What's in lead pipe?

[303Guy]

Found some 4" lead pipe at the scrap metal shop. It rings when tapped and is not as soft as lead drain pipe (the under sink kind). Any idea what might be in it? I'm going back tomorrow to get the rest of it.

[DLCTEX]

The largest lead pipe I have found is 2 inch and it was dead soft. Interested to know how it melts.

[runfiverun]

lead extrudes just fine with antimony in it.

[fryboy]

lead pipe can be any of several alloys or even pure lead ( the joints of course are usually solder ) it is true that most is pure but there's no hard and fast rule , i mite suggest a hardness test ( even with the pencils ) or a xrif ( or what ever abbv. that is the xray scan they use ) the latter is about the only sure way to know [shrugz]

[Grump]

What's in it?

Depends on where it the house it was.

Smaller diameter stuff has aqua pura.

Larger diameter stuff hass aqua poopa.

Start your melt from a cold pot. Do it outdoors if the pipe was connected to the poopa pot.

[303Guy]

This stuff was painted like it was exposed outside a building and looks like the top end of poopa pipe, complete with the lead flashing soldered in place where it went through the roof. It melted very rapidly when added to the casting pot and had no bad smell (thank goodness). Actually, the inside was quite clean. For near pure lead it has quite good mechanical strength. Anyway, I now have 40 lbs of it. I should weigh my pewter to see how much of that I have.

[Jim]

This stuff was painted like it was exposed outside a building and looks like the top end of poopa pipe, complete with the lead flashing soldered in place where it went through the roof.....

That was a vent riser off a waste stack. Nothin' to worry about, you're fine.