pure lead

[mancill]

I want to cast my own balls for my trade gun and was wondering if you fellas could direct me to a good source of lead. Preferably in bars that would be historical for the early 1800's.
Thanks.

 

[robert bw]

rotometals.com.if you want it locally,roof pipe flashing?at hardware store,its pricey though.

 

[Idaho Ron]

I want to cast my own balls for my trade gun and was wondering if you fellas could direct me to a good source of lead. Preferably in bars that would be historical for the early 1800's.
Thanks.

Early 1800's bars. Really?? save your self some money. Buy the Rotometal lead and melt it down. Then pour in into trenches you make with a finger or a stick. Pour the lead into the dirt and there you have a 1800's lead bar.

 

[robert bw]

or get yourself a statue of king George like the founding fathers did and tear it up and melt some balls(not inciting inserection here folks,just citin history)seriously,rotometals is likely your best source

 

[coloradoclyde]

Got to agree with Ron....

Didn't they teach you how to sand cast in shop class in Jr. High school?

 

[mancill]

No we were not taught much in shop class my teacher was just finishing out to retirement.

 

[Black Hand]

Preferably in bars that would be historical for the early 1800's.

If you want bars, use a piece of channel steel with the ends filled or rout a groove in a piece of wood and pour melted lead into the mold. Allow to solidify then remove

 

[Many Klatch]

Make friends with your local roofer. All old roofs had lead flashing around the soil stacks. So for every toilet or sink there is at least 4 pounds of lead on the roof. Most just get thrown into the trash because they are usually covered in caulking or asphalt and they don't pay much for it at the recycling centers. However, as soon as the stuff melts all the junk floats to the top and you just skim it off.

Scrap lead goes for about $1 per pound. Offer your roofer buddies a case of beer for a load of lead and don't be surprised if you eventually wind up with a ton.

Others have mentioned routing out a groove in wood or digging small trenches in the dirt. Those work well. I like to use cheap cast iron corn dodger molds. Each of the "ears" of corn weigh about 1.5 pounds.

You can get started casting fairly cheaply. I used an old Coleman stove for years. You can pick up cast iron ladles and lead pots at the antique stores pretty cheaply and they are usually better than the ones you can buy commercially. I have even found lead pots with 10 pounds of lead still in them.

 

[mancill]

Thanks guys. I ordered a bag mold from bagmold.com today just waiting on him to call me back. Should be fun making my own balls by a fire.

 

[Loyalist Dave]

I have had good luck with a piece of a 2x4 and a chisel. I simply gouged out a shallow trough, and poured the melted lead into it. Then when cooled I knocked it out and weighed it. I kept up the process until I had a pound. I used a screwdriver tip in the mold thus /|\ to give the lead a "King's arrow" to show it was of British origin.

These were a bit tough to work with when using a bag ladle, so I then made a second "mold" about 1/4 the size and adjusted it until it produced 4 ounce pieces. These were long and thin so easier to break into bits for the bag ladle.

LD

 

[Flintlock]

I use a couple pieces of pine 1"x4" that I cut into shape of small paddles and gouged shallow trenches in them with a knife then chisel, after you pour a few bars, the grooves will clean up nicely. The local scrap yard lets me look through the lead bins, you'd be amazed at all the pure lead, and at scrap prices.

 

[robert bw]

The local scrap yard lets me look through the lead bins, you'd be amazed at all the pure lead, and at scrap prices.

So jelous, got a big scrap yard(think multi million)they buy but they wont sell :cursing:

 

[Coot]

Many business operations are set up for wholesale only. Having to deal with another layer of reports and bureaucrats to account for a few small sales can cost much more than the total volume of such sales much less any profit.

 

[mooman76]

I went to a couple scrap yards here about 12 years ago. One wouldn't sell and the other I tried to trade scrap brass for lead. They said I had to sell the brass first so I did. Then they wanted 1$ a pound for scrap or dirty lead. Doesn't seem so bad no but they were paying $.05 a # for lead so I walked. Put the word out to everyone you know and some of the sources that might turn up.

 

[Zonie]

I don't know the laws where you live but here in Arizona a scrap dealer doesn't have to fill out any forms for selling iron, steel, brass, copper or lead.

He does have to fill out forms for any brass or copper he buys though.

When copper went beyond $2.00/pound all sorts of low life crawled out of their hiding places and started stealing all the copper and brass they could lay their hands on.

They rip wiring out of new homes, out of sub stations and off of power lines.
They steal copper condenser coils and tubing out of refrigeration units and any place it might be found.

To put an end to that, scrap dealers now have to fill out forms with the sellers name, address and other ID.

Anyway, with lead, it's still just a buy/sell world.

 

[robert bw]

Here in Fl. it was such an issue, without a licensed vehicle,thumbprint, and photograph you cant sell anything but aluminum cans.

 

[Coot]

Hi Zonie - it has to do with collecting sales taxes. Any non wholesale sale - the governor wants his bite. So without a tax ID number (showing that it is a business to business transaction & thus (in VA) sales tax exempt) many commercial sellers figure it is cheaper to miss a few small sales than to pay their accounts/tax people to fill out & file all the paperwork. As an example, Mrs Coot has a small hobby business. We do ONE event in North Carolina each year - and NC wants her to file quarterly sales tax forms! :shake:

 

[ray j.]

I "borrowed" one of the cook's small muffin pans. :wink:

 

[nhmoose]

hob , you like to live dangerously on the edge eh??? :bow: :rotf:

 

[MountainRanger]

If you get caught, it's all over but for the sad singin' and the slow marchin'! Hehehe