Cutting Lead Ingots

[Coyote Roper]

I need advice on how to reduce the size of some lead ingots. I tried to melt them down but that didn't work. They are to big to fit into my electric bottom pour pot.

What is the best way to cut these ingots down to size?

The ingots are about 2 1/2in square by 5in long.

I don't have any other means to melt them down besides my small electric pot.

[squid1230]

Bandsaw -nice and slow so as not to melt the lead between the teeth.

[oneokie]

Sharp chisel and a big hammer.

[geargnasher]

Some use an axe, some use a chainsaw, I have used a reciprocating ("Sawzall") saw with a coarse woodcutting blade in it to slice pigs for the smelter.

Gear

[briang]

A maul and a sledge.

[Down South]

Good old chopin axe with ingot set on a thick piece of wood.

[SciFiJim]

"Saw, Axe, Maul & wedge" You guys are working too hard. Use a small propane torch to melt it into smaller chunks. If you don't want to melt it above you pot, then melt in slowly onto concrete and then pick up the melted chunks.

[geargnasher]

"Saw, Axe, Maul & wedge" You guys are working too hard. Use a small propane torch to melt it into smaller chunks. If you don't want to melt it above you pot, then melt in slowly onto concrete and then pick up the melted chunks.

You must have one heck of a propane torch. Lead transmits head very, very well and you just about have to heat the whole chunk at once to near melting temp get it to melt at any one point, in my experience (talking 20-75lb pieces, though).

Plasma torch works on 1/2" sheet lead but if you use one you WILL meet the Tinsel Faery's kid sister Tin Foil, and she will make your legs and boots look like something from T3.

Oxy/acetylene torch with cutting tip works too, but you're better off using a rosebud tip and melting the lead directly into smaller blobs.

One of my crazy redneck friends cut up some lead theatre curtain counterweights into fourths with his 30-'06 and ap rounds by shooting through them edgewise.


FWIW,

Gear
Gear

[hammerhead357]

If you use the cutting torch be aware of the fumes. The lead is vaporized and breathing it is bad. I don't know about using the plasma cutter but would think it would be the same. Do it out side and be careful....Wes
My advise would be to break down and spend the money for a turkey frier burner and a cast iron dutch oven and melt them down in that and recast them is ingots that you can use in your electric pot......Wes

[Jim]

Bandsaw -nice and slow so as not to melt the lead between the teeth.

I've tried that more than a few times. If you can get it to work, you know something I don't.

[DLCTEX]

I've used an axe, circular saw with carbide blade, reciprocating saw, and tin snips (lead sheeting). Easiest was the circular saw cutting over a drop cloth to catch the cuttings.

[high standard 40]

I agree with getting a cast iron pot and melting and pouring into usable ingots. This will also serve the funtion of giving you the opportunity to flux and clean up the metal before you intoduce it into your casting pot. A win-win.

[fecmech]

I'm with Dale on this one. I used my $99. Ryobi table saw with 10" carbide blade to cut up a lead ingot 24" long, 6" wide and 3" thick. It took about 5 minutes. Wear a face shied or saftey goggles, lead "sawdust" really stings! I set the saw on top of a plastic tarp to catch the "sawdust". It wasn't any harder to cut the lead than plain old 4x4 posts.

[geargnasher]

If you use the cutting torch be aware of the fumes. The lead is vaporized and breathing it is bad. I don't know about using the plasma cutter but would think it would be the same. Do it out side and be careful....Wes
My advise would be to break down and spend the money for a turkey frier burner and a cast iron dutch oven and melt them down in that and recast them is ingots that you can use in your electric pot......Wes

Trust me, I took adequate precautions and don't plan on ever doing either again, I was just experimenting one time.

The fryer burner/dutch oven is great except you can't melt a 55lb pig in one, it will sit in there (propped up) for days without melting unless you heat it from the top, too. One really has to cut up those big pieces into smaller chunks to melt them down efficiently without using a pear burner or rosebud. In fact, trying to get several pigs melted in a dutch oven is how I discovered the sawzall trick. Any hardened blade will work, though.

Gear

[fredj338]

I agree with getting a cast iron pot and melting and pouring into usable ingots. This will also serve the funtion of giving you the opportunity to flux and clean up the metal before you intoduce it into your casting pot. A win-win.

This is the best way IMO. I have tried diff. cutting methods & it's just way too much work. The chain saw I have not tried & soem say it works well.

[Coyote Roper]

Thanks for all the input, I guess I'll get a pot and a heat source now. Seems to be the only way to go.

[ra_balke]

I ran into the same problem.

What I did was to put them in a vice, then cut a deep line ( 1/4 in deep ) into them with a hacksaw, then I gave them a good heavy wack with a heavy hammer.

[ra_balke]

Another thing you can do, is to melt them in a coffie can on the kitchen stove, then pour them into a cheep lee ingot mould.

[wallenba]

Are these the commercially available type that are in sections like the ones sold by Midway? If so, take a large chisel for cutting metal, not wood. Score a line between each section then flip it over. Place the chisel over the spots that have chiseled on the other side. Strike with a heavy hammer and they will break at the parting lines. Beats having lead flying off your saw blades.

[WildmanJack]

Or you could put the ingot in the pot, turn on the turkey fryer, then hook up a weed burner to another propane tank and heat it from the top. It'll all melt down into the pot. Weed burners are pretty cheap at Home Depot or Lowe's and if your getting lead that big then it would pay you to buy one.. Just my humble opinion...
Jack

[kendall yates]

I have an 18 volt cordless DeWalt circular saw that will cut up to about 3 inches deep. It works great on lead and the blade never seems to get dull. I cut a bunch of lead the other day then needed to cut some wood and it was still sharp as new.

[tactikel]

My only caution would be that using a toothed saw to cut lead may create lead dust/particles, and may pose a health hazard. Doing this in doors IMHO could expose anyone in the structure to lead poisoning.
Using a plasma torch or cutting torch to cut lead could also create lead vapor and should never be done indoors without extreme ventilation. I have only used WW and ingot lead (Rotometals of course!) and have never had to chop up a 50 lb plus pig, but just want to point out potentially hazardous practices as i see them.
Always use the lowest temp possible to achieve satisfactory results.

[Dale53]

>>>The fryer burner/dutch oven is great except you can't melt a 55lb pig in one, it will sit in there (propped up) for days without melting unless you heat it from the top, too.<<<

I beg to differ. I recently melted 650 lbs of bullet metal that came in ingots that weighed from 60-85 lbs with out a problem. The first one took a bit of time (better than 30 minutes as their was little contact with the pot - just the edges). However, after the first one was melted it was no problem at all. We did the whole 650 lbs in about three hours total including set up.

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/QWinter2009andleadsmelting-1767.jpg

http://i269.photobucket.com/albums/jj80/Dale53/QWinter2009andleadsmelting-1771.jpg

That is the ONLY way I will do it in the future. Safe and relatively painless.

Dale53

[zxcvbob]

Best thing I found for cutting up a 50# pig was a carpenter's handsaw. (good exercise, too!) I wouldn't want to have to cut up a bunch of 'em that way.

I would probably cut the first one in half, then do it Dale's way.

[inuhbad]

I just use a regular hacksaw (hand saw) with a 'heavy metal' cutting blade.

Dirt cheap, and it works.

That's how I cut down thick lead pipe to fit in to my cast iron smelting pot & scavenge / salvage scrap lead and cast my own smaller ingots.

[hoosierlogger]

I have heard a log splitter works well too. I always cut them with a chainsaw though.

[yodar]

I agree with getting a cast iron pot and melting and pouring into usable ingots. This will also serve the funtion of giving you the opportunity to flux and clean up the metal before you intoduce it into your casting pot. A win-win.


http://pic20.picturetrail.com:80/VOL1229/6309647/12253703/349433806.jpg

works in Lee 10 and 20 # pots stand on end and stores easily

yodar