Casting lead take 3

[rduncan]

I check out local yard sales, junk stores, and flea markets for lead fishing sinkers (if you're in the right geographic spot). Best find was a ingot of lead ballast...probably from an old sailboat. Still have it...can't figure out how to cut it up.

Estate sales are also good places if the late individual was a fisherman.

 

[54mountain]

A carbide tipped circular saw works well, Just wax the blade and go at it. Wear safety glasses and a long sleaved shirt cause the shavings sting a bit.

 

[damron]

I sharp ax hit with a mallet works.

George

 

[rduncan]

Your suggestion is worth trying. Used my band saw last time on a different chunk of lead and ended up with a jammed blade that had to be cold chiseled out.

The boat ballast makes a great doorstop, though...

 

[Stumpkiller]

I had my sailboat at a marina that reduced the draft of a large sailboat by adding wings and slicing off about 16" of the existing keel. I estimated the piece to be about 1,800 pounds. When I asked the yard master what he was going to do with it (Drool. Drool). He said drag it behind the building and add it to the waterbreak. I asked for it and he said "Sure . . . but"

The condition was that, because of environmental lead problems, I could not leave lead chips or sawdust. After minimal success with an ax at hacking off book-sized pieces I ended up taking a Stanley plane and slicing strips off. Actually worked pretty well and I filled three five-gallon pails while I was at that marina. Still a big chunk there last I knew.

 

[ken.clements]

I should have gotten a more narrow pot. Now I need more lead!

I go to roofers and salvage yards and get only flashing, give the roofers what they ask (usually its only 10-20 Dollars for 30 or so Kg).
I do a little show and tell with a couple of Mine's I have with me if they are interested, and load up what they have.
Sometimes I go directly to the jobsites if I see any and will ask.....
Any one month I will get 10-30 Kg of lead for usually 1/4 of the price that the salvage yards are asking.
this is three sittings @ roughly 4 hours a sitting.

 

[1sgt]

I should have gotten a more narrow pot. Now I need more lead!

I go to roofers and salvage yards and get only flashing, give the roofers what they ask (usually its only 10-20 Dollars for 30 or so Kg).
I do a little show and tell with a couple of Mine's I have with me if they are interested, and load up what they have.
Sometimes I go directly to the jobsites if I see any and will ask.....
Any one month I will get 10-30 Kg of lead for usually 1/4 of the price that the salvage yards are asking.
this is three sittings @ roughly 4 hours a sitting.

Nicely organized Ken. Well done.

 

[rduncan]

Wow...almost a ton of lead. You are correct about the environmental part and I think a lot of people are trying to dispose of any they find in the belief that their hair will fall out if they keep it in the house.

I wonder if a bowsaw (for tree limb cutting) with a waxed blade would work?

 

[Stumpkiller]

Might have, but that would have left sawdust like lead and that was not allowed.

This place builds plastic tents around any size boat to sand off old bottom paint (copper & toxins) and spray on new. They take it pretty serious.

They sliced off the keel with a rented gas powered stone/concrete saw - inside a sealed tent. I use a large limb lopper to snip my scrap lead (plumbing fashings) into pot size chunks. A coping saw with wood cutting teeth works well, also.

 

[Billnpatti]

The bow saw is not likely to work. I once had a huge chunk of lead that weighed probably 100 pounds that I wanted to cut up. I tried sawing it and it grabbed the saw and I almost didn't get the saw out of the cut in the lead. Then I tried using an ax. That did a little bit of good but the final answer for me was when a friend of mine, who was a welder, used his cutting torch to cut it up. We just put a large cast iron pot under the lead to catch the melted lead and cut it into usable pieces that I could use an ax to finish cutting up into pieces that would fit into my electric pot. If my friend hadn't offered to cut my lead up with his torch, I wonder if I would have ever gotten it cut up. The only tool I had that would cut lead was my ax and it would only knock off bits and pieces from the edges. I tried to cut the lead chunk in two with the ax and it would just bury up in the lead and I would have to take a hammer and knock it loose. I had two pieces and gave the other just like it to another friend of mine. This was several years ago and it is still in his shead covered with ax marks.

 

[rduncan]

I do have one of the butane mini torches and it makes a pretty hot flame. Might give it a try on some smaller chunks and see what happens. Otherwise, the welder's torch is probably the best way.

 

[Rifleman1776]

A regular propane torch works fine.

 

[54mountain]

I've used a torch to cut up large chunks of lead also and have found that a hot brazing tip works better than a cutting tip, it works well but is rather time consuming. Of course a large chunk in the battery plant is usually cleaning up after a 10,000lb pot springs a leak. :cursing: That's how I found out about the circular saw.

 

[ken.clements]

a roofers torch works wonders.
the propane gas bottle is returnable, the torch itself is very cheap, and all you have to do is sit there watching the lead drip off into bite size puddles on the ground.

 

[damron]

i'll say it again "hatchet and a sledge hammer"I cut up two 25# sheilding bricks for the pot today.it took a whopping 1 minute per 3-1/2" cut.No flame or anything exotic.A free arm workout included.

George

 

[cynthialee]

i'll say it again "hatchet and a sledge hammer"I cut up two 25# sheilding bricks for the pot today.it took a whopping 1 minute per 3-1/2" cut.No flame or anything exotic.A free arm workout included.

George

might work for you, but I am pretty sure I would be at it all day
If I happen to get my hands on a large chunk of lead, I'll just get a torch.

 

[hornetk4]

Hi Cindi and best of luck to you and your new endever to cast your own. Please if you take anything away from all of this is please get rid of any water,a few drops of water introduced to molten lead will turn this very enjoyable hobby in to a bomb. Not trying to scare anyone but this one is dangerous the rest of casting bullets is easy and fun.water noooo listen to the thunder.Have a great time casting and best of luck to you.sorry for the rant I have acidentaly dropped water in lead pot I won't do it again.

 

[dickydalton]

I was making 36 cal balls yesterday. A yellow jacket stung me and when I whipped around some sweat flew into the pot. Lucky me. It only got my shirt, gloves and the hood of the Corvette. The wax on the Vette was thick enough to have no damage the shirt is OK and I'm glad for the welder's gloves. I'm gonna quit casting until it's colder so I don't sweat. :idunno:

 

[necchi]

Yeah man!
I've learned to delegate most of my casting to Fall and Spring when temps are 50-60's.
I live in St.Cloud an I wouldn't have wanted to been sittin next to a casting set up yesterday,,

 

[cynthialee]

Sweating near the lead pot literaly snaped me out of a work haze.
The idea of being the victim of my own sweat was not something I cared to find out the hard way.
I haven't cast any more.
Others have mentioned waiting untill cooler weather, I am going to wait also.
Besides I have plenty of round balls for the time being.