Info on lead water pipe please

[bld451]

Local public works is tearing up the street here. Found a pile of what looks to be lead pipe on the street. 12" or so with 1/4" thick walls and a black (thick plastic or paint) coating on it that is chipping off. It is bent and folded and where the equipment scratched it, it looks like lead. It thuds with a little ring like harder lead, and my knife will scratch it, but not deep like WW. Some of the mangled and torn ends have pieces that are small enough that if they were soft lead, I could bend them with my hands. I can't bend them, though.?? Looks like rusty steel angles and T's attached at joints. Probably 150-200 feet of it. (more than a ton, I'm sure)

I'm going to stop by in the AM to talk to the crew, but wondering what you guys think it might be? I thought lead pipe was soft stuff.(???)

[evan price]

Probably lead pipe with creosote or tar coating. Lead pipe I've melted has been pretty close to pure, maybe a touch of antimony. The joints will have been soldered with 50-50 tin solder most likely. Maybe they will let you haul it all away free of charge for the trouble???? :)

[largom]

If I could get it for free or VERY cheap I would take it. Melt some down and then test for hardness after it aged a couple of weeks.

Larry

[KYCaster]

Check it with a magnet.....sounds like steel gas pipe to me.

Jerry

[bld451]

A magnet!!??:groner:

Things are stacking up against me. Worker there said it's steel. Dykes wouldn't touch it.

He said I could have it all, though!:roll:

[KYCaster]

A magnet!!??:groner:

Things are stacking up against me. Worker there said it's steel. Dykes wouldn't touch it.

He said I could have it all, though!:roll:



"Say la veee" :roll:

It's been a long time since I took any mill wrapped pipe to the recycler, but unless things have changed drastically it won't bring enough to pay for the gas to get it there.

Sorry 'bout yer luck. :kidding:

Jerry

[lwknight]

Things have changes drastically.
$200.00 per ton is the going rate on just about any steel or iron.
Even old cars are getting $350.00 to $400.00 these days.
Short iron was bringing $280.00 just recently.

If those pipe joints are 50-60 pounds each , it would not take long to stack up some $$$$$.

[MT Gianni]

Currently we have to treat all millwrap as having asbestos. The old treatment was to hit it with a hammer lightly and peel it off. I spent some time as well with a drawknife cleaning up some. If a recycler will take it as is they would have shipped it out.

[357maximum]

If the scrapyard would have taken it "AS IS" ....I guarantee the crew would have already turned it into liquid refreshment and not offered it to you.