cutting the lead block

[ndnchf]

A while back I bought some isotope lead that came in big chunks. Last weekend I finally decided to cut it up in manageable size pieces. I tried a sawzall, ax, arbor press and wedge, all to no avail. Finally I pulled out a small electric chainsaw. It worked pretty well. Of course it threw lead chips all over. But I soon had the chunks quartered. I swept up the chips, put them in my lead pot and cast up about 200 32-20 bullets from the chips alone. Not a fun job cutting up the lead. But now I'm set for a while!

[MUSTANG]

I melt down the Isotope cores instead of trying to cut them into smaller pieces. I use a #10 Cast Iron Skillet (~ 11.5 inches at top; 10 inch bottom and 2.25 depth). Got mine from a swap meet.

I place the skillet with Isotope Core on a propane burner fired by a 5 Gallon tank. This easily allows me to melt the large lead core down, and then I grab the sides of the skillet with two sets of Vice grips across from each other to use as handles and pour the melted lead into Lee/RCBS ingot molds. These ingots will then easily fit into the various brands of lead pots. This is a much better solution for me than trying to cut large lead pieces down.

[LAGS]

I buy Hardball in 60 lb ingots.
I use a Mapp Gas Torch to melt it into managable size chunks with a pan under it to catch the run off.
It doesnt take that long, and I dont waste a bunch of lead spraying shavings and not to mention lead dust all over.

[MetE]

I have a 55 lb ingot that I briefly attacked with a hacksaw. I was (hesitantly) thinking circular saw, but I really like the torch idea...oxypropane should do nicely, eh?

[M-Tecs]

A circular saw with kerosene for cutting oil works very well.

[GabbyM]

Yes a 7 1/4" carpenters circular saw with carbide blade works very well.
Few years back I cut up a weight from a fork truck. Had to cut from both sides to get all the way through.

[Le Loup Solitaire]

Occasionally I acquire a chunk of lead that won't fit into my smelting pot and it has to be reduced in size. I have never been comfortable with using a chainsaw or other power saws due to the flying chips and cleanup necessary afterward. I finally settled on the use of a log splitter and am fortunate that my neighbor has one and allows me to use it. It easily cuts bars, blocks and odd shapes. LLS

[bangerjim]

2 blade double-cut rotary saws makes short work of ANY metal/wood/plastic. No kick, no vibration, no loosened fillings.

banger

[LAGS]

Oxacetilone or Ox propane is a lot faster than the Mapp Gas.
But when you figure in the oxygen costs, to me it isnt worth it.
it is a Hobby.
Spend some time enjoying your hobby

[40-82 hiker]

I have a 55 lb ingot that I briefly attacked with a hacksaw. I was (hesitantly) thinking circular saw, but I really like the torch idea...oxypropane should do nicely, eh?

Please DO NOT use oxy fuel torch to "cut" lead into smaller chunks or to melt it. The amount of lead vapor is very dangerous. Oxy fuel flames are around 6,000 degrees F, and the boiling temperature (sic, vaporization) of lead is 3,180 degrees F. You will not be cutting the lead, you would be vaporizing it. This has been discussed widely on Castboolits. Please take this warning seriously, as this would be a most dangerous practice.

Many alternatives are available...

Congratulation on your 55 lb. ingot. Where do you get 55 lb. ingots of lead?

[BK7saum]

I realize the potential danger of oxy-acetylene but if the melted lead is allowed to run off the ingot into a pot exactly how much reaches a vaporization temperature? If you use an oxy acetylene torch to melt a block of ice in half how much steam did you produce. Point is, once melting temperature is reached, that liquid is already flowing away from the heat source and should never get much hotter.

Brad

[Ballistics in Scotland]

It all depends how much you like "probably". We can avoid things because there is a strong chance of something going a little wrong, or a very slight chance of something catastrophic - and ingesting a lot more than normal lead vapour or fine oxide dust has the potential to be catastrophic. It is a pity, for lead, being a poor conductor of heat, has the potential to be cut a lot more easily with a torch than most things. But I wouldn't risk it.

I would think you could rig up something with a hydraulic car jack. Or perhaps if you made a sort of rocking wedge with a sharp ridge underneath, you could just drive a truck over it.

[Driver man]

I find an axe works well

[Maximumbob54]

I use a log splitting wedge and a three pound hammer. Not sure it would work on the really big stuff but works on the large ingots I buy from Roto.

[Motard]

chisel and hammer, this is my way. take only few chopps-hitts and lead separate as butter
no dust too

[rbuck351]

I used a 14" wood cutting band saw that worked a whole lot better than I thought it would. I didn't think of the wood splitter but I have one of those as well.

[Texantothecore]

I use a cheap hand axe on a 12 ton press and it works pretty well to cut those 25 lb pig lead ingots down to size. No chips or dust which is a big plus.

[ndnchf]

2 blade double-cut rotary saws makes short work of ANY metal/wood/plastic. No kick, no vibration, no loosened fillings.

banger

I've been thinking of picking up one of those. They seem very useful for many things.

[fecmech]

Plain old skill saw with a coarse carbide tipped blade, cuts lead like pine.

[bangerjim]

I've been thinking of picking up one of those. They seem very useful for many things.

Spend the $$.........you will NOT be sorry. I use the thing for "ruffing" cuts in everything from pine and plywood to lead and steel. Like a hot knife thru butter. I jarred too many fillings loose with those stupid sawzalls! And chainsaws are just too dangerous on small hunks unless you are cutting down a tree.

Dual rotating carbide blades slice thru stuff fast and efficiently with no kick and minimal vibration.

Keep your axes, splitters, and torches. This is THE way to cut anything, including hunks of lead.

banger

[ndnchf]

Banger - what brand is your saw? I've seen 4 or 5 different brands. Thanks.

[Motor]

You saw lead easy enough you just have to use the correct lubricant. I just can't remember what it is right now, I think it's soap. I do know if you use some of the typical cutting lubes we're used to you will end up with a badly lead fouled blade.

Motor

[bangerjim]

Banger - what brand is your saw? I've seen 4 or 5 different brands. Thanks.

I have had excellent luck with the Harbor Freight one. I bought it 2+ years ago, have used it a lot in metals, woods, and plastics, and it is still ticking. I am not an HF power tool fan, but for the sale price + (then) 25% off, it has done very well. Yes they used to have 25% coupons!

Craftsman makes one also I think.

They are nothing more than an angle grinder with a special dual rotary transmission on the head.

banger

[ndnchf]

There is an HF store 2 miles away. I looked at theirs a few months ago. The reviews on it are all over the map: it's great to its junk. I read that the key to success is breaking in the motor first, and lubricants between the blades. I'll take another look. Thanks.

[Gunslinger1911]

Another vote for circular saw with carbide blade.

[bangerjim]

There is an HF store 2 miles away. I looked at theirs a few months ago. The reviews on it are all over the map: it's great to its junk. I read that the key to success is breaking in the motor first, and lubricants between the blades. I'll take another look. Thanks.


The HF saw comes with a box of lube sticks. USE THEM on metals! Wood and plastic is not a problem.

That's the problem with HF stuff.....reviews are all over the map. Only product line I have ever seen like that. I have lucked out several times, other times the tools ended up in the garbage. They always fail just outside the extended paid warranty seems like! I never buy the warranty anymore. By the time the carp fails, they will have discontinued it for another poorer quality version. My old HF stuff is pretty darned good, The new stuff my buddy buys is not nearly as good as the same tools I have from the olden golden daze.

Anybody out there remember the ads in the back of Popular Mechanics for Harbor Freight Salvage Company? My, how times and the want for cheeeeep tools has changed!

banger

[LongRangeAir]

I have a chop saw in the shop that is made for cutting tool steel. IT has 170 carbide teeth in it's 14" blade and will go thru 8" of lead pig like it wasn't there. It has a catch drawer that catches 90% of the chips.

I love the thing. It will cut thru un-heat treated hi-speed steel, and exotic stainless's, ever the very high carbon content jet turbine blade steels lie butter.

I got into a bind once and had to cut a hardened steel tool. Worried me at first, but as I had several new blades in the wing, I gave it a shot. You would never have known the steel was heat treated,and VERY hard. Apx. 60-61 Rockwell Hard. WOW!!!

Knife

[Motard]

I would avoid any high velocity tool for cuttin any material if low poison as lead. Dust will spread alla over, and on you face and skin. If using a saw try cutting under flowing wather, will be safer. But the lets chunk dry well :)))))))))))))

[Lloyd Smale]

I spread out a plastic tarp to catch the chips and use a chainsaw I have that is used just for that job.

[ndnchf]

I've been thinking about a double cut saw for a while for other purposes. This was just one more reason. So I went to the HF store today. I looked all over the power tool section, but could not find them. I had a clerk come over and look too. We finally found them. I had been looking for a blue box and tool as shown on their website. Come to find out that a new version just came out last week, and it's red! Eventually he found the older style blue one in the back. I compared the two. The biggest difference I see is that the guard is all metal, not plastic. So I bought the new version. I'Ve not cut anything yet, but been running it with no load on and off to break it in. Seems to work fine.

[bangerjim]

Seems HF has changed all their power tools to red-ish in the latest generation.

To date I have yellow ones, green ones, black ones, blue ones, and red ones! Depends on the source in China and the phase of the moon.

banger

[RogerDat]

Chisel and small sledge hammer works but for higher volume I would really wish for a log splitter. One thing to consider is turkey fryer + cast iron dutch oven or 20 lb. propane tank pot. These tools will allow you to do 25 lb. chunks with ease or large batches of WW's or alloy. HF dutch oven can handle better than 100 lbs. lead. If your melting scrap ability to make large batches is the only way to get much consistency.

I have seen the burners running around $10 at garage sales, $40 new. Pots are in the $20's generally. Different tool that would do your 25# blocks and other things at similar cost to cutting tool options.

[Nose Dive]

yea... hand held circular saw will do nicely,,,sweep up the mess and dump in smelt pot. Face shield is good for keeping cuttings out of eyes and nose.

That said, BIG LEAD is tough, I have snagged some old sail boat ballast weights out of trashed boats. This can be very, very good for A LOT of lead. 3-4-5 hundred pound pieces. and can be VERY VERY hard to get to.

Down here on the gulf coast, after hurricanes, there is plenty of wrecked sail boats. Some are just scrapped and hauled off to a 'stack site' to be moved to a dump at a later date. This is where I scored 3 of these honey's out of the keels of three sail boats. Again, a 7" circular saw and gas generator to cut the fiberglass keel off the boat, split it to expose the lead and 'Voila'! 300 lbs of plumber's lead. Three times!

Now, to get it home. Ugh!!! I ain't no power lifter, so I 'skid' it onto my little trailer with a rope and pulley and winch from the four wheeler. Made a ramp out of trash 2x4's and bricks and slid it on the trailer. Went home, tied rope to a tree and drove off with lead in yard and went back to do same operation on two other trashed sail boats. I also got two 'semi-OK' propane stoves and ovens from the boats. One is at deer camp, other in my camper.

So, now we have 3 huge pieces of lead sitting in the yard. They looked GREAT TO ME..but the HOA send me a love letter saying they gotta go. OK..OK...but how?

I too started with the circular saw. Got some small pieces off with it, but as the lead got thicker, the saw got smaller. But the clue here is, 'divide and conquer'.... I cut and cut with the saw until it really wasn't doing me any good. But over 50% of the lead was now in the shed and I was making progress. So what to do now? Well, my answer was the Oxy-Acetylene rig.

Now melting lead is what we all do, right? But, sorry fellas, I do not have a smelt pot that will hold 300 lbs of lead. And, lead vapors are nasty, dangerous and generally bad news all the time.

Enter 'gas mask' and face shield, leather boots, leather apron, welder's sleeves and gloves. Hold on to your hats guys....here we go!

The best mask to have is 'fresh breathing air mask' with air bottles and hoses. No..I don't have $3 or 4 grand sitting around to buy all that, but, do have a Noxious Vapors mask i borrowed from the chemical plant i worked at. Mask, PROPER CARTRIDGES, PROPER CARTRIDGES, PROPER CARTRIDGES, (I told you THREE TIMES) and torch. Away we went... cut remaining slabs up in portions in 5 hours of cutting. Put pieces in wheel barrow, drove them to my shed, BINGO!... All gone. Cleaned up mess in yard. Told HOA 'you guys are really sweet' and started smelting the next day.

My opinion here is 'circular saw' with face shield. Cutting with 'heat' can be tricky, dangerous and might draw attention to your efforts in a drought. But, after a hurricane, generally, you don't have to worry about drought conditions. BUT..NEVER OMIT SAFETY CONCERNS WHEN MELTING LEAD.

Stay safe smelting.

Nose Dive

Cheap, Fast, Good. Kindly pick two.

[dragon813gt]

I never bothered cutting the isotope cores. Two of them fit perfectly in a Lodge Dutch oven.
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/TimeToMakeAmmo/3A032738-C32F-4B85-9172-AB9B7828501B-14651-000009CA04FCB0C1_zps4fb37ef8.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/TimeToMakeAmmo/3A032738-C32F-4B85-9172-AB9B7828501B-14651-000009CA04FCB0C1_zps4fb37ef8.jpg.html)

I'm going to have to buy one of those double cut saws. The foundry ingots I'm now using are just a little to big to fit into the pot :(
http://i198.photobucket.com/albums/aa39/dragon813gt/TimeToMakeAmmo/0954FA75-06EB-403B-A671-CA855310026A.jpg (http://s198.photobucket.com/user/dragon813gt/media/TimeToMakeAmmo/0954FA75-06EB-403B-A671-CA855310026A.jpg.html)

[jsizemore]

Chisel and small sledge hammer works but for higher volume I would really wish for a log splitter.


Hatchet or axe gets your hand out of alignment with the hammer and the object of your attention. Built in lever and no need for a power cord are added benefits. You know, doing your bit for the environment.

[white eagle]

I have cut a bunch of lead bricks with my miter saw
just collect chips and remelt
never tried isocores
have a bunch may give them a whirl as well

[white eagle]

isocores cut just as easily as lead brick
cut em to the length you want with a circular saw