4% antimony in your alloy to harden it sufficiently. Avoid over enriching it else be prepared for antimony wash in your barrel, which will be nigh impossible to remove.
Antomonium is antimony that superman has handled.
It may counteract kryptonite then .
Pure antimony is a white crystal that has to have some sort of catalyst added, and very high temperatures to get it into solution with pure lead.
Now it's known even then the resulting alloy must have at least 2% tin for the antimony crystals to remain in solution . If you don't have any tin in the alloy, you will have antimony crystals surrounded with pure lead, and no real increase in hardness.
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/superhardalloy.htm
Next question will be; so where do I get pure tin? Your friendly local hardware store, lead free solder is usually 95% tin, but is very expensive. The remaining 5% will usually be antimony, but can be silver or copper. Both will alloy with the pure lead, tin and antimony and become a good bullet casting alloy. Roto metals also has pure tin bars, flakes, ingots, or cut rods, very expensive as well but you don't have any other stuff mixed with it;
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/tiningotform.htm
If you can find lead/tin solder in bars, they should have the percentage cast or stamped into them, The % is anywhere from 80-20% to 50-50% lead-tin. You just have to figure if you're adding a percentage of tin, say ½ pound, then 1 pound of 50-50 bar solder would do it.
U. Nick, the guy that ran theantomnonyman.com website passed away a couple of years back. Nobody knew his sources, or gave a darn about continuing the website, so another source died with him.
It may counteract kryptonite then .Pure antimony is a white crystal that has to have some sort of catalyst added, and very high temperatures to get it into solution with pure lead.
Now it's known even then the resulting alloy must have at least 2% tin for the antimony crystals to remain in solution . If you don't have any tin in the alloy, you will have antimony crystals surrounded with pure lead, and no real increase in hardness.
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/superhardalloy.htm
Next question will be; so where do I get pure tin? Your friendly local hardware store, lead free solder is usually 95% tin, but is very expensive. The remaining 5% will usually be antimony, but can be silver or copper. Both will alloy with the pure lead, tin and antimony and become a good bullet casting alloy. Roto metals also has pure tin bars, flakes, ingots, or cut rods, very expensive as well but you don't have any other stuff mixed with it;
http://www.rotometals.com/product-p/tiningotform.htm
If you can find lead/tin solder in bars, they should have the percentage cast or stamped into them, The % is anywhere from 80-20% to 50-50% lead-tin. You just have to figure if you're adding a percentage of tin, say ½ pound, then 1 pound of 50-50 bar solder would do it.
U. Nick, the guy that ran theantomnonyman.com website passed away a couple of years back. Nobody knew his sources, or gave a darn about continuing the website, so another source died with him.
Just a little extra, as tho man says, antimony is used to "toughen" ,if that's a good way to say it. The crystals allow the lead to deform less.b the metal is harder.
Tin stiifens the metal and adds to friction resistance..one without the other isn't going to make an optimum alloy.
Tin stiifens the metal and adds to friction resistance..one without the other isn't going to make an optimum alloy.
Check rotometals again. Most hardened lead shot has no tin and magnum shot is up to 8% antimony, though it has a little bit of arsenic to help water quenching harden it. You can see the pure antimony chunks on sale at the link in my previous post. The melting point is just under 1200°F, which the average melting pot cannot reach. I think the health issues may arise from the fluxes needed with it, or perhaps it is just from the amount of lead oxide made at that temperature if it is not done in an oxygen-free atmosphere oven. But perhaps Mete, our resident metallurgist can chime in with more specific information.
Tin reduces the alloy's surface tension. That helps it wet things so it promotes mold fill as well as helping wet and dissolve the alloys you add to the melt. Without it, it is hard to get sharp bullet detail from a mold and hard to get well-balanced bullets from the mold. Lyman #2 alloy is 5% antimony and 5% tin, and is a pretty good basic bullet alloy. Prettier and more expensive than the Teracorp magnum alloy.
So, you could get 5 lbs of tin and 16 lbs, 11 oz of the 30% antimony alloy, and 78 lbs, 5 oz of pure lead, and that will give you 100 lbs of Lyman #2.
Alternately, you could use 20 libs of the 70:30 lead:antimony alloy, 2 lbs of tin, and 78 lbs of lead to get 100 lbs of the Teracorp alloy, though it is less bright and shiny than the Lyman #2, it may serve your purposes.
Snuffy,
Sorry to be late hearing about the antimony man. I remember he had some good size melt pots and ladles and other things in addition to the metals.
Tin reduces the alloy's surface tension. That helps it wet things so it promotes mold fill as well as helping wet and dissolve the alloys you add to the melt. Without it, it is hard to get sharp bullet detail from a mold and hard to get well-balanced bullets from the mold. Lyman #2 alloy is 5% antimony and 5% tin, and is a pretty good basic bullet alloy. Prettier and more expensive than the Teracorp magnum alloy.
So, you could get 5 lbs of tin and 16 lbs, 11 oz of the 30% antimony alloy, and 78 lbs, 5 oz of pure lead, and that will give you 100 lbs of Lyman #2.
Alternately, you could use 20 libs of the 70:30 lead:antimony alloy, 2 lbs of tin, and 78 lbs of lead to get 100 lbs of the Teracorp alloy, though it is less bright and shiny than the Lyman #2, it may serve your purposes.
Snuffy,
Sorry to be late hearing about the antimony man. I remember he had some good size melt pots and ladles and other things in addition to the metals.
Pathfinder45
New member
On the one hand, it's good to learn and understand all this stuff about bullet casting alloys so you can cast good bullets.
On the other hand, you don't have to get all hung up on getting your melt recipe all in mathematically precise, repeatable proportions to cast good bullets. I just melt down a bunch of wheel weights, throw in some linotype, maybe some lead shot and start casting away. I will throw in a little more linotype if I feel the need for the mould to fill out better, but I still want to be able to scratch my pistol bullets with my fingernail. For 30-30 bullets to be fired at full velocity, I throw in a little extra linotype for a bit harder bullet. I wish I had 800 pounds of lead to work with. Color me envious. The comments by others here are excellent advice.
Remember this: Do not allow your melted alloy to become contaminated with zinc. Avoid zinc like the plague.
On the other hand, you don't have to get all hung up on getting your melt recipe all in mathematically precise, repeatable proportions to cast good bullets. I just melt down a bunch of wheel weights, throw in some linotype, maybe some lead shot and start casting away. I will throw in a little more linotype if I feel the need for the mould to fill out better, but I still want to be able to scratch my pistol bullets with my fingernail. For 30-30 bullets to be fired at full velocity, I throw in a little extra linotype for a bit harder bullet. I wish I had 800 pounds of lead to work with. Color me envious. The comments by others here are excellent advice.
Remember this: Do not allow your melted alloy to become contaminated with zinc. Avoid zinc like the plague.
Rotometals used to sell antimony in bird shot from. In this form it can be added to the melt without high temps. The phase diagram in the Lymans Cast Bullet shows that a lead tin mix at about 630/40 degrees will melt antimony in the mix. For me it required about and hour of time and a lot of sawdust to get a 24BHN alloy.
GO over to Castboolits, and look down under the Lead and Lead Alloys forum.
Scroll down the sticky's at the top and look for the sub folder called Alloy Calculators. There are a couple there, I use the one posted up by Bumpo628 which is the first post. It has been updated several times and includes most of the know alloys and can be used to figure out what your needing to add to get to where you want to be. While it isn't perfect, if you have known alloys to begin with it is real easy to formulate something that works and then repeat it over and over again.
Hope that helps.
Scroll down the sticky's at the top and look for the sub folder called Alloy Calculators. There are a couple there, I use the one posted up by Bumpo628 which is the first post. It has been updated several times and includes most of the know alloys and can be used to figure out what your needing to add to get to where you want to be. While it isn't perfect, if you have known alloys to begin with it is real easy to formulate something that works and then repeat it over and over again.
Hope that helps.
chris in va
New member
*psst*
Pewter is mostly tin. Melt down some cheap pots and figurines from a flea market. Make sure it's not aluminum, they look exactly the same.
Pewter is mostly tin. Melt down some cheap pots and figurines from a flea market. Make sure it's not aluminum, they look exactly the same.
Sure Shot Mc Gee
New member
My suggestion.
Look to buy Linotype.
Its easier to find & buy. Its formula contains 12% antimony or_ 22-BHN as is.
Magnum bird shot has 2 or 3% antimony or 8-BHN as is..
Both lino & antimony serve a purpose as great alloys to mix with soft lead so to harden it up.
If you were to list the BHN factor your wanting? Perhaps I or some other have a lead recipe to help you get to that BHN number wanted.
Look to buy Linotype.
Its easier to find & buy. Its formula contains 12% antimony or_ 22-BHN as is.
Magnum bird shot has 2 or 3% antimony or 8-BHN as is..
Both lino & antimony serve a purpose as great alloys to mix with soft lead so to harden it up.
If you were to list the BHN factor your wanting? Perhaps I or some other have a lead recipe to help you get to that BHN number wanted.
Sure Shot Mc Gee. Thanks. That actually anwers another question in my head.
Now does linotype contain tin as well?
Edit: Just looked it up and yes it does. Seems an addition of some linotype into my pure lead and I'm good to go.
Also, what about "foundry type"?
Id be paying for less lead being Im rich with the stuff.
Now does linotype contain tin as well?
Edit: Just looked it up and yes it does. Seems an addition of some linotype into my pure lead and I'm good to go.
Also, what about "foundry type"?
Id be paying for less lead being Im rich with the stuff.
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Note that as Pathfinder45 said, you can often cast well enough with vaguely proportioned alloys. It is only when you need a specific BHN or have a special set of conditions that you need to try to stick to formulas. For example, Veral Smith said he believed for a long time that wheel weights were good enough to cast about anything until he moved northwest and did some very cold temperature hunting and found the wheel weight metal would shatter on bone. You need quench-hardened lower antimony alloy (less than 2%, IIRC) for that.
To learn what BHN you might need, get a copy of Richard Lee's Modern Reloading, 2nd ed., for tables and information on what BHN will deform at what pressure. In handguns a little deformation can have advantages, as when passing a revolver barrel/frame restriction, but at rifle pressures what Lee describes is most likely to produce good accuracy.
To learn what BHN you might need, get a copy of Richard Lee's Modern Reloading, 2nd ed., for tables and information on what BHN will deform at what pressure. In handguns a little deformation can have advantages, as when passing a revolver barrel/frame restriction, but at rifle pressures what Lee describes is most likely to produce good accuracy.
Not really pertinent, maybe, but once I read an. In-depth article about alloys. The guy bought his metals, tin, lead, and antimony in hundred pound lots or so, and melted everything into one pound weight nights, so he could people precise to the ounce. He used a massive cauldron to melt. When he got to the antimony, he used up two barbecue cylinders of l.p.. as it reached heat, great clouds of presumably toxic gas covered his area.
This was crazy. Antimony is brittle, he could, and should have just pounded into chips an either boxed or bagged batches. Sure, nobody can stop home from spewing heavy metal oxides into the air or wasting l.p., but doing so is morally wrong.
This was crazy. Antimony is brittle, he could, and should have just pounded into chips an either boxed or bagged batches. Sure, nobody can stop home from spewing heavy metal oxides into the air or wasting l.p., but doing so is morally wrong.
The "bible" of lead alloys
LASC website, more specifically the book From Ingot to Target:
A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners Glen E. Fryxell and Robert L. Applegate, chapter 3 , Alloy Selection and Metallurgy is a good read. Better have a good high school reading level as some of the terms are pretty high end. Well,, high for me.
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm
LASC website, more specifically the book From Ingot to Target:
A Cast Bullet Guide for Handgunners Glen E. Fryxell and Robert L. Applegate, chapter 3 , Alloy Selection and Metallurgy is a good read. Better have a good high school reading level as some of the terms are pretty high end. Well,, high for me.
http://www.lasc.us/Fryxell_Book_Contents.htm
My first year college physics class covered little more than a refresher course of high school. It strained my brain to see so many people struggling with gravity and other things that they should :
have learned in elementary,middle,and high school, but still thought that gravity was caused by little invisible elves who pulled or feet down to the ground.
Most metallurgy that I have worked with isn't much worse than making a cake. Read the recipe and follow directions. Boom,you got cupcakes
have learned in elementary,middle,and high school, but still thought that gravity was caused by little invisible elves who pulled or feet down to the ground.Most metallurgy that I have worked with isn't much worse than making a cake. Read the recipe and follow directions. Boom,you got cupcakes