Lead Composition

[Tascosa Joe]

Does anyone know what the lead composition is in the lead sheathing used with fiber optic cable? 

[Abilene]

Does anyone know what the lead composition is in the lead sheathing used with fiber optic cable?

I do not know but if my internet goes out I'll know who to blame. 

[greyhawk]

I was always told cable sheathing is close to pure ---makes sense --no need for hardness and the alloy metals (antimony but particularly tin) we use are more costly than lead - industrial applications always take cheapest option if it will work.

[Tascosa Joe]

Thank you both for the info, a friend who retired from a cable service gave me about 60 #. It was a sheet about 3'x2'x3/8" it is really soft except where it was soldiered together.  It should make pretty good 50-70 bullets.
























































3

[Crow Choker]

I obtained around 100 plus lbs of lead sheathing some years back and used it for round ball muzzle loader and percussion cap revolvers. Good stuff, about as soft and pure lead ya can get, unless the modern stuff has been contaminated with other things as wheel weights have been. Ifin ya can scratch it with yer thumbnail, it'll work.

[Back Roads]

I retired from the phone company.  Worked as a cable splicer.  When replacing old lead sheath cable with plastic sheath the lead splice cases seemed to always follow me home. Pretty well pure lead.  Makes great RB's and bullets as long as you keep the velocity reasonable.  Need to add tin to harden if you're going to push them real fast.  Wish I still had access to my source.