Large sheets of lead

[Slatewiper]

I have a friend who works for the phone company and has access to scrap lead that comes in sheets about .25" thick and about 24" to a side. What would be the easiest way to cut these down so they would fit in a furnace? Thanks

[375RUGER]

I'm guessing it's pure. On 1/4"a wide chisel will work, sawsall, circular saw. I've used a chainsaw on large hunks and radial miter saw.

[dbosman]

If the cutter has large hands, a large set of tin snips works. I have to make the cuts one slice at a time since mine are not quite large enough.

[jonas302]

power wood splitter if you happen to have one otherwise a stump and nice sharp axe would shear it to pieces Or get bigger smelting pot folded in about half it would fit in a propane tank smelter

[KCSO]

Set them on a block of wood and whack them with an ax...works for me.

[imashooter2]

Set them on a block of wood and whack them with an ax...works for me.

Yep. Roll them, stomp the rolls flat, hack them off with an axe or hatchet.

[ohiomadman]

I have cut up a lot of sheet lead from drywall used in X-ray room over the years. Use a utility knife with a new blade.

Just score the lead a couple of times, bend it back and forth a couple of times and it tears apart. Easy Peezie.

[Iowa Fox]

When I came by some sheet lead just like you describe I used a sharp hatchet to cut while holding the edge off the ground. Once you make the first slit its easy to keep it moving. Then I roll the cut off strips into small rolls to store for the pot at next smelt. Then into ingots. No lead waste when you cut it with a hatchet.

[runfiverun]

the 1/4" stuff is hard to cut with tin snips.
the razor blade and bend works pretty well.
I usually roll it up and pound it flat with a 6 or 8 lb hammer then cut it into 6" lengths with the porta-band.

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Find a bigger pot?

[Hardcast416taylor]

I salvaged an X-ray rooms walls once that were lead with drywall. If it wasn`t bad enough getting the drywall off it was the paper stuck the lead to contend with. Anyway I used a 6 lb. mini sledge and kept folding it over and hammering it flat till I had a block that fit my smelt pot and then rendered it down. The fumes of the paper burning off and the glue on it kept me a good distance up wind of the pot.Robert

[phonejack]

I'm retired from the phone company. The scoring and bending works. Your friend also has access to something else. We called it encapsulant. A two part mix poured into splices. It's sets up in 24 hrs. It's also know as BALLISTIC GEL ! ( and its reuseable, just mix and pour more into into a bulle hole )

[William Yanda]

Could you roll it?

[robg]

Roll it up and use a hatchet to cut it up to handy lengths

[lightman]

Thats a Good Score and a good friend!

I still get phone company lead occasionally and I've used all of the methods listed above. I prefer to smash it until it fits my smelting pot. You can cut it with a chisel, a hand saw, power saw, ax, hatchet, just about anything. A large air compressor and a air chisel works ok. If you use a saw arrange to catch the chips.

Phone company lead is probably not pure but is very soft. Probably in the 98% range. I've shot a lot of in in Black Powder rifles.

[quilbilly]

What a score! Congratulations! If it was isotope lead sheets which are much thinner, I use my gardening hand hedge shears but I don't know about .25" sheets.

[flint45]

I used an ax it worked for me 1/4 in thick pure lead ax went rite through layed on a 4x4 post.

[nun2kute]

I am SERIOUSLY JEALOUS you have that problem ...

[country gent]

A circular saw with a fine toothed blade would cut it quickly also. A little light oil or kerosene to lubricate it so the saw slides easy and the lead dosnt gauld