Selling Lead Help

[robertjneff2000]

I'm new to the forum and have been reading voraciously. I've recently come into about 1200lbs of pure lead, and I see people selling it. I've never bought lead before so I don't know how it's shipped. I see most of it on here is shipped in flat rate boxes. How are you guys packing them in to keep the box from falling apart with 65lbs of lead? And how do you look the mailman in the face when you hand it to him....lol Also, I cast with a propane stove so ingot size to me doesn't matter, if I can lift it, it will fit in the pot, about what size should the ingots be dimensionally so they fit in the electric pots?

Thanks,
Bob

[LUBEDUDE]

Whatever you do please, please, do Not throw your ingots loose into that wimpy Post Office Flat Rate Box! Even though the medium and large is allowed to hold up to 70 pounds does not mean that it will. That is, the way the Post Office employees handle them. They WILL blow out!

First when you "build" that flat rate box, don't skimp on the tape. Tape all sides and very well. On the inside, tape where the wimpy seam is glued. Tape the bottom on the inside.

Next, place your ingots in a separate box set up the same way, and place THAT box INSide the flat rate box.

Then tape the heck out the flat rate box again.

I ship 66-69 lb boxes daily and rarely have them break. The only thing better, I've seen one member use wood crates inside the flate rate box. That is the pinnacle!

As far as ingots? Use what you want. The most common is muffins from muffin pans, or the mini corn on the cob corn bread cast iron molds. Or use angle iron.......whatever.

Good luck!

[Randy C]

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?228471-What-should-I-do-with-this-lead

Read here should help.

[MaryB]

The tyvek envelopes the post office has are great to put the lead in before boxing. Tape the heck out of the envelope then the box. Use strapping tape with fibers in it not packing tape.

[Czech_too]

If the pure lead is in sheet form, which is what I have & was selling, then I would cut the lead to fit the inside of the box so that it doesn't shift around when moved. I wouldn't bother melting it, sell it as is. As others have mentioned, tape the heck out of that box because if that lead does shift, what's gonna split first but a seam or a corner.

[Zymurgy50]

When I sold a few ingots I cut 2 pieces of 1X8 to just fit in the box, stacked the lead between them, and then shrink-wrapped the assembly. Taped the outside of the box, then glued the flaps on the inside. Finished up with the fiberglass strapping tape. I never had a complaint about damaged boxes of missing ingots. When the tiny lady at our local Post office would see me coming with one or more of the boxes she would open the door to the back and I would put it on the outgoing shelf for her......

[Blammer]

Here is a hint:

6 small flat rate boxes will fit neatly into a Medium Flat rate box.

Get the picture?

pack your ingots with newspaper inside the small flat rate boxes first. :)

ingot size, no wider than 3" and usually no longer than the small flat rate box. :)

[robertjneff2000]

Thanks guys, exactly the info I was looking for!

[Blacksmith]

Thanks guys, exactly the info I was looking for!

And once you get to 25 posts you can list it for sale at a good price in our swapping and selling section.

[alamogunr]

I've received lead in a MFRB, reinforced with blue board(insulating) on all sides and as others have said, taped all over with filament tape. Wider is better. I found some 2" wide filament tape and it worked fine for some solder I sent to a member. The blue board will absorb some of the impact from rough handling.

The tyvek envelope is a good idea too.

[Bad Water Bill]

IIRC 10 Lyman ingots nestle in a SFRB and 5 of them fit nicely into a LFRB then tape tape tape with the fiberglass tape all over.