Why not steel?

[DJ_28]

I've noticed that there are alot of post about lead or tung. weights but why not steel. I have seen them sell as cheap as lead at times. Why aren't they considered as a good option? I haven't used them but it seems to me that they are smaller in size than lead of the same weight and of course more dense. Isn't that the whole marketing bs behind the arguement that tung. is better than lead? My question is, is tung. better than steel?

Just wanted to get your opinions on this matter. Seems to me that steel may be the best, most economic choice.

DJ

[Deleted account]

quick, someone get me a periodic table

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

I don't like them because they are huge. A steel weight of a certain value is almost twice the size of lead and a tungsten is almost twice as small as lead.

[Thefishy1]

I used to use the smaller ones, like 1/4oz for drop shotting, because they "click" on rock. However I stopped because like Bassin_Fin@tic said they are HUGE and they rust.

[DJ_28]

I was unware that the steel weights were larger than the lead.  I guess that answers that question.  One would think that a stainless steel weight would be smaller/denser than lead. 

Thanks for in info. guys

[SDoolittle]

Lead is more dense than steel and tungsten is more dense than lead. That is the same reason why waterfowl hunters prefer tungsten shot over steel shot. The problem with tungsten is that it is expensive. I use lead probably 75%  of the time and tungsten the other 25%. I can't imagine any reason to ever use steel.

[CRFisher]

The draw of steel is that it isn't horrible for the environment like lead and it doesn't have the high cost of tungsten.   

[jamarkwe]

Steel will rust....tung and lead don't...

[burleytog]

One would think that a stainless steel weight would be smaller/denser than lead.

Why would one think that?

[SirSnookalot]

Lead is cheap and dense (why it's used as an xray shield). Stainless is a nickel alloy and the nickel market is expensive. Magnetic stainless is much cheaper but will rust.

You can pour own, I had fisherman coming to my yard once in a while to buy scrap lead.

[Deleted account]

One would think that a stainless steel weight would be smaller/denser than lead.

Because earth science fulfills the chemistry and physics requirements.

Why would one think that?

[Wayne P.]

Tungsten (W) is #74 on the Periodic Tables and Lead (Pb) is #82 on the tables.

Stainless steel is mostly Iron (Fe) which is # 26 on the tables. It is an alloy of iron with carbon, nickle, chromium, titanium, nitrogen, vandium, copper, or silicon depending on the needed properties.

Evidently the tungsten sinkers are an alloy with some heavier elements to get a density higher than lead.

[Crestliner2008]

Lead may very well be toxic to the environment. I say "may" because I've been pouring my lead sinkers and jig heads for 50 years now and I'm still kicking. And most of that melting was done on our kitchen stove, along with that of most of my retired fishing friends as well. As kids, we use to "play" with mercury as well! Shining up those nickles and silver quarters with the stuff.

It could also be a fact that tungsten is 10X more toxic than lead! The minutest amount of ingested tungsten will end your life surer than a lead bullet might. This was told to me by an old friend of mine, a retired chemistry teacher. I have no reason to doubt him.

You have to understand that some environmentalist have their own "agenda". Some of it may be political and a lot of it has to do with $$$. Like with the "global warming" theory, which, thankfully, is now looked upon with greater skepticism. The "Cap & Trade" ponzi scheme would have passed if the European emails on global warming hadn't surfaced and put serious doubt and re-focus on this theory. Similarly, the focus on what we fish with, should be looked at in greater detail, before just jumping onboard with anything - just because it "feels" good to do so!

Some folks like using tungsten, for reasons appealing to their ability to "feel" things better down there. Fine. If that's your reason and you have the money to put down on it, God bless you. But composition of our terminal tackle should not be the only criteria on which product we use. Of much more importance is how we use it.

Just so you know....I use steel now-a-days, only because I've been regulated by law to do so!

[burleytog]

Tungsten (W) is #74 on the Periodic Tables and Lead (Pb) is #82 on the tables.

Stainless steel is mostly Iron (Fe) which is # 26 on the tables. It is an alloy of iron with carbon, nickle, chromium, titanium, nitrogen, vandium, copper, or silicon depending on the needed properties.

Evidently the tungsten sinkers are an alloy with some heavier elements to get a density higher than lead.

Placement on the periodic table is only related to atomic weight.

In terms of density, tungsten is far more dense than lead and requires no alloy.  Lead has a specific gravity of 11.34 while Tungsten has a specific gravity of 19.25.

[Avalonjohn44]

I refuse to buy the thought that lead, in sinker form, is bad from the environment.  I mean, don't we get lead from the the environment???

[Wayne P.]

Thanks burleytog, good info

[CRFisher]

I think the toxic effects of lead has been pretty much been a closed book since ancient times and the long term effects of trace amounts in drinking water for a half a decade.   It isn't some product of the "green police" of recent years that insist you can't have a mercury thermometer but insist you use the new mercury laden lightbulbs.   

Arsenic is a natural element as well, doesn't mean it's good.  Lead sinkers are probably fine to bury back in the ground from which it was mined, but not to be sitting in drinking waters.   A few sinkers are harmless as well, however, if it's a heavily fished area there might be over 1,000 pieces of lead that's been sitting there for years.  I know I lose 25 to 50 pieces a year, I'm sure some people lose much more. 

Personally I use steel and lead, as some areas where I fish lead is outlawed.  Eventually we'll likely see lead banned.  Hopefully someone comes up with something better than steel and cheaper than Tungsten.   Tungsten is most likely just as bad for the environment, but without 70 years of old tungsten sitting at the bottom of the lakes like lead, it will take a long time to build up enough to be an issue.

[SDoolittle]

Hopefully someone comes up with something better than steel and cheaper than Tungsten.

I wouldn't hold my breath. Lead shot has been banned for waterfowl hunting for decades and steel and tungsten are still about the only options. There are other, but they are as expensive as tungsten.

   

Crestliner, who told you that swallowing tungsten will cause you to drop dead? Lead shot was banned for waterfowl hunting because ducks were swallowing the shot off the lake bottom while eating aquatic seeds. I don't think they would have legalized something even more toxic than lead.

[SirSnookalot]

Tungsten (W) is #74 on the Periodic Tables and Lead (Pb) is #82 on the tables.

Stainless steel is mostly Iron (Fe) which is # 26 on the tables. It is an alloy of iron with carbon, nickle, chromium, titanium, nitrogen, vandium, copper, or silicon depending on the needed properties.

Evidently the tungsten sinkers are an alloy with some heavier elements to get a density higher than lead.

Pure tungsten W is way to expensive for use as a sinker, it would be cost prohibitive.  Lead is one of the cheapest elements.  Galvanized steel ( steel with zinc) could be an option.

[SkilletSizeBass.]

:-? I didn't even know they made steel, but I doubt I'd ever use it it anyway.

[wisconsin heat]

i use steel for C-rigs because they click and it doesnt really matter how big the sinkers are, plus im much more willing to lose a couple really big steel sinkers, than a big tungsten one.

[SBM-RL]

not as dense therefore they are much larger and rust is an issue.