Can I count on an old lead drain pipe to be 100% lead or it’s it likely something was added to it?
Thanks
Can I count on an old lead drain pipe to be 100% lead or it’s it likely something was added to it?
Thanks
Almost pure, you can melt it and skim off any bad stuff BEFORE fluxing.
I agree, it should be close to pure.
The joints on the lead pipe contain a lot of tin. Melt that by itself and save for tin content.
Thanks for the conformation. I want to cast for slugging a couple of barrels.
Voice of experience: when melting lead pipe, keep holding the pipe in a vertical position as it completely submerges into the molten metal. There will be water trapped between the trash inside and the pipe. Not only this but if the pipe is allowed to fall over into the molten metal, the air inside the pipe will rapidly expand, blowing molten lead out of one or both ends of the pipe. No one likes a visit from the tinsel fairy.
Lead drain/sewer pipe is usually really, really nasty. It is however, excellent lead. Used to get a lot of it on remodels, don't see as much these days. Went and Jeffrey are both right.
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thank god for spell check as i can't spell at all. my 8 year old spells better than i do. never could spell very well and to old to worry about it know.
Found some lead gutter drain pipes removed from local court house, at my local scrap yard, only trash was silicone sealer in some of the cracks, this is pure lead and smelting loss was only about a pound from each 60# drain pipe. The silicone just floated on top of the melted lead.
The National Lead Company Catalog someone posted a year or so ago listed both soft and hard lead pipe. The hard lead was 3% antimony if I remember right. Might be pretty tough to tell the difference easily on old pipe.
Lead water pipe is great stuff if you can still find it.
I've melted lead drain pipe (some with lead traps)....its nasty stuff to melt...but once you skim and flux...what's left behind is real soft. I use it for round balls in the smokepole.
redhawk
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Heavy oxidation acts like insulation...l found it slow to melt
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 |
C | Compressed Charge | PR | Primer | SPCL | Soft Point "Core-Lokt" |
HP | Hollow Point | PSPCL | Pointed Soft Point "Core Lokt" | C.O.L. | Cartridge Overall Length |
PSP | Pointed Soft Point | Spz | Spitzer Point | SBT | Spitzer Boat Tail |
LRN | Lead Round Nose | LWC | Lead Wad Cutter | LSWC | Lead Semi Wad Cutter |
GC | Gas Check |