How do I work with this huge ingot?

[altitude_19]

So I picked up a bunch of "lead" from an estate sale, then I looked closer. The can had a huge plumber's solder ingot in the bottom. I was planning on needing solder for my alloy anyway, but I can't melt this thing in my Lee Production IV. How do you recommend I dissect this beast so I can actually use it?

[Treetop]

First of all, Altitude, welcome to the Cast Boolits forum, and congratulations on a really great "score"! There's enough tin in that ingot to "sweeten" many, many pounds of boolit alloy.

Other members will chime in, I'm sure, but the way I handle large ingots is buy using a "SawzAll" with a medium coarse blade on it. By that, I mean either a really coarse metal cutting blade or a very fine wood cutting blade. Also don't use too much downward pressure or the alloy will melt and gum up the teeth. Hope this helps... Tt.

[scattershot]

A handsaw will work, too...

[L1A1Rocker]

You could melt it down in an old cast iron skillet then poor it into/along a long peace of angle iron/aluminum. I do this creating a 3/8ths inch triangle rod. You then can snip off what you need to add to your alloy.

[D Crockett]

if I had that ingot I would put into a pot I made out of a 20lb propane tank and melt it and make smaller ingots out of it pm me I can make you all that you need as far as small ingot moulds and melting pot if you need them hope this helps D Crockett

[jonas302]

An axe or wood splitter, hydraulic press will all cut it pretty fast also

[Treetop]

An axe or wood splitter, hydraulic press will all cut it pretty fast also

Hydraulic wood splitter! I've got two of those cheap Harbor Freight splitters. Great idea, jonas302! Thanks, Tt.

[altitude_19]

I was thinking about my reciprocating saw...guess that'll do it. Roughly what do you think this bar's composition is?

[selmerfan]

It's too much for you to handle, send it to me, I'll dispose of it! :grin: Nice score!!!

[runfiverun]

i'd go with 50-50 but a google search could turn up something different

[darkroommike]

Bell wiping solder is 63/37. (I have one and I am going to save it for some very special occasion.) This is the stuff Ma Bell used for covering the lead that covered the splices. With solder I'll weigh a bar, then calculate how many inches to whack off for the needed alloy. Better than melting and remelting. BTW most of these melt at pretty low temps.

[Baja_Traveler]

I had a few 60lb bars of sailboat ballast, and I cut them up in useable chunks with my Macho Hammer Drill, set to impact mode and a 3" chisel bit. It made quick work of it.

[altitude_19]

What's the mixture reccomendation on this, then? 5% Bell, 95% lead? I'm just working on low velocity 38 and 45 rounds right now.

[badbob454]

that should work for them , altitude 19 . if the 45 is an auto, may need it harder lead for the feed ramp, in a 45 colt should work good for low velocity's

[bumpo628]

What's the mixture reccomendation on this, then? 5% Bell, 95% lead? I'm just working on low velocity 38 and 45 rounds right now.

If you used a mix of 1 lb 63/37 solder and 19 lbs pure lead, you would get an alloy with 3.15% tin. That seems a bit overkill for 38 & 45.

Here are a couple of other mixes so that you can find one you like:
16 oz 63/37 solder + 19.000 lbs pure lead = alloy with 3.15% tin
12 oz 63/37 solder + 19.250 lbs pure lead = alloy with 2.36% tin
8 oz 63/37 solder + 19.500 lbs pure lead = alloy with 1.58% tin
4 oz 63/37 solder + 19.750 lbs pure lead = alloy with 0.79% tin
2 oz 63/37 solder + 19.875 lbs pure lead = alloy with 0.39% tin

I would start low, cast a few, and see what works.

[fredj338]

I neve melt scrap of any kind in my casting pot, it's one reason the Lee will drip. Most guys are using some kind of heat source & large iron or steel pot for smelting. This also allows you to melt large over size chunks of alloy & then pour them into manageable size ingots for casting.

[USSR]

Wiping solder is 38/62, that is 38 tin/62 lead. I had several of those Bell Lab bars that I melted down into ingots.

Don

[Idaho Sharpshooter]

Bumpo686,

thanks for the 16oz formula ratio. I bought 12lbs of 63/37 from RandyRat last week, and it appears that 5lbs and 95lbs of pure lead should be about perfect by time I add two pounds of antimony.

Rich

[bumpo628]

Bumpo686,

thanks for the 16oz formula ratio. I bought 12lbs of 63/37 from RandyRat last week, and it appears that 5lbs and 95lbs of pure lead should be about perfect by time I add two pounds of antimony.

Rich

:drinks:

[WHITETAIL]

altitude 19, Welcome to the forum!
If that was my lead I would melt it
and mark it with steel numbers, then
try some of the mixtes that are posted
here.:2_high5:

[RidgerunnerAk]

Good find. I have an 80# block of pure lead from a foundry that I have chopped partially up with a sharp axe... it was a LOT of effort. It still weighs over 75#. Haven't whacked on it in decades. I like the wood splitter idea.