Tim Downie wrote:
pete wrote:
On Mon, 12 Jul 2010 22:09:23 +0100, The Natural Philosopher wrote:
Tim Downie wrote:
Andy Dingley wrote:
On 4 July, 01:02, Roger Dewhurst wrote:

Get a stainless steel bowl of the right size and hammer into into
the shape that you want.

Not the easiest job, to work stainless like that!

In the end, I got some roofing lead and have battered it into shape.
Apart freom needing a little trimming up, it doesn't look too bad.
Now I need to make sure that it stays there on top of the post.
(It will be accessible to the public). Any suggestions as to what
kind of glue would be best?

Tim
no glue at all. Nail the side with galv roof nails or similar.

Very few glues work in regimes of vastly variable humidity. Those
posts will MOVE.

Something rubbery and gap filling is possible, but that's about all.

Hot glue maybe.

Most glues don't work with lead. The metal forms a layer of oxide
which is not strongly bonded to the underlying metal. It may stick
for a
short time, but in due course it will come loose. Then you've got
differential expansion - the metal will expand/contract due to
temperature differences, more than the wood does. That puts more
strain on the
joint and will cause the glue to crack.

I really would like to avoid nails. The domed cap is meant to be
symbolic of a departed friend's bald head. Adding nails to it would
lend it a certain "Frankenstein" air.

Is there no heavy duty flexible mastic/glue that might stick if I were
to score the lead deeply on the underside?


mastic is a better bet than glue. I am trying to think of a rubbery type
product that adheres well to metal and is gap filling too. silicone
peels to easily from anything.

Maybe expanding foam would work..Hmm. That could be best of all. That's
fairly flexible and sure fills gaps.

Not as rubbery as one would like, but its flexible enough, and it sticks
like **** to everything.

Tim