Lynotype Bars

[Jim Thompson]

I've got lynotype bars approximately 50 lbs each. How do I melt them down since they're so bulky. I thought about some sort of pully system to lower them into my melt pot (RCBS). Anyone tried an allsaw to cut the bars into pieces? Thanks

[river-rider]

I have some of the Linotype bars that were used in printing. I used a old axe to score one side then placed a another bar under one end and hit it with a sledgehammer. As I remember it broke fairly easy. I placed the scored side down.:Fire:

[Onlymenotu]

Hi, and welcome aboard
I'd recommend smelting them down in something a turkey cooker and a dutch oven or sutch,,and do your fluxing and sutch there and pour your useable ingots from there and keep you pouring pot clean

[357maximum]

If you have access to a good hydraulic log splitter, they work just dandy.

[Southern Son]

I tried to cut some smaller lynotype ingots (smaller than the 50 pounder you have) with a hack saw, it was not pretty, it clogged the teeth real uick, then the blade bound up and snapped. So I hit it with a brickie bolster (I think you funny talking yanks call them "masonary chisels"). Was not ideal, but much better that the hack saw.

[largecaliberman]

I've got lynotype bars approximately 50 lbs each. How do I melt them down since they're so bulky. I thought about some sort of pully system to lower them into my melt pot (RCBS). Anyone tried an allsaw to cut the bars into pieces? Thanks

I once had that situation. I took a chop saw and replaced the blade with a non-ferros cutting blade and chopped in in lengths enough to fit in my pot. CAREFUL when you do this, make sure you have safety protection, goggles and a respirator.[smilie=1:

[Alchemist]

I have several bars weighing about 22 lbs...and use a variation of river-rider's technique. Place 2 bars parallel to each other about 18" apart, then place the bar you want to break across them and whack it with an 8 lb sledgehammer. I can get them down to about 3-4 lbs that way...small enough to fit into my smaller smelting pot.

Hope that helps.

Alchemist