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Thread: How to cut THICK lead plates?

  1. #21
    Boolit Grand Master

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    Quote Originally Posted by MaryB View Post
    They make a pruning blade for Sawzall's that goes through lead like butter and the huge teeth don't load up...
    those work great with a cordless on bushes and small limbs.
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  2. #22
    Boolit Master
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    My quick and dirty lead cutter on sheet, hatchet for thinner, AXE for thicker. 10
    10 gauge: as per Robert Ruark, "use enough gun"

    MOLON LABE

    "I have a list, and am prepared for widespread civil disorder!" 10 ga

  3. #23
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    Quote Originally Posted by 10 ga View Post
    My quick and dirty lead cutter on sheet, hatchet for thinner, AXE for thicker. 10
    Absolutely, use an axe.

  4. #24
    Boolit Grand Master Tripplebeards's Avatar
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    I had a friend cut up some for me with a cement type cutting blade on what looked like an industrial circular saw.

  5. #25
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    Quote Originally Posted by labradigger1 View Post
    Wood splitter, no chainsaw shavings either.
    Hydraulic Wood splitter...I have a little story.
    While this doesn't help the OP, unless he has a small electric splitter that can be brought to the level where the Lead plates are?

    Yesterday, I tried the woodsplitter (on Lead) for the first time.

    About 4 years ago, I bought 450 lbs of dimensional Lead. This is pure lead used by a manufacturer for some product they were making. What I got was the "drops" (Scrap leftover pieces) were 1/2" thick and 1" to 4" wide and four feet long, some were thinner. There was one piece that was 1/2" thick that was two foot by four foot..that was Heavy !

    I mangled the large piece while I was figuring out how to cleanly cut and not bend the thick lead sheet. Once I got it figured out...
    Two hours later, I had 4 buckets of Ingot sized pieces. It sure beats melting 400+ lbs of Lead and pouring ingots.
    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
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  6. #26
    Boolit Grand Master In Remembrance
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    IdealGas Propane Torch Kit — 500,000 BTU


    https://www.northerntool.com/shop/to...iABEgK6B_D_BwE
    Regards
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  7. #27
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    Applying that kind of heat directly to lead is a guaranteed way to send lead oxides and vaporized lead into the air we breathe. While it's fast and it works, it's not recomended. As casters we want too live long ehough to shoot the lead we melt.
    Information not shared. is wasted.

  8. #28
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    This is a nice problem to have

    I would use a worm drive with the coarsest blade I had, well lubed and something to catch shavings.

    remember a good respirator, eye, and ear protection and an outer garment you can remove and bag so you don't drag shavings everywhere.

  9. #29
    Boolit Master

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    Guard a drop zone and throw them out the window? Demo debris gets thrown down all the time...

  10. #30
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    Silvercreek farmer, i can tell you did not read the original post. He has to haul them up a few flights of stairs............. Meaning they are in the basement.

  11. #31
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    Quote Originally Posted by Silvercreek Farmer View Post
    Guard a drop zone and throw them out the window? Demo debris gets thrown down all the time...
    To Thomas Jefferson: It's America! We can have our plows AND our guns!
    Just not our Doctors....

    BTW- your senator Graham just made my Hero list...
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  12. #32
    Boolit Master rsrocket1's Avatar
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    I wish I had a wood splitter. A sawzall does fine. Use any kind of lubricant in the saw slot as it's cutting and it will be a lot easier. I use WD40 with the applicator straw simply because of the applicator straw. I also use one of those free Harbor Freight tarps to catch the lead "sawdust". It usually adds up to just over a pound of lead.




  13. #33
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    Quote Originally Posted by rsrocket1 View Post
    I wish I had a wood splitter. A sawzall does fine. Use any kind of lubricant in the saw slot as it's cutting and it will be a lot easier. I use WD40 with the applicator straw simply because of the applicator straw. I also use one of those free Harbor Freight tarps to catch the lead "sawdust". It usually adds up to just over a pound of lead.



    A bigger pot would be cheaper than a woodsplitter and eliminate most of the cutting.

  14. #34
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    The excellent Mr. Pardini makes a good point. My Lee and RCBS pots have a maximum diameter of four inches and, having curved rims, that means most items need to be comfortably under that. The cut propane tank pot D Crockett sold me is twelve inches across and will take most of the scrap lead I find without cutting.

    That being said, I did score some half inch sheet lead about 24" by 60" that I cut into chunks about 8" by 10" using a Sawzall and counter rotating dual blade circular saw. The dual blade saw was a lot easier, but the Sawzall could make deeper cuts and work any funny angles. Both threw chips like crazy.

  15. #35
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    They built a new hospital and when they tore down the old one (my wife works there) I was offered the lead from the xray room. I had a BUNCH of it. So much that I quit taking it. It was in sheets like you have, some had drywall glued to it and some was sandwiched in the doors. The drywall thin stuff was a piece of cake with a saws all or better yet a skill saw. The doors I found the trick to them was leaving them out in the snow all winter and the wood kind of got wet and warped and pealed away from the lead. It was thin and easy to cut or even roll up and cut into sections with a chain saw. The thick stuff like you have hands down the chain saw was the tool. I cut up a BUNCH of it all with the same old saw with the same blade and only sharpened it once. It would cut through it not much harder then it would hardwood. Only disadvantage is you loose a bit of lead in the shavings when cutting but I had so much I didn't much care about a couple lbs of shavings. If your conserned put down an old sheet and put a set of saw horses on that and then do your cutting. I ended up with over 2 tons of lead and probably left that much there because I just got tired of doing it. Your pretty lucky though. there building a new hospital I a niegboring town (bigger town) right now. I asked about the lead. (they have multiple x ray rooms and ct scan rooms). they said that the removal of it is monitored by osha and they have to document every bit of it and send it to a hazardous waste facility. they said they wish they could give it away because it will cost serious money to dispose of it all but couldn't even sell it to me if I offered them a 100 bucks a lb for it.

  16. #36
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I would like to hear how the OP came out on this project. Hopefully it was a great score for him.

  17. #37
    Boolit Bub Rubino1988's Avatar
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    I used a torch to cut .75 in make sure you have a drip catcher under

  18. #38
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    I'd move them with a two wheeled hand truck and do the cutting at home.
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  19. #39
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    The pipefitters added a new layer of lead shielding 2'' thick to a HI RAD pipe line at SRS in 2013. ALL the cuts to the shielding were done with an ELECTRIC CHAIN SAW...They didn't let me keep any of the shavings I did however see a sample of the lead wool they used to fill the seams/cracks. Best stuff l have EVER seen for removing rust from blue steel

  20. #40
    Boolit Grand Master

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    I was hoping that dangerranger made a good haul from this and would maybe post some pictures.

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BP Bronze Point IMR Improved Military Rifle PTD Pointed
BR Bench Rest M Magnum RN Round Nose
BT Boat Tail PL Power-Lokt SP Soft Point
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