Plumbers Wadding?

[OutHuntn84]

I've got a fella that has a load of lead that he's already fluxed and made into ingots. Says it's all plumbers wadding. I've never heard of such a thing and said so. He explained that it was "a medium hardness lead". Hate buying mystery lead but it's a good price. So:

Can anyone explain to me what plumbers wadding is?

Are there any tips, tricks or voodoo magic you use when buying mystery alloys?

[samari46]

Used to fill in the old bell and spigot joints in cast iron waste piping. Kinda looks like very fine spagetti. Frank

[runfiverun]

lead wool.

[labradigger1]

Oakum and lead. The oakum was packed in tightly then lead poured over that.

[OutHuntn84]

Gotcha. So just plain old plumbers lead, pretty pure and soft. Thanks fellas!!!

[Hardcast416taylor]

Oakum and lead. The oakum was packed in tightly then lead poured over that.

When I retired, for the last time, it was from a GM auto plant in Pontiac, Mi. When I retired and gave back all the specialty tools I had to the parts crib, I had close to a complete set-up for doing joint pouring. My boss always called on me to do these joints when the need arose. At the farewell lunch he told me that I was the last plumber working at that plant facility that both had done joints and know the correct method of doing them. We only used pure soft plumbers lead for our joints. Guess I was more than a `certified hose hanger` as the electricians called us?Robert