Finding really dense metals

Tim Shoppa · 2008-04-23T13:49:03+00:00

I'm looking for something even denser than lead. Ideally I'd like tofill up a small can, about pint-size, with scrap metal and get aweight close to 10kg (22 pounds). I might not make 22 pounds but if Icould just get most of the way there it'd be good.Lead is of course much more available but only about 65% as dense. Ittakes me almost a quart of lead to get that much weight.Tungsten and uranium fall in this category. Anyone know of a goodsouce of these, or other heavy metals, as scrap metal? I suspect theyshow up in some aerospace junkyards... I've heard as depleted uraniumbeing used as counterweights in aircraft. And both probably show up inarmor-piercing weapons. I'm not fundamentally opposed to cutting ormachining either of these to make the scrap fit into a can densely butI suspect they are not the best things to have floating around theshop as dust. Lead I can melt, but I don't think I can use a propanetorch to melt tungsten or uranium, can I? I think Uranium filingswould probably just burn...!!!Tim.