How to get a large chunk of lead in the smelting pot?

[swingpress]

If you were blessed with the challenge of getting a 200+ chunk of lead in the smelting pot how would you do it?

The lead is some sort of weight, so it has a few steel bolts through some parts of it.

I've thought about trying to use an axe to just hack off small pieces one at a time. It seems like some would be lost.

I've thought about using a cutting torch. I doubt it would cut like steel, but still might be the best way.

I've thought about some sort of saw, but it seems like the lead would gum up the blade pretty quickly.

I'm sure some of you have solved this problem before, yes?

[randyrat]

Use a cutting tourch save your ax. Make sure you don't breath the smoke it makes and also have something to catch the drippings. 200 lbs you should be able to cut it into 8 peices O lead in no time.

[montana_charlie]

You don't say if it's a slab or a block, but I would use a splitting wedge and sledge hammer.
It's possible to take off large or small chunks with pretty good control...and without 'losing' any.
CM

[Leftoverdj]

The idea of a torch terrifies me, and I'm fearless. Acetylene temps will vaporize lead, and I much doubt you could avoid breathing the vapors without scuba gear.

The salvage pros use a chainsaw. I'd use a junk chain and do it on a tarp to catch the chips. I'd also use good eye protection.

[Carteach0]

I cut up and smelted some nuke plant stuff for a
neighbor. Big sheets and plates..... I used an axe. Went fast!

[swingpress]

You don't say if it's a slab or a block

I varies in thickness up to about 6 inches.

[Texasflyboy]

You asked how to get it into the pot...

The fastest way is to use the torch. Be aware of fumes.

The safest way is with a chainsaw or axe and wedges.

I've used a torch for years without harm since I can put my pot outside and let the wind take the fumes...

[Blackhawk Convertable]

Boy do I wish that I had that problem!!!

[RU shooter]

Sawzall and a coarse wood blade at low to med speed will do the trick or a bandsaw with coarse tooth blade

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I've got a ton of X-Ray room wall plate. It's pure lead, 1/4" thick. I use a Snap-On air chisel with a modified panel cutter bit. Cuts through the lead at about one foot a second. I cut strips about 4" wide, roll them up, and drop them in the 30lb capacity plumber's furnace pot.

I could use some advice.
I've just finished a large pot I made out of an eight inch length of ten inch schedule forty pipe by welding a steel plate to the bottom. My calculations tell me it will hold 225lbs. max., or 200 lbs. useful capacity. I don't want to use it on my plumber's furnace, because I want to run both pots. I was planning to buy a turkey fryer when they go on sale. These are regulated, my propane plumber's furnace isn't, it being The blowtorch type. Will a turkey fryer have enough BTU's to quickly melt 200lbs. of lead? Can they hold this kind of weight, or will I have to build a frame? Thanks for any help,

Morgan

[GLL]

Get a bigger pot ! ;) ;)

Actually not joking completely. I built a large pot out of remnant steel by welding up 12" square tubing (3/16" wall) for under $20.00. It will handle very large chunks and saves a bunch of cutting and pounding. This much weight required me to beef up my single burner high pressure propane camp stove. It is a heavy duty U.S. made unit (not a turkey cooker from China). I have had over 300 pounds sitting on it without any trouble.

Jerry

[swingpress]

I went after it with an axe and sledge for a half hour and got a two pound chunk off. I took a try at the sawsall and it was going slower than that. I can see why people use a chainsaw.

I like the air chisel idea, and can see why the idea is superior having used one frequently. Unfortunately I don't have any compressed air in my shop. Maybe it's time I made amends. This project is getting expensive... [smilie=1:

[randyrat]

Like i said go for the tourch and have it done with. Make use of a slight cross wind/breeze to keep the fumes away from you. Don't have the wind to your back or it will curl around and go right in your face.

[Three44s]

Well ..... you will have to factor in not having to go to a gym to work out ..... thus saving bucks there! .......... LOL!

My idea on an oversize burner: A propane weed burner torch. the head on mine is removabe and I installed an 90 degree elbow right behind it ....... cut a slot in the base of a short piece of well casing ........ made a base for the well casing and cut out for the lead pot in an old sprocket and welded it to the top of the well casing to hold the lead pot level.

My other advise is don't get carried away ....... DEMS some real BTU's!!!!!!!!!

Three 44s

[felix]

Swingpress, if you can manage to get that into a 22 inch circle, by 22 inches high, we can smelt that down for you. Naturally, we'd have to have a commission taken out of it. Ship it on a pallet. If interested, PM us.... Sundog or felix ... felix

[longbow]

I'd stay away from the torch unless there is too much steel in it to use a chainsaw.

I have chainsawed quite a bit of lead and never had trouble.

The lead vapours as mentioned are very bad and an acetylene torch will cause a lot of vapour. A large tiger torch (propane or natural gas) would be slower but safer if you go the torch route - melt edges off into a metal container rather than try to cut like steel.

[spurrit]

You could always do like the old stonemasons when cutting huge slabs of rock. Just drill holes or cut a slot, then drive in wedges. OR, drill a series of undersized holes in line with each other, then drive spikes in. Lead will stretch a bit, but will break off. Beats the hell out of the "hatchet job" method.

[mauser1959]

There is one other option that most seem to be forgetting ; though my first trick would be to use a chainsaw, preferably with an old chain. The other option would be to use a hydraulic press with a splitting blade on it , ie a variation of a log splitter. 20 tons of pressure would cut though aobut any chunks that you had damn fast. I know that a log splitter will split elm and it takes a lot of work to split that with a good slpitting maul.

[Springfield]

Morgan: Turkey fryers aren't all the same. Most are rated abut 30,00 BTU's. I got mine from a sporting goods store and it is rated 70,00 BTU's. It melts down 180 lbs of lead in my pot in about half an hour. My coleman stove that was about 12,000 BTU's would take an hour to melt down 80 lbs. It makes a difference. If you want to know if it will take the weight then just stand on it and jump up and down. Most guys are about 200 lbs, more or less.

[Morgan Astorbilt]

I can just see the headlines now! "Man gets thrown out of a Walmart after he tries to commit suicide by roasting himself in a turkey fryer" :-D:-D:-D

Seriously, thats a good idea, I'll check for BTU rating also.
Morgan

[Pilgrim]

I use a simple propane torch. One of those you can get at "X" hardware for ~ $10 or so. If you want to melt a bunch really fast, use a weed burner. You can buy those for about $15 or so at Harbour Freight. Just make sure you have something under the lead where you are burning to catch the drips. A piece of angle iron works well. You just want to make sure your receptacle will fit into your pot in one dimension or another. Don't worry about heating the lead up so far you will get vapors. The lead melts and drips away long before you reach that temperature.

When I'm in a hurry, I also use the propane torch to help heat the pot to get the lead melted and up to temp more quickly. FWIW...Pilgrim

[wonderwolf]

Log splitter if you have one :).....

[jrfixer]

I had the same problem and found that a demo hammer was the way to go. Now I have 9 blocks that are around 500 lbs each so the ROI on the demo hammer was easily justified. I bought a Bosh for $200 at Home Depot. I can cut about 40lbs off in about 1/2 hour.

https://home.comcast.net/~jrfixer/gun/demo1.jpg

https://home.comcast.net/~jrfixer/gun/demo2.jpg

Here is a link to my lead cutting thread (http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?t=16655)



JR

[swingpress]

I tried the big pot idea today. All I really accomplished was fire-testing the ammo-can I keep my primers in. My Coleman stove didn't seem to be burning right and certainly wasn't up to the task of getting 200lb of lead up to 700deg. I got it well over 212 in a few hours before giving up once the sun started going down and I knew it would only get colder.

I probably should have put some smaller pieces of lead in the bottom of the pot for conduction. Maybe I'll try again if I can get my stove running right. Otherwise, I guess I'm looking for more BTU.

[spurrit]

Y'all need to stop and think first. Handling 80-200 lbs. of molten lead with half assed equipment is really dangerous.


Also, the wood splitter is kinda impractical. At $1500, that's kinda expensive.

[jonk]

Weed burner. It will be hot enough to melt it fast but not so hot as to vaporize it as it is just propane. Harbor freight has them for under $20.

[wonderwolf]

Y'all need to stop and think first. Handling 80-200 lbs. of molten lead with half assed equipment is really dangerous.


Also, the wood splitter is kinda impractical. At $1500, that's kinda expensive.

Yeah thats why I said if you have one....try and bum one off your neighbor lol. I used a chop saw once to 2 50 pound camera weights that contained rather pure lead encased in a steel sheath. for the sheeting from a X ray room an axe works well...log splitter tipped up is good....I've never tried a splitting maul though

[spurrit]

Out of the blue today, the answer to this question occured to me-get one of these:

http://www.milwaukeeconnect.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_27_40028_-1_729952_192150_192137#



Be carefull, though. Some numbnuts around here was wearing loose fitting gloves, and got tired of hearing pipe hit the concrete, so he put his hand underneath to catch it. He no longer has 10 fingers.

[mauser1959]

Remember a good share of your local garages have at least a 20 ton hydraulic press with a sharp blade and most would cut the lead for you into managable sizes for a 12 pack ... which seems cheap to me . Well at least out here in the sticks the guys in the garages are willing to accomodate such a request without ******** and will love you and the beer. And once you let out that you want WWs you might get a couple of buckets of them too. I know that some of the most under appreciated guys on the block are the tire guys and the small town garages.

[spurrit]

Here in Wichita, it's damn near impossible to get any of these little favors done for beer or money anymore.