Lead, lead everywhere, and not a drop to cast...

[kevin c]

Went on a little trip to Europe. It was supposed to be a break from all the stuff back home, what with the sights, museums and such, but I guess once a lead scrounger, always a lead scrounger.

Ah, Cologne Cathedral, the largest Gothic church in Northern Europe. All I can remember is the lead sheathed roof.

One of the largest church organs in the world is in the Passau Cathedral, with 17,774 pipes, the largest of which is 32 feet long and weighs close to 700 pounds. I perked up when the description noted that the pipes are kept shiny and have improved tone from all the tin added to the lead alloy.

Marksburg Castle overlooks the Rhine, and has a meticulously refurbished interior, including a forge, armory and quarters for the lord and lady. What I took pictures of were the dozens of pewter platters in the kitchen.

The Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam has a copy of the 2000 year old Greco-Roman statue of Laocoon and his sons. The original is marble, and I've seen it. The Dutch version is lead. Instead of comparing the two, it set me to wondering if Laocoon & company would make more musket balls than George III.

Also in Amsterdam, I wandered through a flea market, where I had the opportunity to buy souvenir windmills, skates, wooden clogs, marijuana lollipops, and ... yessir, you guessed it, second hand pewter.

Well, I got my R and R, along with some history, culture and second hand pot smoke (more common there than even here on the Left Coast). Time to get casting!

P.S. No, I did not buy the pewter; the price was too high and I didn't have room in my luggage what with the stroop waffles and smoked gouda cheese. Besides SWMBO would have justifiably slapped me upside my head ;^D.

[lightman]

That sounds like a great trip. I too notice the lead on the roofs of old buildings. Places like New Orleans and Charleston are loaded with lead. Probably the same in most older historical cities.

[kevin c]

Yeah, but the owners of those roofs don't appreciate them the way we casters do!

[Silvercreek Farmer]

Really wanted some European pewter to add to the pot, but didn't see any priced right. I did kick a piece of debris on the road in Paris that looked like lead, just to check, but it wasn't;(

[kevin c]

You weren't close enough to Notre Dame...

(Sorry, couldn't stop my mouth or fingers. I've seen Notre Dame, and its burning is a great loss. But I did read that the lead roof literally came streaming down during the fire).

[sw282]

You weren't close enough to Notre Dame...

(Sorry, couldn't stop my mouth or fingers. I've seen Notre Dame, and its burning is a great loss. But I did read that the lead roof literally came streaming down during the fire).

What truly amazes me about the Notre Dame fire is no Firemen were injured from all that WATER and MELTING lead..

[mto7464]

was in a church in london that was partially burned in the "blitz". I seemed to be the only one that noticed the melted lead/pewter running down a wall on the staircase to the basement.