Telephone cable washers

[richbug]

I came into possession of #50 or so of washers which were used to seal junction boxes on lead sheathed phone cable. They measure at a BHN of 7 to 8. According to my chart, that would be a 30 to 1 or so. They seem much stiffer than that.


My buddy who is an old time lineman told me these were just melted in with no extra solder added.

Any body come across these before and know what they are?

No idea on a density or melt temp yet.

[ronbo]

Yes I know what they are as I am a retired telephone cable splicer. The lead in these is pretty soft. They were used above ground and lots in underground telephone cable manholes in splice cases of various sizes. Some were of cast iron and smaller ones of aluminum and later plastic splice cases up to 44 inches long. The underground cables often had paper insulation and the cables were under dry air pressure 10 to 12 lbs pumped from tel office dry air compressors. The washers were used in pairs around tel cables with sealing tape between the washers. The splice cases were sealed with sealing tape all around and bolted down air tight. Why my hearing is shot from working in small concrete manholes with air wrenches wrapping away on bolts. The lead washers disappeared in the 70's replaced by easier to handle plastic washers in the 80's.

[3006guns]

ronbo.....you and I share the exact same background, from the same era. Ah, paper and pulp cable...those were the days.

The lead sealing washers started to disappear from our splicing garage, along with a lot of lead sleeving, just about the time the muzzle loading craze really caught on. Strange, isn't it?

[Roundnoser]

3006guns / Ronbo-- I just acquired a few hundred pounds of lead phone cable sheathing, washers, end caps, etc. Ive been melting them down together. Has there been a consensus as to the likely harndess of this lead? I think its a little harder than dead-soft, but not as hard as mixed WWs. Richbug mentioned a 7 or 8 BHN. Sound about right?

Also, part of this supply contained a lead pipe (it had been split open and and pounded out flat). Was thicker than the other lead sheathing. It was at least 1/4 in. thick. Would this have been used somewhere in the phone cable busniess also? Thanks.

[Longwood]

This reminds me of when I was a kid and needed something to shot in my first little home made cannon.
I found a keg of the sheetmetal roofing nails that had a lead washer on them. Little did I know that my dad was planning on reroofing the barn. Yep, you guessed it,,, I caught hell for using some of the washers.
Hey,,,,, that reminds me. I was thinking I have been casting for 20 plus years. Make that over 50. I used two pieces of well seasoned oak with some holes drilled in the top piece for a mold and used home made black powder or the red and white stuff shaved from wood match heads for propellant.
Would ya believe I can still see out of both eyes and still have all of my fingers?