Sharing Simple Method to Cut 1/2" Lead Plate

Had a bunch of 1/2" sheet laying around and tired of moving it again and again but too big to melt in my cast iron pot. Read lots of suggestions for cutting methods, axe, saws-all, chainsaw. Wanted it in 4" wide strips.

Thought of something I do not recall previously reading and it worked great. After cutting up wood pallets from my former place of work with a worm drive skill saw, cheap one from Harbor Frieght, gave that a try. Walked right through it, not much more difficult than cutting up the skids. Used the finer tooth carbide tipped blade that came with the saw (less after cutting a through a few nails in the pallets) and made a sheet metal hood to go over and in front of the saw to keep chips down and close. Most chips fell directly down, easy to clean up.

Thought I would share this.

I have used a heavy circular saw to cut aluminum and lead one thing that helps a lot is a light wipe of oil where the saw rides, wax may even help it to slide easily along. Be sure to wear a face shield as the chips are sharp. If you have a decent table saw it works good and cuts downward so chips are captured

It was suggested here by somebody to use a counter rotating dual bladed circular saw. Works great. Lots of chips, though. Still, it was much better than trying to hammer a hatchet through the 1/2" plate I was cutting, and still better than a Sawzall (maybe it was just my lousy technique, but I got tired of the teeth rattling chatter).

I just cut up a bunch of xray room drywall lead that had been rolled up into pieces a couple inches thick so they would fit in my smelt pot. They cut like butter on my $100. table saw with the blade that came with it. I set the saw on a tarp for the chips and pulled the pieces toward me against the blade rotation to avoid the chips. It was the same as cross cutting a 2x4.

i put large pieces on top of my cast iron pot and hit it with a weed burner. no chips, drips right in until it fits. biggest piece so far 4 ft x 4 ft 1/4 inch thick. before that I would use the weed burner to cut the pieces to fit and let the lead cool on the ground, picked it up in one piece to put in the pot. I am not much of cutting and making a bigger mess..

I had to get some lead anodes cut up for testing. They run 1/2" to maybe 3/4" thick. I knew a chainsaw would work okay but the plant didn't have one so the technician got a circular saw and I squirted WD40 on the blade regularly. That worked amazingly well. Not as messy as a chainsaw either.

I have used a circular saw with the blade reversed, works quite well.

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Originally Posted by kevin c

It was suggested here by somebody to use a counter rotating dual bladed circular saw. Works great. Lots of chips, though. Still, it was much better than trying to hammer a hatchet through the 1/2" plate I was cutting, and still better than a Sawzall (maybe it was just my lousy technique, but I got tired of the teeth rattling chatter).

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Double rotating rotary saws cut smooth and clean, and do not loosen your fillings like a stupid reciprocal saw! I have several of both and they each have their place in my machine shops and wood shops. But for Pb, you cannot beat the double blade saw. And all the "sawdust" you catch on a tarp below where you are cutting and just melt it down. No loss at all. And all your fillings/implants are still in place!


You can cut Pb with just about any saw....carbide is MUCH better...but any good quality wood-cutting blade will walk right thru Pb. Don't push or the Pb will almost melt at the point of cutting and bog your saw down.....slow and easy does it until you get the feel of how Pb cuts with the blade you are using. And depending on the configuration of the saw and blade, you might be able to use some lube on the cut now and then.

banger

Log splitter's not bad for doubled up or thicker pieces. Worked well for me./beagle

Air chisel. No chips,no dust.

I used a wood cutting band saw which worked very well. lead chips were all inside the base of the saw and were easy to collect. Because of the narrow kerf there was not nearly as much as a skill saw makes.

The last sheet lead I had I took into the shop and ran thru the sheet metal shear. Made 2" X 4' strips real quick.

i used a hatchet