Linotype: anyone using it?

[Magdump]

Just checking. My father pulled the ring off a barrel of this for me last night and it got me thinking. He’s talking about loading up the majority of his reloading room and having me bring it home. That includes barrels of wheel weights, dead soft lead, pure lead ingot and over a ton of Linotype that he keeps out in his shop. I don’t mold my own bullets, although I could. I make my own weighted snag hooks with the big treble hooks and a mold as well as a few sizes of big sinkers for river fishing and such. I just prefer to load jacketed bullets. Anyway... to my point:
A barrel and a half of Linotype with a Texas shipping label that I’ll have to break down into several containers to move. If I had to guess what a 55 gal drum weighs I’d say around 1200-1500 pounds. This small box 1/2 full weighs 24lb. There’s a little bit of actual type but the majority of it is just cut sections of unused bar. I made one ingot this morning with the smaller type pieces because they were falling out of the box bottom. Anyway, mixed about 50-50 with pure lead makes a decent bullet. Anyone here got any interest in any quantity? Before I pilfer and disappear this pile of less than semiprecious metal.

 

[highstandard40]

Most of that in the photos appears to be spacer strips for Linotype. If I remember correctly those are not the same composition as Linotype. I think they are softer than Lino. Still useful, though. Do you have any Linotype pigs? How much are you asking for this stuff?

 

[GregAvant]

I may be interested if the price is right. I cast my own projectiles and shoot quite a bit but get wheel weights for free whenever I need some. Most of the tire places aren’t getting a lot for recycling.

 

[Gator 45/70]

WOW,Wish I could find a little bit of that stuff ?

 

[Jgarris11]

What price range are you thinking? There’s a market for it.

 

[dwr461]

I would have an interest in purchasing some.

Dave


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[Magdump]

WOW,Wish I could find a little bit of that stuff ?

Yours is secure sir

 

[Magdump]

Most of that in the photos appears to be spacer strips for Linotype. If I remember correctly those are not the same composition as Linotype. I think they are softer than Lino. Still useful, though. Do you have any Linotype pigs? How much are you asking for this stuff?

I asked my pops about that and he says it is linotype stock, which is what the type set pieces are cut from. That made sense to me as they are of different dimensions that match the type that’s already cut. It all melts at the same temp. Also it doesn’t make sense that they’d have used different metals or mixed different metals into a batch for sale. I don’t think he would have bought any sort of mix as particular as he is about such things. I’m definitely not the authority on linotype but the 50+ years that Sr has been fooling with it I consider him one. I will definitely do a little more research to be sure and get back to you.

 

[mforsta]

. I’m definitely not the authority on linotype but the 50+ years that Sr has been fooling with it I consider him one.

Who did your dad work for? My dad started one of the first Typography shops in New Orleans back in 1947. Before that his father was the head of the composing room at the Times Pic. I bought the company in 1986 and ran it for 10 years. During that time we sold 55,000 pounds of Linotype, and Monotype lead. They each had their own composition of materials. Linotype lead was the harder of the two.

 

[Magdump]

Who did your dad work for? My dad started one of the first Typography shops in New Orleans back in 1947. Before that his father was the head of the composing room at the Times Pic. I bought the company in 1986 and ran it for 10 years. During that time we sold 55,000 pounds of Linotype, and Monotype lead. They each had their own composition of materials. Linotype lead was the harder of the two.

That’s interesting.
My dad has worked for himself most of his life. Self made millionaire but he’d punch me in the mouth if he knew I just said that here. He bought the barrels about 25-30 years ago from Lubbock, Texas and has just assured me as of a few minutes ago for the second time that everything in the drum is indeed linotype (or 84% lead, 12% antimony and 4% tin) and was scrapped and packaged with the sole intent of selling as linotype.
At this point in time I’ve abandoned any quest to find a different answer as to what is in the drum. I have never known him to use monotype (he told me why once upon a time but I don’t remember the reason), although I understand its use in printing as well.

 

[Magdump]

Most of that in the photos appears to be spacer strips for Linotype. If I remember correctly those are not the same composition as Linotype. I think they are softer than Lino. Still useful, though. Do you have any Linotype pigs? How much are you asking for this stuff?

Getting back. I’ve been assured that every piece in both drums is indeed linotype (one drum is half empty, the other was sealed until a couple days ago). It’s all raw as stripped from the source and cut into smaller pieces to load into drums some years ago, so no pigs. I neither care to smelt and mold a ton of linotype into ingots nor do
I believe it would sell better as ingots. It will remain unadulterated as is and I’ll try to start breaking it down into moveable amounts my next weekend off. Maybe by then I can figure a fair price for anyone wishing to purchase some.

 

[highstandard40]

Getting back. I’ve been assured that every piece in both drums is indeed linotype (one drum is half empty, the other was sealed until a couple days ago). It’s all raw as stripped from the source and cut into smaller pieces to load into drums some years ago, so no pigs. I neither care to smelt and mold a ton of linotype into ingots nor do
I believe it would sell better as ingots. It will remain unadulterated as is and I’ll try to start breaking it down into moveable amounts my next weekend off. Maybe by then I can figure a fair price for anyone wishing to purchase some.

Thanks

 

[dwr461]

I think it was selling for around $23 per 5 lb ingot on midway about a month ago. I ordered 10 lbs.

Dave


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[Magdump]

I think it was selling for around $23 per 5 lb ingot on midway about a month ago. I ordered 10 lbs.

Dave
Thanks Dave. I’m thinking in the neighborhood of $3 per pound from the range I’m seeing. I will not be shipping any. I also have a modest stash of pure dead soft lead that I’ll put up at that time. Hoping to start getting it together in a couple weeks. Just wanted to check interest here before I tried to find a wholesale buyer.
Thanks all!

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Thanks Dave. I’m thinking in the neighborhood of $3 per pound from the range I’m seeing. I will not be shipping any. I also have a modest stash of pure dead soft lead that I’ll put up at that time. Hoping to start getting it together in a couple weeks. Just wanted to check interest here before I tried to find a wholesale buyer.
Thanks all!

 

[DBMJR1]

Thanks Dave. I’m thinking in the neighborhood of $3 per pound from the range I’m seeing. I will not be shipping any. I also have a modest stash of pure dead soft lead that I’ll put up at that time. Hoping to start getting it together in a couple weeks. Just wanted to check interest here before I tried to find a wholesale buyer.
Thanks all!

I'd be interested in some.

I've a large stash of pure lead I alloy. Rotometals hard cast, linotype, solder bar. I use it all.