Be Careful when Melting Lead Water Pipe!

[deltaenterprizes]

About 20 years ago I had a source for used lead water pipe and had cut the wiped joints with plans to reclaim the 50/50 solder.
The wiped joints were submerged in a flood 15 years ago and today wipe reclaiming the solder a couple fizzed because they still had a small amount of water in them!
I only allow enough melted solder to cover half of the joint and then flip it to let the other half melt so that the joint is never totally submerged, avoiding a visit from the Tinsel Fairy!
Be careful with any lead that has gotten wet, water can get trapped in unusual places and can cause problems!

[Winger Ed.]

I used to get a lot of sheet lead that had been rolled up like a newspaper.
After a couple of 'episodes', I quit putting into a molten pot.

I put cut off sections of it in a cold pot, let it heat up & melt, stir, skim, then pour it into a mold.
Let what's left cool enough to solidify, and repeat.

Its slow, but I haven't gotten any new scars from doing it that way.

[trebleplink]

I cut it into 6 inch sections on a table saw, and line them up next to the melt pot. I use my propane torch to preheat them, then blow the flame through the pipe. After sitting for 4-5 minutes, I put them in the pot. So far, so good.

[kevin c]

I found another reason to cut lead pipe into short sections: some of it had a lot of deposits inside. The, ah, "organic" debris burns off (try not to stand downwind), but calcium and other minerals don't. Yes, they'll float and can be skimmed off, but I'd rather reduce the chance of particulates staying in the alloy by not letting them into the melt in the first place.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

Lead water service pipe can be chopped into short pieces easily with a hatchet. Then fill up the smelting pot and turn on the gas. Stay away until it has all melted. Then flux it real good with sawdust and skim off the crud. Do not add more pieces to a molten pot.

[lightman]

Molten lead is nothing to take chances with! Never add cold material to molten lead. You may get away with it for years but eventually the Fairy will visit you.

[Martin Luber]

Pipe deposits and oxidation are also good insulation so pipe l have melted, didn't want to melt.

I could add it to molten lead provided an open end was up.

[nightwolf1974]

We dry or lead that is stored outside with compressed air, and let sit in the sunlight for a week before making ingots.

[robg]

cut it into 6 inch pieces with a hatchet put it in a cold pot then heat