<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN"> <HTML><HEAD> <META http-equiv=Content-Type content="text/html; = charset=iso-8859-1"> <META content="MSHTML 5.50.4134.100" name=GENERATOR> <STYLE></STYLE> </HEAD> <BODY bgColor=#ffffff> <DIV><FONT face=Georgia size=2>Hi Joe,  Lead is made from the = sulfide, which is mined. After it's isolation through burning (lead oxide and = sulfur dioxide) and reduction of the lead oxide with carbon, (lead = and carbon dioxide) it contains a lot of impurities such as antimony, arsenic, = silver, gold, copper, zinc. It is very difficult to remove the impurities. Pure = lead is probably hard to come by.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Georgia size=2>Plus you have the wild card of = recycled lead which could contain any number of impurities such as battery acid. The = lead problem might coincide with poor economic conditions or war where the = lead was being used. All in all it's a crap shoot, kind of like the expanding = action bracket thing. Anybody can cook up a bad batch.</FONT></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Georgia size=2></FONT> </DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Georgia size=2>Keith </FONT></DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV> </DIV> <DIV>----- Original Message ----- </DIV> <BLOCKQUOTE dir=ltr style="PADDING-RIGHT: 0px; PADDING-LEFT: 5px; MARGIN-LEFT: 5px; = BORDER-LEFT: #000000 2px solid; MARGIN-RIGHT: 0px"> <DIV style="BACKGROUND: #e4e4e4; FONT: 10pt arial; font-color: = black"><B>From:</B> <A title=joegarrett@earthlink.net = href="mailto:joegarrett@earthlink.net">Joe Garrett</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>To:</B> <A = title=pianotech@ptg.org href="mailto:pianotech@ptg.org">pianotech</A> </DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Sent:</B> Monday, January 03, 2005 = 9:15 PM</DIV> <DIV style="FONT: 10pt arial"><B>Subject:</B> Re: Lead</DIV> <DIV><BR></DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Ron N said: "<FONT face="Times New = Roman" size=3>>Hmm... I had it wrong, then; I had thought that it was = impurities in lead <BR>>that accelerated oxidization (making that white stuff).<BR>><BR>>--Cy Shuster--<BR><BR>It is. Pure lead is = stable. The surface oxidizes, but it doesn't exfoliate. <BR>Just lies there = quietly like a lump of lead.<BR><BR>Ron N,</FONT></FONT></DIV> <DIV>Hmmmmmm? Having worked with most of the lead alloys, in my = bullet/ball making hobby, I'd say we're both right. And we're both wrong.</DIV> <DIV>The stuff that gets really swollen, etc., when melted/cast seems = to be soft. This stuff is very good for the bullets in a black powder rifle. = (I suspect it may have a small amount of tin. The pure lead, that I've = melted, for use in balls for my Black Powder Pistol, is softer than the stuff = above. It deforms more when loaded, which makes for a better seal in the = cylinder. Wheel Weight lead, on the other hand, is only suitable for modern = weaponry, as it holds it's shape better, in the reloading dies, etc., and in target = shooting.</DIV> <DIV>In conclusion, I suspect that the nasty stuff has small amount of = tin. Because of this, you have two disimilar metals that will interact and = cause electrolysis, which really what is happening here. Wheel weight lead, = on the other hand, has so much tin in it, that is resists = electrolysis/corrosion, IMO. As all of this is speculation, on my part, gained by melting the = various types and using as bullets/balls. K?</DIV> <DIV>Best Regards,</DIV> <DIV><FONT face=Arial size=2>Joe Garrett, R.P.T.<BR>Captain, Tool Police<BR>Squares R I</FONT></DIV></BLOCKQUOTE></BODY></HTML>