What to do with a huge lead block?

[PBSmith]

A guy up the road has a metal block that measures 12"x16"x8". I haven't seen it yet but he claims it's lead. He's offering it at a reasonable price.

If it is indeed lead I'd buy it from him. The obvious problem is moving the thing. That size of a lead block would weigh well over 600 lbs. So dividing it up into manageable pieces is the obvious problem, even if I did manage to transport it home.

Has anyone here dealt with this sort of challenge before? I've tried sawing smaller pieces of lead and that was a bear. I've also drilled 3/4" holes in a large chunk in an attempt to reduce it, but that too proved difficult. Cold chisel works on smaller pieces.

Any tips are welcome. Thought about going up there with a torch. Don't know if that would work or if seller wants lead running all over his garage.

[leebuilder]

Got a large lead dome from a friend. I managed but bearly. Ended up using a chain saw to reduce it to managble chunks.
axe and recip saw were was waste of effort and time.

[sqlbullet]

Chainsaw.

It should be a sticky.

[dpoe001]

someone dropped a parking block made of lead off at my brothers. with two of us we stood it on end then pushed it into my jeep.cut it in three pieces to melt it down,it looked kind of dangerous seeing a chunk of lead sticking out of my pot.

[depoloni]

A wise member here informed me that lube is key. Mineral spirits, kerosene, etc... with an aggressive-toothed blade (I used sawzall w/ carbide teeth) it cuts pretty good, doesn't bind. But then I didn't have a chainsaw handy at the time.

Stuff I cut up wasn't near as big as the block you're dealing with, but it worked pretty well - I was pleasantly surprised.

[country gent]

Beeswax and a saw with a wide kerf or set to the teeth works good. cut over a tarp or card board to catch the chips. Beeswax or paraffin will help to keep the saw from loading up. The wide kerf allows the blade on the saw to move freely trhu the cut. drilling holes first works but is the same issue as sawing the lead binds up the drill filling and sticking in the flutes unless a good lube is used on the drill. If you can load it and unload it a big steel pot and alot of heat melt and pour into ingots that can be easily handled.

[triggerhappy243]

If you were near me, i could pick it up with my front end loader. Also an idea... If you have a weed burner torch, you could melt off some, let it cool and pickup the pieces.

[owejia]

Bought a sail boat keel that weighed 1600#+, brought it home in pickup, used my tractor with front end loader to set inside of my shop and used a chain fall hanging from the ceiling joists to hang over a large smelting pot made from a 16" piece of pipe with a bottom and legs welded on to keep it off the floor, used a harbor freight weed burner with 20# propane tank and melted it. The smelting pot would hold almost 500 lbs. Melt and cast ingots, took a while but finally got finished. Ingot molds were made out of channel iron.

[30Carbine]

step 1 get into the bed of your pickup or a buddy's pickup. chain hoist cherry picker what ever you have available. got to the local meat head gym and lay down a challenge that a couple of them can't move this thing you will be in shock at what some of these guys will do for a challenge. I got 3 55 gallon drums full of wheel weights moved for me this way it really does work.
step 2 get a torch you or one of your buddy or someone you know has to have one, right.
step 3 melt it off into ingot molds muffin tins what ever you can get a hold of that will make it more manageable.
step 4 work smarter not harder

[WILCO]

A guy up the road has a metal block that measures 12"x16"x8". I haven't seen it yet but he claims it's lead. He's offering it at a reasonable price.

I'd pass on it. Use your cash to purchase a known alloy and be happy.

[paracordkydexcummins]

Bought a sail boat keel that weighed 1600#+, brought it home in pickup, used my tractor with front end loader to set inside of my shop and used a chain fall hanging from the ceiling joists to hang over a large smelting pot made from a 16" piece of pipe with a bottom and legs welded on to keep it off the floor, used a harbor freight weed burner with 20# propane tank and melted it. The smelting pot would hold almost 500 lbs. Melt and cast ingots, took a while but finally got finished. Ingot molds were made out of channel iron.

I remember reading that you had got that and I had thought about buying a boat just for the lead

[retread]

Get some scrap 1/8" plate and weld up a box type tank a little larger than the lead block the block tank up with cement block or weld legs on it to raise it enough to get a burner under it.

[duckey]

A sharp splitting mall has worked for me on large pieces of lead.

[Geezer in NH]

Chainsaw.

It should be a sticky.
uh to many stickys already IMHO half of a page needs to be scrolled to get by them

[RogerDat]

If you decide to use heat stick with weed burner or propane. Oxy Acetylene torch is too hot, vaporizes the lead and lead gasses are dangerous.

[lightman]

That would fit in my pot! I'd pick it up with my tractor and a set of skidder tongs and set that guy right in the pot. You would need a way to handle it, but a log splitter would make small pieces of it pretty quick.

[PBSmith]

Thanks, all, for your practical, informative, ingenious and sometimes amusing suggestions. Meathead gym - hmmmm. I've got two such facilities nearby, so maybe that's the easiest solution. At least to getting the thing into my garage.

WILCO, I read you on the balance of hassles in handling and questionable content vs. purchase of known alloy. The subject block is old, and I believe it is salvaged lead. If it consists mainly of wheel weights it will be a great score. Like others on this site, I'm running into walls when I try to beg or buy lead WW. Thus my interest in hacking on, whether by saw or by flame.

Appreciate the warnings about oxyacet temperatures. I'm thinking weedburner-on-the-floor if and when Bertha arrives. Then go to the pot with cooled puddles for ingot work.

Great education in your posts - thanks again.

[Echo]

Use the propane burner outside, and scratch out channels in the dirt for the melted lead to run into, like they did centuries ago for iron - big channel leading to other little channels, like piglets at a sows teats, which is where the term 'pig iron' came from. But the Pb might solidify sooner than the Fe did, so the concept could be modified. Maybe just one big channel, fill it, shut down the torch, lift the big ingot out, turn on the torch, repeat.

[PBSmith]

Thanks, Echo. Interesting story and suggestion. I wonder about moisture on or near the surface on to which the molten lead will flow. I was concerned about this even on the garage floor without some sort of overlay on the concrete in the event it should have unseen moisture. Or am I getting paranoid about water and molten lead?

[truckjohn]

Chainsaw with a normal log cutting chain is the ticket.

Lead is very soft and cuts real fast...
Won't hurt the steel blade so long as it is good and sharp...

Tip:
Never use that blade for cutting wood for the fireplace again....

[KYCaster]

Tip:
Never use that blade for cutting wood for the fireplace again....



Why not?

Jerry

[Echo]

Thanks, Echo. Interesting story and suggestion. I wonder about moisture on or near the surface on to which the molten lead will flow. I was concerned about this even on the garage floor without some sort of overlay on the concrete in the event it should have unseen moisture. Or am I getting paranoid about water and molten lead?
Dampness near the surface should be no problem, although there may be some bubbling going on. I don't see it as being a problem...

[badbob454]

i would get a propane tank cut it vertical lay it on its side put lead block in it, build a campfire around it , when lead is melted , move all the coals to the back side . and ladle into channel iron ingots , its easier to cut the propane tank than the lead ... trust me i have done both .../ now to pick it up? cherry picker and drill a hole in the lead use a chain and a heavy coarse thread lag bolt or hook ( read big ) lube the lag bolt and screw in a link in the chain and into the lead block cutting threads as you go as deeply as possible . ... save your back ..ow

[triggerhappy243]

Hey badbob. Why dont we just mozy on down there and grab that block and split it 50/50. I will bring the winch truck.

[Deadpool]

Liquid nitrogen and a sledgehammer. Or instead of liquid N, cover it with dry ice and get it frosty. Break the corners off, gradually eat into it until it's all in manageable sizes.

[triggerhappy243]

Oooooooooooooooooooooook, how bout them cowboys.

Everyone has access to liquid nitrogen.

[owejia]

I got liquid nitrogen from my welding suppy company. Of course that was back in the mid 80's.

[Alan in Vermont]

I was concerned about this even on the garage floor without some sort of overlay on the concrete in the event it should have unseen moisture.

Don't try it on naked concrete, it will probably spall violently, spitting concrete shards and lead bits all over the place.

I would try it with a skilsaw first, with the coarsest tooth and widest kerf you can find. I have cut big ingots, cast in an angle iron mold in half that way. If you had some sort of pan to set blockzilla in and a weed burner you could melt it a little at a time to get it into some manner of smaller blobs. I'm lucky in that I have made a bunch of angle iron molds that I think I could set the block on, or block the block up enough to get the molds under then melt it into the molds. Once you get the block started melting it goes pretty quickly with the weed burner.

You probably don't live near enough for it to work but I could get into helping make that block smaller.

[Sgt Petro]

Chainsaw really is the way to go. Even a cheap electric one will be faster than torching, heating, chopping or melting it on site. Have someone drip some lubricate into the kerf as you cut. Mind you, it still won't be a fast process, but it will be controllable, consistent and steady.

[fresch]

Go get one.

A guy up the road has a metal block that measures 12"x16"x8". I haven't seen it yet but he claims it's lead. He's offering it at a reasonable price.

If it is indeed lead I'd buy it from him. The obvious problem is moving the thing. That size of a lead block would weigh well over 600 lbs. So dividing it up into manageable pieces is the obvious problem, even if I did manage to transport it home.

Has anyone here dealt with this sort of challenge before? I've tried sawing smaller pieces of lead and that was a bear. I've also drilled 3/4" holes in a large chunk in an attempt to reduce it, but that too proved difficult. Cold chisel works on smaller pieces.

Any tips are welcome. Thought about going up there with a torch. Don't know if that would work or if seller wants lead running all over his garage.

[2AMMD]

+1 for chainsaw. I cut a 4200 lb. sailboat keel up with one into 500+- lb. chunks without having to sharpen the blade. It does need it now though.

[Toymaker]

Spread out a big tarp to catch the chips. Put an old blade on the chain saw. Get a buddy with a big oil can. Cut that sucker up with the chain saw while the buddy keeps the oil flowing. FLOWING!!! And pick up the chips when you're done. Eye and ear protection recommended.

[Walstr]

I'd pass on it. Use your cash to purchase a known alloy and be happy.
Ditto---Unless you are competent at assaying its contents, how will you use it? I'd use it for making birdshot for my trap loads.

If BHN is not an issue, then consider a chainsaw with a tarp, as mentioned previously. My acquaintance was successful with this tool used on a sailboat ballast. Play safe.

[jonp]

People are overthinking this. A sawzall with a 12 inch blade will work fine for the size of lead chunk the op is talking about. Just cut off pieces to fit in the pot until your done.
Liquid Nitrogen Deadpool? How about Mr. Freeze's Ray Gun?

[rr2241tx]

I cut up a section of keel with a semi-dull chainsaw and it all went great until I hit a 1" copper bolt. Why there was a large copper bolt buried in that keel I cannot say but I made enough selling the copper bolts for scrap to have the blades sharpened.

[beagle]

I cut a smaller version a couple of months ago with my log splitter. You get uneven pieces but they fit in the pot./beagle