cutting lead

[illuveatar]

Cut it with a propane torch, you won't have any dangerous lead powder to remove, you won't waste any of your ingot and you'll have preheated your chunk 'o lead in the process.

 

[mazo kid]

I use either a chisel/axe or a Skil saw with the blade mounted backwards. Have also used the propane torch method; all work good.

 

[gunman1876]

I use a large cold chisel and a hand sledge hammer. Cuts right though it.

 

[texcl]

I tried my radial arm saw on some of my 30-50 pound ingots and to my surprise it worked really well, thanks!

 

[Dphar]

I recently bought a lead ingot from a local plumber supplies shop. It is marked 99.99% pure it weighs 25Kilgrams (abt 55lbs) it is 18 inches long and abt 3 inches square. The plan is to cut off a few inches when I need more lead. It loads and shoots fine. Now here's the problem, I have tried hacksawing and using a meat saw but it seems to clog up the teeth, then I tried an angle grinder and the cutting wheel seems to melt and clog the lead and take forever. My last resort has been to cut it with an axe. Messy with lead chips flying everywhere but this seems to be the only way I can cut it . Is there a special secret way to cut slabs off a lead ingots???

Find an old cast iron skillet 12" or so. Lay ingot across skillet and melt it in two with a torch. OUTSIDE lots of ventalation. Since the high heat of really hot torch may vaporize small amounts of lead. Dip the melted lead from the skillet to a melting pot for casting or into a muffin pan or other ingot maker. Continue till you get tired or its all melted. A propane camp stove to heat the skillet is also needed to keep the melt molten so it can be made into ingots. Cutting with ANYTHING will be VERY VERY difficult A large hammer and a big cold chisel is an option but most people can't swing a 2 to 4 pound hammer that long. Thus I melt as described here.

Dan

 

[HOGGHEAD]

I have got three X-Ray room sheets of lead laying in the back of my truck right now. It is the lead with the drywall glued to it. We ripped as much of the drywall off as we can. This is the second time I have had these sheets. The last time we used a carpenter's circular saw with the large tooth crosscut blade. A crosscut blade is a bit wider, and gives better clearance, without getting pinched, and the bigger teeth don't get gummedup. But I am going to oil the blade this time. Just go slow. We cut the sheet up into strips about 10 " wide and 2" long. Then I bend it in half(long ways, and stand it up in my big Hilts pot. A few minutes later I have good lead, with the rest of the drywall and some glue floating-or burning on top. Tom.

 

[blackpowder shooter]

I use an air chisel with a muffler pipe cutting bit

 

[270WSMANIC]

I once used a chainsaw with an old but severicable chain on it. When makeing the cuts I need to be wide open on the speed, it then cut through like a hot knife through butter. I cut it over the concret floor of my carport and swept up the chips also.

 

[Rhett Griffith]

I always use a double-bitted axe, but my lead is either thin-walled plumbing pipe or tire weights (which don't need cutting :wink: ). The few times I have had to reduce thicker lead, I used an acetylene torch.

 

[mazo kid]

I had posted on this thread earlier, but have since come into 400 pounds of lead water pipe. I looked at it a while, not relishing the thought of using a heavy hammer and chisel. Then I spied my limb loppers hanging in the garage. A light bulb flashed in my head and in less than 30 minutes I had all the lead cut into ~1 ft. long pieces. Those loppers went through the lead like a hot knife through butter, and no mess either. With a bigger ingot, you might have to cut through from either side.

 

[gordy]

There may well be a way to reduce the large hunks of lead to pot size , but so far no one has discovered it. I"ve tried most ways mentioned here and a few others also . I think the axe and/or sharp chisle seems to work the best for me and it dosn"t create any dust or flying chips. A little suggestion for those of you that feel a radial arm or skill saw works good , try reverseing the blade .This trick works good on alum. :thumbsup: