Question on how to salvage lead.

[Jeremy Horn]

Hi all. I've been reading the forum for some time now but just recently got an account. I've learned a ton. Thanks.

A friend of mine runs a bowling pin shoot at a local range. He collects the pins and has given them all to me saying that there is a lot of good lead in them. The club he shoots at has a lot of casters so its mostly cast lead.

My question is do any of you have any ideas on how best to get the lead out of them? Some are pretty shot up and I can just shake them and bang them on the ground and a pound of lead will fall out. Others I have to take a hatchet to and I don't want to spend the time on them.

My only ideas are either a log splitter or, maybe, a wood chipper.

Do the experts here have any input?

Thanks guys

Jeremy

P.S. I wasn't sure if this was the right forum to post this in. If not, I'm sorry

[RP]

A Fire lead melts wood fluxes

[00buck]

Yep.. I would make a bowling pin camp fire

[btroj]

Take them to the range, put em on a berm and shoot them. I shoot one up each time I go to the range. With a 357 leveracrion I can destroy one in well under 50 rounds at 50 yards. Mihec 359640 HP over 13 gr 2400 does quite ajob on them. The lead then falls out.

If you want a different way then use something to cut the plastic cover off, the wood inside is probably busted up enough to fall apart easily.

A fire would work but would take some time. Still need to remove plastic cover or it will stink big time.

[John in WI]

I just had a thought. I rember seeing in a book, a mountain man collecting lead from galena over an open fire. It looked like the fire was on top of big flat rocks that were placed slanted. The lead would melt and funnel itself out of the fire and into a pool on the ground.

I wonder if you could do that? Maybe get a sheet of metal and prop it up on one end, and build the bolwing pin fire on the high end. Then the lead should melt and roll off down the slope. An old car hood would be perfect!

[Oreo]

I agree. Burn them on a piece of sheet metal. Doesn't have to be fancy though. It'll be easy enough to pick the lead out of the ashes. The sheet metal just kkeeps the lead out of the dirt which should save some work.

Oh, and don't roast any marshmallows over that fire.

[Jeremy Horn]

Great ideas guys. I'll give it a try. Thanks.

[TheGrimReaper]

Yep.. I would make a bowling pin camp fire

This is exactly what I've done. Works pretty good!!!

[Echo]

Corrugated steel? Built-in funnels...

[dnmccoy]

I would second the idea of the camp fire!

[bigjason6]

Corrugated steel? Built-in funnels...

+1 on that!!!

[bld451]

I'd get permission, a screen and a shovel and hit the berm behind. Seems at all the pin matches I have shot, FAR more lead will end up in the berm, and it's less work to get out.

Don't get downwind if you burn them with plastic on. Nasty stuff in that smoke.

Could peel them and burn em in a fireplace? Seems like good hardwood under the plastic.