Lead Recovery Advice

[MikeAllen]

I use a box filled with rubber mulch as a pellet stop. Looking for the best way to separate the pellets and rubber mulch so the lead can be reused/recycled. It would be easy if the rubber mulch floated, but it sinks in a water bath just like the lead pellets. Any tips, suggestions or advice?

 

[JimD]

I've done it a couple times now. I dump the trap contents on a large concrete slab. Either my back porch or the garage floor. Then I use my leaf blower to move the lighter rubber mulch away from the heavier pellets. It isn't perfect, the pellets will move some too but the mulch moves a lot more. It isn't super fast either but it's the best method I've found.

 

[MikeAllen]

I've done it a couple times now. I dump the trap contents on a large concrete slab. Either my back porch or the garage floor. Then I use my leaf blower to move the lighter rubber mulch away from the heavier pellets. It isn't perfect, the pellets will move some too but the mulch moves a lot more. It isn't super fast either but it's the best method I've found.

Thanks - I’ll give that a try!

 

[PEP3]

I use a box filled with rubber mulch as a pellet stop. Looking for the best way to separate the pellets and rubber mulch so the lead can be reused/recycled. It would be easy if the rubber mulch floated, but it sinks in a water bath just like the lead pellets. Any tips, suggestions or advice?

Pour it into a 5 gallon bucket and add water, the rubber mulch will float while the pellets stay at the bottom. Done it many times, you can actually reuse the mulch if you want.

 

[Ezana4CE]

Pour it into a 5 gallon bucket and add water, the rubber mulch will float while the pellets stay at the bottom. Done it many times, you can actually reuse the mulch if you want.

@PEP3 Read what he posted in his post that you quoted.

 

[MikeAllen]

Pour it into a 5 gallon bucket and add water, the rubber mulch will float while the pellets stay at the bottom. Done it many times, you can actually reuse the mulch if you want.

I'll try that again but when I did that the first time the rubber mulch did not float.

 

[Ezana4CE]

@MikeAllen If it doesn’t work when you try it again understand that some mulch doesn’t float and for good reason. For example, if it is rubber mulch sold at a home improvement store, it will likely be used in landscaping. In areas with heavy rain, people don’t want their mulch floating away in the runoff water.

 

[MikeAllen]

@MikeAllen If it doesn’t work when you try it again understand that some mulch doesn’t float and for good reason. For example, if it is rubber mulch sold at a home improvement store, it will likely be used in landscaping. In areas with heavy rain, people don’t want their mulch floating away in the runoff water.

Good point - didn’t know there was any other kind.

 

[Berserkeley Mike]

Ted recovered 70-odd pounds of lead from his trap in a video:

Note the PPE: dust mask and gloves, and he's working outside.
I'd suggest to use a wheelbarrow as it is bigger than a bucket, easier to sift through and dump, and higher off the ground while you're playing in it.

 

[MikeAllen]

Ted recovered 70-odd pounds of lead from his trap in a video:

Note the PPE: dust mask and gloves, and he's working outside.
I'd suggest to use a wheelbarrow as it is bigger than a bucket, easier to sift through and dump, and higher off the ground while you're playing in it.

Watched the whole video. He didn’t actually “recover” the lead. He still had it mixed up with a lot of rubber mulch. BUT - this got me to thinking about alternatives to rubber mulch that might separate from the lead more easily than the mulch. Old t-shirts, kitty litter, dirt, cardboard, packing material, etc. Probably depends on the caliber and energy you’re trying to absorb.

 

[PEP3]

I'll try that again but when I did that the first time the rubber mulch did not float.

Yeah, it doesn't float like Styrofoam but it is much lighter. Fill the bucket all the way up and scoop it with your hand, the pellets will stay at the bottom.

 

[Bill_D]

I'll try that again but when I did that the first time the rubber mulch did not floa

Water method -use a tub not a bucket and give it a fairly big tilt - swish the mulch around and up to the upper portion of the tub let the pellets move to the lower angled portion - then I just remove the mulch double hand fulls and put it back into my backstop. Kind of like panning gold.

 

[MikeAllen]

Water method -use a tub not a bucket and give it a fairly big tilt - swish the mulch around and up to the upper portion of the tub let the pellets move to the lower angled portion - then I just remove the mulch double hand fulls and put it back into my backstop. Kind of like panning gold.

Next time you come down here to go trout fishing you can stop by and demonstrate for me.

 

[JimD]

I used old jeans once to stop the pellets. It worked but the jeans material fell apart from the pellet impacts. Worse to dig through than rubber mulch in my opinion. But it should float. I also don't think it will work long term. It just falls apart. Rubber mulch does not seem much to deteriorate from the impacts.

 

[MikeAllen]

I'm thinking I can buy a bunch or yoga mats cheap in June from all of those that are buying them now as a New Year's resolution. They should work great!

 

[Ezana4CE]

@MikeAllen I forgot to mention. I use boxes stuffed with old clothes and rags for pellet traps. They are a PITA clean out because it’s dusty (mixture of lead dust and fabric dust). Then I untangle a lot of lead pieces from fabric. BUT I never used rubber because I’ve read that you can’t get all of the rubber out of the lead from rubber mulch traps and it smells like hell when you go to make ingots.

When you go to meet yours down let us know if that was your experience as well.

 

[kayaker]

#1 Pour the rubber mulch into a screen - take out the big pieces & put into another bucket
#2 What's in the screen & on the floor put back into original bucket
#3 Picture2lean bucket almost touching the ground, stick hose into pellets turn on with good force--- this will wash out all debrie's and leave the lead in the bottom of the bucket.
#4 Picture 3 final out come
Unless they make different mulch's most of it sinks like 99.9%

 

[Chukar60]

I'll try that again but when I did that the first time the rubber mulch did not float.

Maybe add salt to the water and increase the buoyancy of the items in the water. Probably have very little effect on the lead but may provide enough lift for your mulch?
Salt is cheap too

 

[MikeAllen]

Maybe add salt to the water and increase the buoyancy of the items in the water. Probably have very little effect on the lead but may provide enough lift for your mulch?
Salt is cheap too

Well, might just try that! Thanks!

 

[WarriorPoet]

I recommend making a pellet trap out of a metal electrical breaker box from Home Depot, filled with Duct Seal from the same electrical department!

Mine takes 195 fpe from 12 yards away on the regular and I repack after each target change. Whenever it gets too heavy I dig out and recycle the lead, separate on the garage floor and repack pellet trap. Any ductseal left on the lead burns off easily in the melting pot!