Lead cable sheathing

[MakeMineA10mm]

My friendly neighborhood telephone company repairman stopped by with a couple five-gallon buckets of lead cable sheathing from old phone lines. They are about 1/4" thick and seem awfully silvery-colored to be old, pure lead.

He tells me that for many decades, when a splice had to be made in a main phone line, they'd do the work, then wrap the lead sheathing around the area, and shrink the ends to create a seal to keep out water/the weather.

The stuff feels pretty hard, but it is so big that I can bend it by grabbing it from opposite sides.

I'm just wondering if it isn't a lot harder than pure lead, due to it's silver-grey appearance, even after being buried or out in the weather?

Anyone have any guesses/input?

[madcaster]

It is pure lead except for the joints.
I was once given several truckloads by 2 fine workers,both deceased now.They were fine fellas way before they gave me the lead!

[imashooter2]

Cable sheath is generally arsenical lead. It will air cool pretty soft, but harden somewhat with heat treat or water dropping. My father was a Bell lineman and we shot literally tons of cable sheath boolits.

[MakeMineA10mm]

Well, it's awfully silvery for near-pure lead. Maybe the arsenic has something to do with it?

I'll smelt it down into ingots and test the hardness. That will give me some idea of where it's at. This won't happen for awhile, though... Too many projects, not enough time... [smilie=1:

Thanks for the help, guys!

[imashooter2]

The stuff Dad got was always dull gray from being buried. Maybe your stuff never saw the ground?

[MakeMineA10mm]

That's possible. Many of the phone lines here are above-ground on poles. That could even explain the silvery-color, if it's oxidation of the lead. Of course, it's not powdery, so it's not that oxidized... Hardness tester will probably be the ultimate judge. I hope it is pure, as I'm out.

[Lloyd Smale]

I had bunches of it and for a caster it can be considered pure. Some has a trace of tin lead or arsinic in it but not enough to make a difference

[ANeat]

I was always told the joints were a higher % of tin. Something like 60/40 or 50/50 solder

[Frank46]

Cable sheathing in a by itself is as close to pure lead as you will find. However all the seams were closed with either 50-50 or 60-40 solder. If you were to trim off at least an inch or so you would be pretty close to the lead portion. Don't throw out the solder sealed edges as they can be used to sweeten up the pot. Made many a 45 cal rifle boolit for trapdoor and martini. Frank