Dutch Boy Ingot; What is it for?

[Springfield]

Here is a pic. Weighs about 4 lbs. Put it in the bottom of a 5 gallon paint bucket to keep from knocking it over? Kinda hate to melt it down.

[fecmech]

Plumbers lead, pretty much pure, used for cast iron pipe joints with oakum. The handle and 4 more circles were 5 lbs each.

[Springfield]

So the handy part is the handle, easy to carry?

[fecmech]

So the handy part is the handle, easy to carry?
Exactly! You could easily carry 25 lbs in each hand to the plumbers pot on the job site. They then placed the end of one cast iron pipe into the bell of the other end and tamped the oakum rope/seal into the joint. After that the lead was poured on top of the oakum and swedged into the joint to back up the oakum for the seal.

[Hardcast416taylor]

So the handy part is the handle, easy to carry?


No, not exactly correct. The Plumber doesn`t carry the lead by this handle, THE APPRENTICE CARRIES THE LEAD BY THE HANDLE!! Ask me how I know this being a retired plumber?Robert[smilie=1:[smilie=1:[smilie=1::wink:

[fecmech]

Correct! As a former member of Laborers Local 210 I carried a few when working with the plumbers! This thing followed me home from one job, you might recognize it Hardcast.

[Hardcast416taylor]

Fecmech. Lordy do I remember a few memories of that thing! From getting splatter burned the first time I did lead/oakum joints to keeping hands warm in cold weather to "warming up my foil wrapped sandwich" at lunch break. Thanks for jogging this old "pipewrench benders" memories.Robert

[Springfield]

Thanks. Maybe I'll put it on e-bay and call it "a vintage item" and see what I can get for it!