On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 09:47:10 +0100, --s-p-o-n-i-x--
wrote:

I'd suggest a box fabricated from sheet lead and seam soldered would
be your best bet.

This will crack under its own weight. If you want to make a long seam in
lead, then it needs to be either mechanically joined (a rolled edge) or
a welded edge (lead burning).

Lead lined stone coffins have been discovered dating back thousands of
years.

Depending on the local water. In some conditions the water goes right
through them. Lead isn't actually that stable long-term, you need a
moderately hard water to build up a surface carbonate layer on it.

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 11:27:52 +0100, Andy Dingley
wrote:

This will crack under its own weight.

I was assuming that this'd be something maybe 6" cubed. It'd only
crack under it's own weight if huge.

Obviously a lead box would need to be placed inside something else
(Concrete?) to provide mechanical strength and prevent it being
crushed.

Depending on the local water. In some conditions the water goes right
through them. Lead isn't actually that stable long-term, you need a
moderately hard water to build up a surface carbonate layer on it.

So how do lead covered roofs work? The rain water bounces straight
off. Rain water is also "soft" so there would be no build up of
minerals either.

sponix

On Sat, 15 Oct 2005 13:48:14 +0100, --s-p-o-n-i-x--
wrote:

Depending on the local water. In some conditions the water goes right
through them. Lead isn't actually that stable long-term, you need a
moderately hard water to build up a surface carbonate layer on it.

So how do lead covered roofs work?

A carelessly installed lead gutter may leak in just a year or two.
Properly applied leadwork is treated with "patination oil" after
installation and it's this patina that provides much of the corrosion
resistance. A roof itself isn't that bad, as they tend to dry fairly
quickly after rain.