This weekend I got about 60 pounds of wheelweights free from one of the local tire stores I do business with. They usually sell them for $5.00 a bucket. I think I've got into a good deal. Anyway I am planning on making some #2 Alloy with them. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says 9 pounds of WW and 1 pound of 50/50 bar solder makes 10 pounds of #2 Alloy. I went to Home Depot and priced the bar solder they carry and they want $11.00 for a pound. I stopped by a Harbor Freight store on the way home and they carry two kinds of solder in 1 pound rolls. One is an acid core for $2.99 and they other is a resin core for $4.99. That is a better price than at Home Depot. The only problem is that it is not labeled as the ratio of lead to tin. The $4.99 is labeled as for use on sheet metal such as gutters and the $2.99 is label for electrical soldering. I tried looking on their web site and they don't sell it from their web site so I could not get any information there. From what I have found I think the 50/50 bar solder is a little more money than the 60/40 electrical solder so I am thinking the one they carry for $4.99 is probably the 50/50 bar solder. Have any of you tried any of this solder from Harbot Freight in your casting? Did it work for you? I would appreciate your input on this.

This weekend I got about 60 pounds of wheelweights free from one of the local tire stores I do business with. They usually sell them for $5.00 a bucket. I think I've got into a good deal. Anyway I am planning on making some #2 Alloy with them. The Lyman Cast Bullet Handbook says 9 pounds of WW and 1 pound of 50/50 bar solder makes 10 pounds of #2 Alloy. I went to Home Depot and priced the bar solder they carry and they want $11.00 for a pound. I stopped by a Harbor Freight store on the way home and they carry two kinds of solder in 1 pound rolls. One is an acid core for $2.99 and they other is a resin core for $4.99. That is a better price than at Home Depot. The only problem is that it is not labeled as the ratio of lead to tin. The $4.99 is labeled as for use on sheet metal such as gutters and the $2.99 is label for electrical soldering. I tried looking on their web site and they don't sell it from their web site so I could not get any information there. From what I have found I think the 50/50 bar solder is a little more money than the 60/40 electrical solder so I am thinking the one they carry for $4.99 is probably the 50/50 bar solder. Have any of you tried any of this solder from Harbot Freight in your casting? Did it work for you? I would appreciate your input on this. I just got done with 1000 45 200gr swc for a 45 acp whin I was casting the bullets came out with nice square corners and no rinkiling in them I used 19lbs of ww to 1 pound of solder :D Forest Punch

Try one pound of the lead free plumbers solder to 60 pounds of wheel weights. This makes an alloy that is 1.6% tin and will be right at 12 BHN. You'll find it will shoot as well as the Lyman #2 and is cheaper to boot. You can also drop the bullets into a bucket of water (quenching) and they will be about 18-20 BHN. My 357 Maximum prefers this harder bullet even at lower speeds while my 44 Mag and 38-55 shoot just fine with the air cooled version.

Lyman also lists #2 as being 5% tin, 5% antimony and 90 % lead and is 15 BHN. Interestingly, Taracorp Magnum is also a 15 BHN alloy at 2% tin, 6% antimony and 92% lead. This is a dead ringer for Linotype and pure lead mixed at a 1 to 1 ratio. For practical purposes, 1% tin in an alloy will cast as well as a higher percentage.

Another source for bar solder would be a radiator shop. What they use is 60/40. This can be easily enriched with the lead free solder to raise it to 50/50.

If you can'y find reasonably priced solder, you could use straight Tin. I am not sure of the current price, but it should be under $10 per pound. I got some a few years ago for $6 per pound. I got 70#of tin bars at a salvage yard cheap 6 months ago. Bill Ferguson could help you. I think his site is www.theantimonyman.com Greg

Thanks for all the good information on this subject guys.