lead pipe

[buttonbuck]

A friend pulled some lead pipe about 10 lb out of his old appartment I was wondering, it seems soft enough after you bust off the scale etc. Anyone ever use old lead plumbing pipes, drain pipes. I will cast some ingots and see for sure. I found that with my cheap hardness tester, a spring loaded center punch from Menard's tool shop for 3 dollars, that it goes as deep as pure soft lead when compressed as it. The punch doesn't go as deep in my chilled shot ingots so maybe it is a good way to field test things?

 

[gmww]

I've picked up some lead pipe at the local scrap yard. It works fine for casting soft lead bullets.

 

[henry65]

Hi i have cast a lot of maxi and round with old lead water pipe.It works great :thumbsup:

 

[Darkgael]

I, also, have used lead pipe. The RBs cast work as well as any. A caution, though, about melting it: if you cut it into sections and drop it into already molten lead, any scale remaining inside may contain water and the result will be a column of molten lead shot out of the pipe in whatever direction it is pointed.
How do I know this?
Pete

 

[sundog]

Yup I have used lead pipe. Got some nice clean pipe and cast great. Another time I got some real dirty pipe and it took a whyle to get all the crud skimmed off.
Make sure you use bees wax to flux the molten lead to help get the crud to the top so you can skim it.

 

[bob308]

lead pipe is some of the best also lead sheeting out of shower stalls.

 

[buttonbuck]

good to hear, hope to make ingots soon. I usually stand back when the pot is smoking I melted a chunk from old pipes that had chunks of iron floating on top. Last time when the dross can full enough to fill a pot I melted this to try to reclaim some good soft lead and it was much harder, about as hard as wheel weights anyone try to melt what they skim off as dross? The newer batch is from all soft lead (the first I tried to melt some chilled shot) I hope this works better any luck with remelting the dross?

 

[bingo1952]

Lead pipe is great just watch out for the solder joints where it was connected to the plumbing fixtures. These joints have a lot of tin in them.

 

[R.M.]

Also be aware of the scale and crap on the inside of your pipe. It can retain moisture for a long time. I speak from experience here. Not nice.

R.M.

 

[buttonbuck]

Just made some nice ingots, got about 6 pounds, used bees wax to flux after skimming off dross (curd). Bees was sure flashes quick. I had used marvel flux before but not bees wax.

 

[Blizzard of '93]

I've got lead pipe at the scrap yard before, it is soft, today I got a 1'X2' piece of scrap roof sheeting - 13lbs for 4$$. make a lot of slugs and ball.

 

[jeepwj992002]

I have about 100lbs of the stuff. Makes for good mine balls! :thumbsup:

 

[Tumblernotch]

Just made some nice ingots, got about 6 pounds, used bees wax to flux after skimming off dross (curd). Bees was sure flashes quick. I had used marvel flux before but not bees wax.

If you stir the beeswax in real quick, you can usually avoid flashing and get less smoke.

I just won about 10 or 12 lbs of lead pipe at the PA State Chunk Gun Championship last weekend. It will come in pretty handy.
:grin:

 

[buttonbuck]

it sounds like the price has come down on lead significantly I hope I could get it cheeper than 80 cents a pound.