Got a call from the local Flea Market guy a week or so back telling me that he had located probably 500 pounds of lead. I told him to hang on to it, and that I would take it all. Got out yesterday and it ended up that he had 193 pounds when weighed. That was about what I figured he had to start with. It was $0.50 a pound. Not bad.
I ended up with a 5 gallon bucket 3/4 full of Big Trebel Snagging Hooks. They measure 1.5 Inches point to points, and have various size weights cast on them. Probably a few hundred dollars worth of hooks if anyone could use them.
I also ended up with 3 commercial blocks of Babbitt. Two are 2.5 Pound blocks that have MAGNOLIA ANTIFRICTION METAL cast into them. The third is very fancy looking, and weighs 5 pounds. In a depressed oval it has GOVERNMENT GENUINE over the oval is UNITED AMERICAN METALS under the oval lists a bunch of cities: Brooklin, Baltmore, SanFrancisco, LosAngeles, Chicago, and Tyler TX
On each end in the centers is an Indian Head with a Head Dress. Around the Indian Heads is -Syracuse Babbitt- on top with Made in America under it. It also has Reg US Pat Off cross ways on each end of the center section.
Just did a search. United American Metals is still in business. The business was started in 1889. The Tyler Texas plant was added during WWII, so this block was made after 1941. Under the heading GOVERNMENT GENUINE they show an ingot almost exactly like the one I have. The one shown has different wording around the indian head, and the cities did not look to be on the one shown.
Magnolia is also still in business, started in 1886. Their antifriction metal is lead based, while babbitt is tin based from that their site said.
I would have bet both companies had been out of business for ever. I guess not all of our manufacturing has went to China.
A buddy of mine with a shot maker got some babbitt in it a while back with bad results. (Did not melt well at the temperature his machine worked at) Probably be better to find a machine shop who could use it for bearings on an old hit and miss engine, or something similar.
I think I will hold off on melting the fish hook weights for a while, and see if someone in a state where you can snag can use them.
