Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Cheap and heavy...

[Bob Duncan <katsurencho@yahoo.com>]

Hello,

  Lead melts about 800 deg. F, but the temp. really needs to be 1000deg. F. Because if it is too cold it will cause laps in the casting. That may not be a real problem if you run bolts thru the finished product. But,it looks a lot nicer one piece, and doesn't come apart.

 

   I used to get lead from the impact areas of small arms ranges. Made diving weights while in the Navy in Japan. The Marine Barracks on the Yokosuka Navy base had a small arms range on the 3rd deck. They had a difficult time getting rid of the lead, because of it being a hazmat. I just signed their supply form and took it. They already had it picked up and in wooden ammo boxes. Only a few boxes in the back of my van and the springs were compressed!!

 

  Was melting the lead with charcoal (very dirty) for a while. Cleaned up and cast about 300 pounds (U.S.) a day. Sold the diving wts. for $1/pound. Later on got a heavy cast steel burner that ran off propane. Then i really made money. Cleaned up and cast about 1000 lbs of lead in a day. Sold the diving wts. for $1/lb.

  Used a cast iron dutch oven, that is kept with the lead works and i don't use it for food!!!

Lead is very heavy, so you need a good sold level work place. Steel table, with rod or grid of some sort for the top, so that after you pour the lead it can dissipate heat from the bottom as well as the top and sides. Don't get in a hurry to open the mold.

  Used "Pam" for a mold releast. That's the stuff you can get at the grocery store to put in skillets for cooking. The stuff works great and a lot cheaper than commercial mold releast. You rapidly pass the spray across the mold, and usually that's way too much. The first pour will probably have blistered area, and have to be recast. But, after that for 3 or 4 uses the mold will release perfectly.

  Make sure you work in a well ventilated area. No rain. When the rain drops or anyother drops hit the molten lead it cause little thermal reactions, that splatter out and burn thru your clothes!!! No fun.

  I had to wear heavy leather gloves, along with using another pair when i handled the dutch oven. Used vise grips to grip the tab on one side of the dutch oven when i poured from it. and another vise grip (or locking pliers) to hold the bail.

  Lead actate is the deadly ingreadient in lead. You can EASILY get it into your body by: skin absorbsumption, inhalation, consumption.

  Drink pleny of water.

 

  Bob

Coalbunny <coalbunny@vcn.com> wrote:

When Imelted lead I would melt it down, I forget the temp but it was
nearly boiling with no flux, and let it sit for a few moments and then
scrape off the junk from the top. Then lower the temp as some of the
metals have higher melting points that lead and keep scraping the junk
off. In in "session" I could take bullet or tire lead and have it
within 5% of pure.
Carl


DJACKSON99@aol.com wrote:

> I am going to get my second load (2500 lbs) of lead next weekend from a
> gun range. This range has a collection system built into it's trap so
> that the bullets end up in a 5 gallon bucket. It comes out to 16 cents
> a pound once all the brass is separated out (about 50%). Wheel weights
> and lead pipes are contain antimony which is better if your weight is
> also part of your frame, such as a skid because the antimony adds
> strength to the lead. But antimony is a pain to melt and keep mixed
> because it melts at a higher temperature than lead. This gun range is
> in Arkansas and I'd be happy to put you in touch with the manager
> there. I've got a web page with lots of details on working with lead if
> you care to have a look. http://jackson.parcabul.com/sub/lead.html
>
> Biting the Bullet
> Doug J
>
>
> In a message dated 3/18/2004 9:33:37 PM Central Standard Time,
> jmachine@adelphia.net writes:
>
> I got two and a half five gallon pails full of lead weights from one
> tire
> shop. I hit the mother load at that one. We had to unload some
> from each
> pail to move them. It cooked down to about three hundred pounds as I
> recall. I have a total of six hundred pounds, some I collected quite a
> while back.
>
> It's not hard to melt down. The steel parts float on the top of the
> molten
> lead and are easy to scoop off. I made a melting pot out of a piece
> of six
> inch diameter pipe and melted it over a wood fire. I have melted it
> in a
> bunch of bricks made into a circle stacked about a foot high with an
> old oil
> burner gun shooting flames into the pile of bricks with the melting pot
> inside. That melted it fast. I generally look around and see what
> I have
> at hand to do the job.
>
> Tire weights are great. They are available cheep and easy to
> handle. Also,
> they aren't pure lead. I don't know what the make up is exactly but
> they
> are harder then pure lead.
>
> Dan H.
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Pierre Poulin"
> To:
> Sent: Thursday, March 18, 2004 7:44 PM
> Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Cheap and heavy...
>
>
> > Dan,
> >
> > You said that you got lead from a tire shop. How much did you
> get? How
> much
> > time did it take?
> >
> > Thanks!
> >
> > Pierre "leadless" Poulin
> >
> >
> >
> > >From: Steven Mills
> > >Reply-To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> > >To: personal_submersibles@psubs.org
> > >Subject: Re: [PSUBS-MAILIST] Cheap and heavy...
> > >Date: Thu, 18 Mar 2004 16:12:51 -0800
> > >
> > >While anyone is at this, I've been looking for lead in bulk. I
> tried the
> > >local
> > >plumbing and contractors supplies, but one needs to have a
> license in
> > >order to buy quantity. I tried the boatshops, but most around
> here are
> > >into powerboats, so no new or used leaded keels. It can be
> shot, plug,
> > >brick....I don't care.
> > >
> > >50lbs should suffice for me for now.
> > >
> > >--Steve
> > >
> > >
> > >On Thu, 18 Mar 2004 16:41:05 -0500 "Pierre Poulin"
>
> > >writes:
> > > >
> > > > No, I'm not talking about my boss...
> > > >
> > > > I'm looking for some sort of material to use as drop weight.
> I need
> > > > about
> > > > 700-800 pounds.
> > > >
> > > > Any suggestions?
> > > >
> > > > Thanks to all!
> > > >
> > > > Pierre Poulin
> > > >
> > > > _________________________________________________________________
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