I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Propane weed burner , melt directly into a cake pan of the appropriate size
.. Probably need more than one "mold" . Lining with al foil might help
eliminate sticking to the pan .

--
Snag

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Question: Are you planning to mail these at USPS flat rate? In the
small box, that will be 31 pounds each.

You can get away with it (the limit is 70 pounds for all sizes), but
don't count on friendly relations with your local post office if you
do it. g

--
Ed Huntress

"Terry Coombs" on Mon, 18 Apr 2016 08:01:36 -0500
typed in rec.crafts.metalworking the following:
Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Propane weed burner , melt directly into a cake pan of the appropriate size
. Probably need more than one "mold" . Lining with al foil might help
eliminate sticking to the pan .

Or could use a "crab pot burner" on its side to just "melt a hole"
and let it run off into a smaller container.

Other wise, chisel / shear into smaller chunks which will fit
whatever caldron /ladle you got. Might be able to get a portable band
saw, but that is going to create fines & dust. Not the best thing to
have floating around where you are breathing it. Or if you intend to
do anything else with the space.
--
pyotr filipivich
"With Age comes Wisdom. Although more often, Age travels alone."

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

evil, but funny.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618 wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast into
ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

'ware the EPA. They're eskert of lead, and know how to test for it.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

You have 2 choices. Cut the counterweights apart with a bandsaw and a
very...very course blade, or get yourself a BIG propane weed burner
and hit the weights with the flame, letting the molten lead trickle
down off the flame face and into a mold.

Ive had to melt many many tons of lead over the years..mostly
wheelweights, but a fair amount of slab or rolls....the
propane/natural gas weedburner is the fastest/cheapest when doing
large chunks.

Gunner

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:02:10 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

evil, but funny.

Thats about the ONLY way to ship lead and make a buck. Which is why I
generally ONLY deal with wheelweights. I cast a lot of bullets once or
twice a year.

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:02:10 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

evil, but funny.

Thats about the ONLY way to ship lead and make a buck. Which is why I
generally ONLY deal with wheelweights. I cast a lot of bullets once or
twice a year.

It's starting to become slim pickings for real lead weights at the tire
shops. Lots of zinc and steel junk these days.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 18:04:28 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:02:10 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

evil, but funny.

Thats about the ONLY way to ship lead and make a buck. Which is why I
generally ONLY deal with wheelweights. I cast a lot of bullets once or
twice a year.

It's starting to become slim pickings for real lead weights at the tire
shops. Lots of zinc and steel junk these days.


It sure is. With luck...Ive got enough wheelweights to last me for
the next 10 or more years. If not...Ill grab a shovel, make up a
screen box and dig up the range and recycle some of my already fired
slugs

Gunner

Here is a video I stumbled across on youtube with the "redneck" way to cast
lead
He melts a bunch of lead for ballast on the steel boat/ship he is building
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ljldtu-u-s
I thought it was interesting
Don't think it's osha or epa approved

"Ignoramus9618" wrote in message
...
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 12:58:30 -0600, "Larry Fisk"
wrote:

Here is a video I stumbled across on youtube with the "redneck" way to cast
lead
He melts a bunch of lead for ballast on the steel boat/ship he is building
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ljldtu-u-s
I thought it was interesting
Don't think it's osha or epa approved

Wood fires are the traditional way to melt lead for keels. There was
an old boat builder near me, in Keyport, NJ, that had been in business
since the 1920s. They had a big, lined firepit and a shop-made
"crucible" that was welded from steel, maybe 3/8" thick, that held a
few hundred pounds at a time. It had a tap hole and a runner that ran
down to the sand mold, and they'd make multiple pours.

I don't think they'd used it for 50 years, but it was interesting. I
was there around 1970 to see it.

--
Ed Huntress


"Ignoramus9618" wrote in message
...
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 18:04:28 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:02:10 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

evil, but funny.

Thats about the ONLY way to ship lead and make a buck. Which is why I
generally ONLY deal with wheelweights. I cast a lot of bullets once or
twice a year.

It's starting to become slim pickings for real lead weights at the tire
shops. Lots of zinc and steel junk these days.


It sure is. With luck...Ive got enough wheelweights to last me for
the next 10 or more years. If not...Ill grab a shovel, make up a
screen box and dig up the range and recycle some of my already fired
slugs

Finally went to the range again this weekend. Ammo prices are finally down
again.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 20:36:47 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 18:04:28 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 16:02:10 +0000 (UTC), Cydrome Leader
wrote:

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

evil, but funny.

Thats about the ONLY way to ship lead and make a buck. Which is why I
generally ONLY deal with wheelweights. I cast a lot of bullets once or
twice a year.

It's starting to become slim pickings for real lead weights at the tire
shops. Lots of zinc and steel junk these days.


It sure is. With luck...Ive got enough wheelweights to last me for
the next 10 or more years. If not...Ill grab a shovel, make up a
screen box and dig up the range and recycle some of my already fired
slugs

Finally went to the range again this weekend. Ammo prices are finally down
again.

Good. Good to see that its becoming available, though out here in
Cali..people are still bitching about the high prices...often 250-400%
higher than it used to be, only 2 yrs ago.

Working with small range lead is a hell of a lot easier than working
with a ton and change piece of lead in one mass. So hitting it with a
torch is about the only way to do it, other than cutting it into
smaller pieces and then melting them down and then casting them into
ingots. If Iggy makes a couple ingot molds the size of his flat rate
boxes...its very simple to melt the big chunk with a torch and let the
flow go right into his flat rate mold.

Gunner

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Why waste (your and employees') time and Earth resources melting it?
It could be cut to size with a bandsaw, then cast only the swarf into
ingots. If you don't have a bandsaw that size, make one.
Just like milling a tree into boards.

Be sure there are no lead inspectors anywhere near if you do this.

--
If you want to make your dreams come true,
the first thing you have to do is wake up!
--anon

On 2016-04-18, Ed Huntress wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Question: Are you planning to mail these at USPS flat rate? In the
small box, that will be 31 pounds each.

Exactly

You can get away with it (the limit is 70 pounds for all sizes), but
don't count on friendly relations with your local post office if you
do it. g

It is OK, do not worry about it, it is all ok

i

On 2016-04-18, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

You have 2 choices. Cut the counterweights apart with a bandsaw and a
very...very course blade, or get yourself a BIG propane weed burner
and hit the weights with the flame, letting the molten lead trickle
down off the flame face and into a mold.

Ive had to melt many many tons of lead over the years..mostly
wheelweights, but a fair amount of slab or rolls....the
propane/natural gas weedburner is the fastest/cheapest when doing
large chunks.

Do you think that a weedburner will work against a really big and
solid chunk? Or will the heat be conducted away?

i

Before you people go one about EPA and OSHA, and how they are all
seeing and all powerful, you should see what "small businesses" do
here in Chicago. Warning: have plenty of heart medications if you
decide to take a Chicago small business backdoor tour.

i

On 2016-04-18, Larry Fisk wrote:
Here is a video I stumbled across on youtube with the "redneck" way to cast
lead
He melts a bunch of lead for ballast on the steel boat/ship he is building
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ljldtu-u-s
I thought it was interesting
Don't think it's osha or epa approved

Awesome video, I am half through with it

"Ignoramus9618" wrote in message
...
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

On 2016-04-18, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Why waste (your and employees') time and Earth resources melting it?
It could be cut to size with a bandsaw, then cast only the swarf into
ingots. If you don't have a bandsaw that size, make one.
Just like milling a tree into boards.

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

i

Be sure there are no lead inspectors anywhere near if you do this.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:28:58 -0500, Ignoramus9618 wrote:

Before you people go one about EPA and OSHA, and how they are all seeing
and all powerful, you should see what "small businesses" do here in
Chicago. Warning: have plenty of heart medications if you decide to take
a Chicago small business backdoor tour.

The problem is that you get to do it until someone notices and makes
noise, and then the agency, to cover up their embarrassment at not having
done their jobs, suddenly do their jobs, IN SPADES, on you. Do a search
on the Portland arsenic emissions scandal, and the scrutiny that
Precision Cast Parts (who weren't the ones emitting arsenic) are suddenly
getting.

The entire fiberglass fabricating industry was almost shut down by OSHA
and EPA in the late 70's; it was a scramble to figure out their tactics
and fight back rapidly enough to survive.

--

Tim Wescott
Wescott Design Services
http://www.wescottdesign.com

On 2016-04-18, Tim Wescott wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:28:58 -0500, Ignoramus9618 wrote:

Before you people go one about EPA and OSHA, and how they are all seeing
and all powerful, you should see what "small businesses" do here in
Chicago. Warning: have plenty of heart medications if you decide to take
a Chicago small business backdoor tour.

The problem is that you get to do it until someone notices and makes
noise, and then the agency, to cover up their embarrassment at not having
done their jobs, suddenly do their jobs, IN SPADES, on you. Do a search
on the Portland arsenic emissions scandal, and the scrutiny that
Precision Cast Parts (who weren't the ones emitting arsenic) are suddenly
getting.

Thanks. I just searched and found this article:

http://www.portlandmercury.com/Blogt...gh-state-finds

Apparently a company emits several tons of arsenic and nothing they
can do about it

Ignoramus9618 fired this volley in
:

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

i

With the right set on the teeth, it cuts like butter, Ig.

Lloyd

On 4/18/2016 8:52 AM, Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i


Kind of out of the box, maybe it will work, maybe it wont. Get you a BIG
projection tv set from Craigslist. Probably get it free. Take it apart
and get the big fresnel lens out of it. Big square piece of plastic.
Build a frame and focus the sun through it and melt off the lead. Don't
know how fast the heat will soak away from the hot spot, but it won't
cost much to try, sunlight is free, and you can have LOTS of fun
melting/burning up other stuff. G

On 2016-04-18, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com wrote:
Ignoramus9618 fired this volley in
:

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

i

With the right set on the teeth, it cuts like butter, Ig.

Lloyd

OK, I am really open to suggestions, what blade should I use to cut
it?

"Ignoramus9618" wrote in message
...
On 2016-04-18, Larry Jaques
wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing
appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Why waste (your and employees') time and Earth resources melting
it?
It could be cut to size with a bandsaw, then cast only the swarf
into
ingots. If you don't have a bandsaw that size, make one.
Just like milling a tree into boards.

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

i

I spent last summer cutting thousand-pound-plus curved logs into beams
with a home-built bandsaw mill. The saw worked well enough, but
setting up perpendicular and parallel cuts in that much
irregularly-shaped weight took a day or more per log.

--jsw

"Ignoramus9618" wrote in message
...
On 2016-04-18, Lloyd E. Sponenburgh lloydspinsidemindspring.com
wrote:
Ignoramus9618 fired this volley
in
:

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

i

With the right set on the teeth, it cuts like butter, Ig.

Lloyd

OK, I am really open to suggestions, what blade should I use to cut
it?

http://timberwolfblades.com/Metal-Blade-Selector.php

On 04/18/2016 05:25 PM, Ignoramus9618 wrote:
On 2016-04-18, Ed Huntress wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Question: Are you planning to mail these at USPS flat rate? In the
small box, that will be 31 pounds each.

Exactly

You can get away with it (the limit is 70 pounds for all sizes), but
don't count on friendly relations with your local post office if you
do it. g

It is OK, do not worry about it, it is all ok

Going to send them all to the same address on the same day??

--
Bob Nichols AT comcast.net I am "RNichols42"

Ignoramus9618 wrote:
On 2016-04-18, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

You have 2 choices. Cut the counterweights apart with a bandsaw and
a very...very course blade, or get yourself a BIG propane weed burner
and hit the weights with the flame, letting the molten lead trickle
down off the flame face and into a mold.

Ive had to melt many many tons of lead over the years..mostly
wheelweights, but a fair amount of slab or rolls....the
propane/natural gas weedburner is the fastest/cheapest when doing
large chunks.

Do you think that a weedburner will work against a really big and
solid chunk? Or will the heat be conducted away?

i

Lead is a fairly poor heat conductor . The weed burner will work fine - as
would an OA rig , but you just don't need that much concentrated heat .

--
Snag

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 20:08:34 -0500, Robert Nichols
wrote:

On 04/18/2016 05:25 PM, Ignoramus9618 wrote:
On 2016-04-18, Ed Huntress wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Question: Are you planning to mail these at USPS flat rate? In the
small box, that will be 31 pounds each.

Exactly

You can get away with it (the limit is 70 pounds for all sizes), but
don't count on friendly relations with your local post office if you
do it. g

It is OK, do not worry about it, it is all ok

Going to send them all to the same address on the same day??

Oooh! You're a mean one! g

--
If you want to make your dreams come true,
the first thing you have to do is wake up!
--anon

We also had a friend in this news group that used a cast iron bathtub
and used the drain hole as the drain of lead... He was a big sail boat
builder. Long miss his inputs and web site look-see.

Martin

On 4/18/2016 2:06 PM, Ed Huntress wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 12:58:30 -0600, "Larry Fisk"
wrote:

Here is a video I stumbled across on youtube with the "redneck" way to cast
lead
He melts a bunch of lead for ballast on the steel boat/ship he is building
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ljldtu-u-s
I thought it was interesting
Don't think it's osha or epa approved

Wood fires are the traditional way to melt lead for keels. There was
an old boat builder near me, in Keyport, NJ, that had been in business
since the 1920s. They had a big, lined firepit and a shop-made
"crucible" that was welded from steel, maybe 3/8" thick, that held a
few hundred pounds at a time. It had a tap hole and a runner that ran
down to the sand mold, and they'd make multiple pours.

I don't think they'd used it for 50 years, but it was interesting. I
was there around 1970 to see it.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:33:20 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

On 2016-04-18, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Why waste (your and employees') time and Earth resources melting it?
It could be cut to size with a bandsaw, then cast only the swarf into
ingots. If you don't have a bandsaw that size, make one.
Just like milling a tree into boards.

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

I tried cutting lead with a hacksaw once and you're right. It worked
much better with my bow saw. http://tinyurl.com/gtvcpby similar saw

Or have your employee help you with one of these: g
http://tinyurl.com/hrvrgjk

--
If you want to make your dreams come true,
the first thing you have to do is wake up!
--anon

On Monday, April 18, 2016 at 5:52:36 AM UTC-7, Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

If you can put together a vertical drop into a water bath, you can make
shot. That can be divided up into any size packet for sale, and doesn't
require the recipient to have a melting pot the size of a flat rate box.

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:27:20 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

On 2016-04-18, Gunner Asch wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

You have 2 choices. Cut the counterweights apart with a bandsaw and a
very...very course blade, or get yourself a BIG propane weed burner
and hit the weights with the flame, letting the molten lead trickle
down off the flame face and into a mold.

Ive had to melt many many tons of lead over the years..mostly
wheelweights, but a fair amount of slab or rolls....the
propane/natural gas weedburner is the fastest/cheapest when doing
large chunks.

Do you think that a weedburner will work against a really big and
solid chunk? Or will the heat be conducted away?

Lead really doesnt conduct heat very well. Turn the burner up full
bore and hit the thinnest portion of the lead, say an edge or corner
and simply put your mold underneith it. Ive got some 15lb lead blocks
and I tried it earlier today. Took about 15 seconds for the sharp
edges to start running off onto the ground, so it should be easy to
do.

I shouldnt have to mention to you..wear good pants, boots with socks
and whatever safety gear you think might be appropriate for handling
splashing liquids in excess of 625F

Gunner


Gunner


i

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 17:33:20 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

On 2016-04-18, Larry Jaques wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Why waste (your and employees') time and Earth resources melting it?
It could be cut to size with a bandsaw, then cast only the swarf into
ingots. If you don't have a bandsaw that size, make one.
Just like milling a tree into boards.

Have you ever tried this, it is not nearly as easy as you think.

i

Its best to have a bandsaw blade that has about a 4 tooth per inch cut
(or wider) and run it at mid speed, adjusting up and down until you
find the sweet spot. Anything more than 6 teeth per inch..you are
simply going to fill the teeth up with lead and it will do that in
about 3 seconds. And DONT push! Let it cut at its own speed!!



Be sure there are no lead inspectors anywhere near if you do this.

Ignoramus9618 fired this volley in
:

OK, I am really open to suggestions, what blade should I use to cut
it?
Generally -- wavy profile, stagger-tooth, LOTS of side-set on individual
teeth, coarse count (5tpi, or so), and TONS of fairly high-pressure flood
coolant (not for the cutting, per se, but to keep the kerf cleaned out,
and to prevent chip-welding to the blade).

So long as there aren't mineral inclusions, such a blade should last many
many hours of cutting in soft lead.

But... warning... do it wrong, and you'll leave the blade in the lump of
lead! G

LLoyd

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Before you melt it down check how old it is. If it came from ancient stock
it might be worth more as it is less radioactive.

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/...-neutrino-hunt



Regards,

Boris Mohar

Got Knock? - see:
Viatrack Printed Circuit Designs (among other things) http://www.viatrack.ca

void _-void-_ in the obvious place



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On 2016-04-19, Boris Mohar wrote:
On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Before you melt it down check how old it is. If it came from ancient stock
it might be worth more as it is less radioactive.

http://physicsworld.com/cws/article/...-neutrino-hunt

Unfortunately, they are not that old. The oldest is from the 1960s.

i

On Mon, 18 Apr 2016 07:52:33 -0500, Ignoramus9618
wrote:

I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i

Many years ago we made a whole bunch of disk-like lead castings (part
of a nucular (sic) shielding assembly for gamma ray detectors
operating in a highly radioactive environment).

We welded long handles on a big cast iron frypan and heated it under a
open propane flame (the big cylinders are not that expensive to rent)
and then poured it into simple steel molds (work done outdoors) - made
hundreds of the danged things. The raw material was commerical lead
ingots. They melted up pretty well. It took two guys to pour the melt.

It worked pretty well, but I doubt it would meet with EPA appoval.
IIRC the only safety equipment was gloves and not wearing boots with
open tops.

You could get away with something like a big ice-cube tray for the
molds. Once it's firmed up a bit, spray some water on them flip them
over to release the parts, and repeat.

--sp


--
Best regards,
Spehro Pefhany
Amazon link for AoE 3rd Edition: http://tinyurl.com/ntrpwu8

On 4/18/2016 8:52 AM, Ignoramus9618 wrote:
I have about 1.5 tons of lead, in three counterweights weighing appx
2400, 600, and 250 lbs. I would like to somehow melt them and cast
into ingots approximately the size of a small flat rate box.

Is there some practical way to do so without breaking the bank on
casting equipment.

I do have forklifts.

i


How about a bandsaw? b What is the alloy? I'd assume dead soft, not
good for boolits except black powder. Getting Tin and Antimony will be
costly.