Dry Lakes Racers Australia

G'day- what is the going rate for scrap lead? I've told the local recycler I'm in the market for 500kg or so, but would like to know the market rate before old mate says "That will cost you $$$$$$$$$$$
Thanks in advance, Denis

Best bet is to ring around Denis. Different yards often give different rates or at least they do down here.

Cheers,
Rob

How does $2.00 per kilo sound? There is no freight, the depot is about 3 minutes from home.
Denis

Denis

Gaz bought ballast shot from Qld recently after shopping around. I'll get him to PM you the details.

Lynchy

Thanks Lynchy- Denis

Mate, the ballast I got from Brisbane cost $2.60 kg plus GST. It is recycled shotgun shot of about number 8. Ie 2 or 3 mm in diameter. If you use it as shot you only get 70 percent of the weight of molten lead. That is a pretty serious consideration. Do you calcs on 11.4 specific gravity and it comes out pretty close. PM me if you want the suppliers details.
GAZ

Taa Gaz- that makes old mate 3 mins away sound ok, at 2.00 (or less) per kilo , even though I will have to smelt it into bolt on blocks.
Denis

if your going to melt it, what about leaving a bucket at your local tyre seller and collect all the old wheelweights

Good thinking Greg!

I would suggest that you give it to the smelter all at once for all the ballast you want. The rubbish, steel, rubber and crap that floats and burns off off the top is pretty horrible. I can bet he won't want to do it again for you.
GAZ

Um- the smelter will be some bloke wearing my trousers. Have done it (on a very small scale) before. I live on a 160 acre block and will set up the smelter a good distance from the shed, with an extraction fan so I can safely get close. In accordance with Qld Workplace Health & Safety requirements, I will give appropriate notice to anybody likely to be affected (roos, wallabys, echindas, bandicoots, goannas possums- at least the possums will be easy, as they live in a couple of condo's I built, and line up for breakfast each morning)
Denis

I don't envy you one bit. Please make sure that you can bolt it down solid. Remember a 100kg block will weigh 4 tonne in a 40g accident. What size bolts and how many do you need to cope with that? Now, where's my calculator...
Good luck!
GAZ

The 40G rule applies in Ralling I believe.
Anything inside the cab must be capable of standing up to a 40G hit without dislodging and going through your head.

This is exactly the way our scrutineers will look at anything inside the cabin when we go through tech so be mindfull of this when you build.
We don't have the 40G rule but we do see some poor designs turn up at tech inspection and the common sense rule will apply.
Its much easier to sort in your shed at home than on the salt.

Chris

so cable ties and radiator clamps won't do it?

Thanks for the reminders guys- any ballast in the cab will be super securely bolted to the cage. I make myself watch the "newman mustang" incident on a regular basis, to remind me how NOT to mount and wear seat belts, and also as to how much energy there is kicking about at 240 mph.
Denis