lead mallets

[tuckerdog]

Got hold of three lead mallets from 1 lb to 10 lb and about 50 yrs old. Anyone have an idea what compisition they might be? They seem to bee fairly soft.

[2wheelDuke]

Lead hammers can run the gamut. My dad's got one that somebody made him back when the newspaper used lead plates. It's most likely the same stereotype lead that they had around.

A good lead hammer is worth more as a hammer than it is melted down IMO.

[bumpo628]

To answer your question, they are probably pure lead.

However, I wouldn't melt those down.
If you want lead, those things will sell like hotcakes on the swapping & selling forum.

[uscra112]

Could be anything. We used to make our own at the machine tool company I worked for years ago. Melted whatever we could lay hands on - old pipe, wheel weights, plumber's lead, solder scraps, you name it.

[Bob Krack]

Place an ad with a photo or three and trade them for WW, Lino, or ?

You will be a winner and so will the person trading with you.

Bob

[fryboy]

i have a mold , i've used it with straight Pb , straight ww's and misc scrap lead , the pure Pb is really really soft and they bang up pretty quick but .... much better than what i was banging on getting banged up lolz , as long as i save my handle and the head tho i can remake it anytime i need too , i've used various things for handles from rebar to old gas pipe ( and quite a few things in between ) but like others have stated unless you know the ol boy whom made them they could be anything , if i ever get enough zinc saved i was going to try one of those too but to be fair i doubt that it'll be as non-marring

[Sonnypie]

At 50 years old, it is a pretty good guess they are close to pure lead.
50 years ago I remember watching Dad and a plumber putting together the cast iron, jute, and lead sewer pipes for the addition on the house.
They used pure lead poured over the jute, then when it hardened it was swedged (driven) down with a hammer and a blunt chisel lookin tool.
If it had been an alloy, it would have broken the cast iron pipe.
Pure lead was so common and easy to get, the only alloy guys were the reloaders.
And most of them used jacketed boolits. At least, I know we did.

I have a lead hammer in my tool box. I melted down a bunch of old fishing weights (one was about a 6 ounce) for the lead in them.
But I sure wouldn't melt down my hammer.