Cutting Up Ingots

[Viper225]

I have a few Foundry 60# Ingots of casting lead.
What is the best way to cut them into usable size pieces??

Thanks

Bob R

[Yodogsandman]

Melt them down into a big enough smelting pot and make smaller ingots.

We have a hydraulic cutter at work that would do it (done it) so, I wonder if a gas log splitter would work, too.

[scottfire1957]

Ask the local fire station if they want to practice with their "jaws of life."

[45-70 Chevroner]

I sure wouldn't want to try the wood spliter thing, and break the hydraulic ram which is the most expensive part on a wood spliter, although it might work if the ingots are not very thick.

[Epd230]

You could send it to me. I'll cut it in half and send you one 30# ingot back.

[kycrawler]

I cut up a 1600 lb sail boat keel using an axe and a sledge hammer

[Mal Paso]

Log splitter works fine on pure lead. Don't know about your alloy but it shouldn't hurt anything. I've had wood that 20 tons wouldn't split. I found it helpful to put a 1 1/2" Square 1/4" wall tube under the lead in line with the wedge to allow the lead displaced by the wedge a place to go. I've cut lead 5x41/2 inches thick with a 20 ton.

Linotype you can nick the ingot top and bottom with a cold chisel then hit it right there with a hammer. It will break.

[Mk42gunner]

A sawzall with a course blade with a lot of set to the teeth should work, cut over a tarp so you can collect the lead chips.

Easiest way is to melt it in a smelting pot then use smaller ingot molds.

Robert

[Ural Driver]

https://youtu.be/H5oz9IJ_5O0

[Bullwolf]

As others have mentioned previously in the thread, it does not take much to break most print type metals, (lino-mono-stereo) depending on the size of the ingot of course. Dropping on the ground, or a well placed hammer blow will often do it.

There's a reason why many of the linotype pigs found, are already broken.

You can cut lead with a hacksaw, it's just a lot of work. You can also cut it with a skill saw, sawz-all, or even a chainsaw be it gas or electric, but using those kinds of power tools all come with a little risk. If you do choose to use a saw, be sure to put a tarp underneath to catch all the lead shavings and chips that you will make, to melt them down later.

A hydraulic log splitter works great on soft water pipe, X-ray lead, or even WW ingots, again depending on the size of the ingot, and I suppose the size of your log-splitter. I've also used a chisel on small stuff, and axe and a hammer before as well.

The easiest method I've used so far though, is to put an overly large lead ingot...
(like a valve cover full of melted WW's) Into a large cast iron pot, or even suspend it over a large cast iron pot, and then melt the lead into the pot. Afterwards ladle out the melted alloy, into a smaller more manageable sized ingot mould.


- Bullwolf

[Viper225]

Lots of good ideas. I will try the reciprocating saw first.
This is bullet lead sold to commercial casters. Seems pretty hard to me.
I have a wood splitter I can also try.

I may use up the rest of my WW lead before I start on the Ingots. I have I believe 5 ingots, and I think I can come up with a couple more a buddy bought, and I am sure will not use.

Thanks for the ideas.

Bob R

[snowtigger]

I've used worm drive Skilsaw to cut everything from pure lead to linotype. It is so easy, it is scary. For thicker slabs, I use a 12" DeWalt radial arm saw.

[tenx]

had some larger bars, cut them with a chop saw that happened to have a carbide blade on it, cut like butter. i would go slow anyway, no reason to get hurt.............

[Walter Laich]

my buddy just cut up a couple of big slabs using a Skil saw. He said it made a bunch of chips but wasn't too hard. Wear ear protection.

I have cut up a 30 lb piece on band saw. Hardest part was moving it. I used two 1/2 x 5" pieces of wood under each size (one on each side of blade) and pushed the wood into the blade. Not too much waste and went slow without a problem

[lightman]

If I had a wood splitter I would forget the saw. There would be less chances of an accident and no chips to collect. Actually this sounds like a good excuse to get a smelting set-up going!

[44man]

I had 75# ingots. I drilled a hole in the end and hung it over my pot with my deer hoist at the barn. I lowered it as it melted and when the pot was full, I could raise it. Works like a charm.

[DerekP Houston]

iirc my ingots are 55kg....I tried the axe and hacksaw method, definitely too slow for my taste. turkey fryer and a large smelting pot was much easier just took a long time for the lead to start melting in an empty pot. turned them into a bunch of muffin tin ingots that fit perfect in the lee pot.

[Half Dog]

I usually am not in a hurry and I look for ways to stay busy. I use a chisel and a good sized hammer to break down big pieces.

[rwadley]

I've used an axe, too.

[Yodogsandman]

FYI, beeswax works well as a lube to prevent the blade on a saw from sticking. Apply it to the blade.

[gwpercle]

The absolute easiest way is not cutting but melting in a big pot and casting into ingots that will fit into your pot.
I had some pieces that were 36 inches long X 18 inches wide X 8 inches thick. Pure soft lead. Had them for years and tried various methods to "cut" them up. Even tried chain saw. I was getting low on lead and needed that lead in smaller ingots ...some of it was 25 years old, I just didn't need it before now.
Last weekend I got out the turkey frying propane burner rig, a lead melting pot , thank goodness it was a bit wider than the 18 inch width of the biggest pieces , I put some small lead in the bottom , got on my thick welders gloves , turned on the heat and stood there, holding the 36 inch long "log" on end...after things got hot, that rascal melted in no time, surprised me how quick and easy it was.....way easier than the saw !
Pretty soon all was melted and I cast them into my mini-muffin pan ingots...now I got lead again.
Believe me a saw gets old fast .