A Blacksmith's Dictionary , Identifying Lead alloys , Tin Zinc Pewter , Babbit Bismuth , Pot metal

[@seanfoltz7645]

I was just recently explaining to a young buck who thought he knew it all that not only doesn't he know it all, but he doesn't even know that there's things he doesn't know. All of these tricks and things you explained were perfect examples of that, such as pencil testing lead to determine its hardness and what potential alloy it is - that's the sort of thing one doesn't even know that they don't know. So thank you for that info alone - everything else was pure gravy after that.

[@danieltokar1000]

I have a couple of students that miss a lot of what I show them, but the hope is that what they do hold onto will point them towards what the need to know later. Daniel

[@seanfoltz7645]

@@danieltokar1000 That's sad as even at age 50, I still love learning.

[@WILDLIFECONTROLLLC]

Good stuff. Good way to know what you are casting round balls with.

[@moschettiflavio3635]

Not only interesting, but Very useful. Thank you for teaching me this incredibly smart way to identify tin or lead alloys because i really needed it!

[@josephburdell2041]

Thankyou for being so thorough

[@michaelbartelsen1847]

Thank you, I ordered 5 sets of pencils while seeing your video! It will be usefull here in Denmark!

[@danieltokar1000]

Yes, and the pencils are good for drawings, shading of ironwork. Daniel

[@mohsen4465]

thank you for your useful and informative video. when i was a teenager l found that when l dragged lead metal on a paper it make a clear metalic line that I can write with it. it was very amazing for me to understand lead is softer than paper.

[@danieltokar1000]

I know that they used "lead" pencils to write on Xray film in the past Daniel

[@dolfinwriter5389]

Very interesting Daniel, and very informative. I am an electrician, scrapper, bullet caster, and always interested in learning more about identifying different metals. You said in the video that you were going to put your pencil hardness chart in the description. Is that posted somewhere? Thank you!

[@romandybala]

Great video. Fascinating information. Thankyou so much for posting this. Greetings from Melbourne Australia.

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: Always nice to hear that people find it interesting .Most of the Australians I've met have been practical people with a good sense of fun Daniel

[@johncollins719]

Excellent tutorial, thanks.

[@iwanbop]

Good info! I'm always looking for these kinds of practical ways to identify materials. (I remember how thrilled I was to learn that vinegar could sort Al and Mg!) It is Video cassette player or tape recorder fly wheels that I'm looking to conquer! I don't have access to one of those metal ID, X-ray guns but I'm on the lookout!

[@jasontwynn7356]

Awesome video,gives a good idea of what your working with. Thank you 👍

[@thesprinkleddonutforge2774]

I thoroughly enjoyed this video. Thank you for the good info. Looks like I need to go pencil shopping!

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: Testing is like measuring, yard stick or micrometer? This is the yardstick level. Glad it helped. Daniel

[@cesgin2565]

Very educative video. My question. So it's fine mix lead and pewter to cast bullets?

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: Got kind of distracted for a couple weeks! Yes, pewter is mostly tin so it can be used to mix a bullet alloy Casting bullets is a book worth of details. Best overview I can offer is that you have to be able to reproduce the alloy that works for a loading. "Works" is the key word, a target load may be different from a hunting , There are online forums and real books . Whatever I say in a paragraph is just a small start. Good Luck! Daniel

[@awesomedee5421]

you are a God. Such a good video.

[@idontknowmyfirstname69]

Cool vid... Would probably throw you for a loop with a tin/indium/galliumn alloy... Used in electronics as low melt temp solder... Stuff is nearly as soft as room temp butter 👀

[@danieltokar1000]

Yes , Woods metal and other low temp alloys are not on the test list. This is a cheap low res test , not to replace better methods for critical applications. It will not tell if you have pure tin vs high tin solder or trace elements that are bad news for food contact. So testing pewter for lead is still a problem. Daniel

[@veteranironoutdoors8320]

Wow, this is awesome info, my father casts his own bullets and is gonna love this.

[@danieltokar1000]

Great! I hoped this would do you some good. Daniel

[@davidslater7187]

Wow this was so helpful i rewound the video a bunch of times to make a bunch of notes thank you for sharing

[@danieltokar1000]

OK, This is the overview, any interest in the rest of the metals or greater depth on each? I thought copper alloys is a long list , tool steels , just listing what's in the shop would take awhile. Daniel

[@Gangster2God]

Thank You for sharing your knowledge! Have me two mystery bars that have been a real difficulty in figuring out exactly what they may be.... Quite sure there is some silver, but lower than 80% according to an acid test (as read by a jeweler); non-magnetic, high thermal conduction (ice melts insanely fast on it), with rare earth magnet it acts like a .90-925 silver bar, its very hard, no iron (non-magnetic), very hard, tarnishs as sterling would... no green, no white, no orangish or red, just a dull grey and upon cleaning it looks like... well... silver! and looks very much like a hand poured SILVER BAR.... (which is what I came to believe it was....), but even though it was acid tested and I was told by the first jeweler it was silver but likely low percentage.... Then, the second wasn't even sure of that but was dumbfounded as to what it may possibly be.... I thought it might be a lead alloy, but does not match anything on the pencil scale (BTW that is the most cool little chart and test method I've found!) Additionally, does not seem to even remotely match the other specimens you've shown/discussed!!! This mystery is not quite as fun as it was when I discovered them (even though I thought they were just cool old lead bars at that time)

[@jameshowcroft321]

Fantastic thank you👏👍

[@B.Cote39]

thank you so much!

[@Madnikodemus2]

Great video.

[@bigrod0069]

Very good video, thank you! very good information

[@NjalLaing]

Very informative and useful. Thankyou.😊

[@danieltokar1000]

Thanks for looking. You are about as far away as it is possible to be from West Virginia ! Daniel

[@timothylongblacksmithing6743]

I'll have to try this myself at some point

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: I looked at one of your casting videos . Do you have a copy of Ammen's book, "The Metalcasters Bible"? No , not a religious book , but it could save you a lot of "reinventing the wheel" Daniel

[@timothylongblacksmithing6743]

@@danieltokar1000 I don't have one yet, but it does sound useful

[@jaydoe3707]

I was metal detecting and found some kind of small lead ingot... It's slighting magnetic as well. No idea what to do with it so I keep it put away in a box lol

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: "Lead" , so it is dense and gray? Manganese alloys can be slightly magnetic , as well as some nickel alloys . Main thing is that they both are more like cast iron, higher melting point. The stuff would also be harder and more brittle than lead. Don't think you will be able to retire on that find. Daniel

[@jaydoe3707]

@@danieltokar1000 definitely dense... A very noticeable weight to it in hand and grey and relatively soft. Guessing it was in the ground for quite awhile before I found it and has what seems like a white oxidation on it as well. I don't have pencils to test it but that's something I'd like to try at some point out of curiosity though I really don't like handling it much. Thanks for the informative video!

[@y-notforge8913]

..Thank You sir. i gleaned a lot of information from this, now if i can retain it...

[@danieltokar1000]

You are allowed to watch it again when you forget, but then you would have to remember to watch it. On and on. Daniel .

[@richardlaplant5621]

Not going to be doing to do anything food grade. Great video thanks!

[@adamvvs2644]

Informative Thank you!

[@TheClampetts]

good info to know

[@danieltokar1000]

Thanks, I have a friend who casts ball for Dixie . He goes thru several tons of lead a year as well as harder modern bullet alloys for reloaders. Been working on him to visit and make a video but he is very busy, says months behind on the orders. Take care Daniel

[@historybuff9276]

I've got a old 3 part ingot (I'm guessing 5 lb each) I found under the porch of a house that was being tore down near my home. Each section has a raised CS with a funny looking flower between the 2 letters,on the bottom its stamped 90/10B. Any clue ? Ive looked everywhere but havent gound anything similar, thanks

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: Test the hardness, it sounds like the way they labeled babbit for bearings, so it would be hard stuff. If it is not hard, could be block solder , 90% lead /10% tin. I have seen lots of "CS" ingots, It is not uncommon, don't know about the flower. Daniel

[@historybuff9276]

@@danieltokar1000 hey buddy,thanks when I get home in going to check hardness like you suggest. But I didnt know alot when I found it & thought silver? So I took my knife to cut a piece to see & it was alot harder than my wadcutter I use for target practice. Thanls again

[@artie191]

@@historybuff9276 I have some stuff just like that. I was given to me by elevator mechanics at work. I was told it is babbit. it was used to terminate elevator cables in my building. They ran the end of the cable through a tapered block. Then spread out the end of the cable and folded it back on itself like a flower. Then they pulled it tight into the taper and melted and poured the babbit material into it to lock the cable end.

[@historybuff9276]

@@artie191 hey I appreciate the info. Ive been wondering for a long time what I had lol. Thanks again

[@MarliBeres]

Very informative thx

[@dennyjudson2165]

This is extremely helpful information! Thank you Daniel!!!

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: Yes, and it gave me a chance to wear something other than my black t shirts! It has been hot here, and the shop is next to a marsh, so the day this was made it was 92 F and 89% humidity. Not a day for a fire. Daniel

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Pewter scrap $3.35/lb is worth 7 times as much as lead scrap $.50 and pewter is almost pure tin just like lead free solder which new costs like $25

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: Scrap price , new price are moving points. This video is a way of "ball park" grading of metals. Some things need a certified alloy , like making pewter spoons and tankards . Often what you are paying for is the assay that means there is no lead . So , please use any results from this grading for things like bullet casting , where hardness is more important. Also , "pewter" can be all sorts of alloys, some with antimony , lead , copper , Daniel

[@codytradingcompany7798]

You missed your opportunity, 10 minutes in. 2B or or not 2B that is the question

[@danieltokar1000]

The real question is , which is nobler , the tin or the zinc , to take against a sea of troubles? All that salt is hard on less noble metals. Daniel

[@glenmatthewwilson]

I just wanted to say thanks for this video! Very interesting test to find out about these metals. I don't really understand the appropriate way to handle lead alloys safely, so it is something I avoid for now.

[@danieltokar1000]

Yes, it can be hard to know what you are working with. I get tested for heavy metals, the past year or so they dropped the threshold value for lead and I am close to the new level. Far from a level to need anything done or worry about, but they keep an eye on it , just in case . Daniel

[@MdSobujshakih]

টিন

[@valsforge4318]

Very informative, ty. Dan Tokar is what google is trying to be.

[@idontknowmyfirstname69]

Also you should really consider scraping off the oxide layer of that ingot before trying to do your scratch test. because typically the metal oxides are a lot harder than the elemental metal is. You only gotta look at aluminum for example. Aluminum is pretty soft. but when it oxidizes to aluminum oxide, which is also known as corundum or Sapphire or Ruby.... Has got a hardness of 9 on the mohs scale (a diamond is 10) whereas metalic aluminum is 3 or so

[@danieltokar1000]

As with any test , clean samples help. The aluminum example is not on the list for this method, but structure does matter. The oxide on aluminum is what makes it so resistant to "rusting". It is the same chemically as sapphire but different in structure , like graphite is not diamond. Daniel

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Didn’t you mispeak and say 2B several times when you meant 2H?

[@MegaNovacain]

Pure lead or silver crayon lol

[@GOLDVIOLINbowofdeath]

Why would a manufacturer put less than 10% lead in their pewter? They wouldn’t. Any manufacturer can lie about the lead content. 99% of all pewter items ever made have the percent of tin embossed on the bottom that has to be just as reliable is anything you can buy from any manufacturer who could be more motivated motivated because the price of tin relative to other metals is probably higher now than it was 30 years ago due to the use in the electronics industry. I have a friend who owns a Scrap Metal business and I’m going to be checking my 300 pounds of acquired Pewter from thrift stores to see which pieces have any lead in them. so far the only pieces that had Lead in them had 30% lead and they just predated the 1974 band and we’re not items intended for anything but decorative purposes so when you’re buying Pewter that’s made to eat or drink out of it would have to be very very very old to have any lid in it and nobody’s gonna bother to put 2% lead in something it’s gonna have a significant percentage otherwise otherwise why would they bother?

[@danieltokar1000]

Solder on "modern" pewter sometimes contains lead. People sometimes reuse pewter by melting the entire item , solder and all.I agree that pewter made by companies in America and Euopean countries mark the metal and don't use lead , but it is a big world and items last a long time. I have been making metalwork for 45 years and have seen a lot of stuff "that should never happen" it is good you can have your metal tested by better methods. Please remember that this video is intended for people casting bullets and other iems where hardness is important. Daniel

[@josephburdell2041]

Hi how can I get a copy of your hardness sheet

[@danieltokar1000]

Hi: You can get my email from my webpage. send me a message and I will email you a copy. Daniel