Church organ pipe lead?

[The Lord Flashheart]

No, I haven't robbed a church... :D

I have learned that a friend of a friend of a friend restores church organs for a living and that said church organs use lead pipes for their... erm, blowy pipe things in the organ.

He apparently has a quantity of old pipes from organs that he has serviced and was rather bemused when my eyes lit up and I asked for them in exchange for a donation to the roof restoration ( thinking strategically here about the roofing lead, may the Lord forgive me) fund.

A quick google says the pipes are more likely to be an alloy than pure lead and although I am committed in the eyes of the chap in question and the Lord anyway, have I just acquired usable alloy for bullet casting?

[David2011]

I have understood for years that organ pipes were made of tin. Never lucky enough to score any so far.

[The Lord Flashheart]

These are apparently soft, heavy and lead like.

On the other hand, a source of tin wouldn't be a bad thing either...

[Dusty Bannister]

A quick and very simple search.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_pipe

[The Lord Flashheart]

A quick and very simple search.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_pipe


I saw that, thought this one had some good information too:http://www.hevanet.com/dibblee/pipe_metallurgy.pdf

I was just wondering if anyone had used any and it turned out not to be what seems to be an ideal metal for casting as is in rifle application?

[stormingnorm]

I purchased about 1t organ piows of various lengths a couple of years ago here in San Diego fro a scrap dealer who had a dumpster full. They were 30% tin and 70 % lead. I melted them down into small muffins and isuallt ise one to 10 or so lbs of lead when i cast. The bullets seem to work just fine.

Sent from my LGMP450 using Tapatalk

[RogerDat]

Tin Alloy from what my local scrap yard said.

[The Lord Flashheart]

Thank you gents, I suppose i won't know until I melt it down and try some.

Will report back.

[runfiverun]

a couple of years Back Gearknasher put up a post about organ pipes and explained the alloy used.
if you could search it out you might just get the answer you seek.

[PBaholic]

I got about 20#'s from a buddy. It still had brass pieces stuck in it. Melted it down, and it only measured BHN 8. I cast into 230gr .45's, but it was a PITA. It didn't shrink much, so I had trouble getting it out of the molds. He said he had a lot more, and I said keep it.

[The Lord Flashheart]

a couple of years Back Gearknasher put up a post about organ pipes and explained the alloy used.
if you could search it out you might just get the answer you seek.

Closest I found was a bloke called "GearGnasher" and I couldn't see it when i did a search?

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/search.php?searchid=4373635&pp=

Was it on a thread he didn't start?

[The Lord Flashheart]

I got about 20#'s from a buddy. It still had brass pieces stuck in it. Melted it down, and it only measured BHN 8. I cast into 230gr .45's, but it was a PITA. It didn't shrink much, so I had trouble getting it out of the molds. He said he had a lot more, and I said keep it.

Excellent, encouraging news thank you! :D :D

[.455 Webley]

I know a couple of people who work on pipe organs and i was told that the tin to lead ratio changes with the size of the pipes. Wide pipes have more lead smaller pipes are mostly tin. When my scrap man had a dumpster full of them i was careful to grab all of the smaller ones i could. I melted them all together in my dutch oven and use it like 50/50.

[Lloyd Smale]

that's what I was told. Lower the note the more lead in the mix.
I know a couple of people who work on pipe organs and i was told that the tin to lead ratio changes with the size of the pipes. Wide pipes have more lead smaller pipes are mostly tin. When my scrap man had a dumpster full of them i was careful to grab all of the smaller ones i could. I melted them all together in my dutch oven and use it like 50/50.

[OS OK]

A quick and very simple search.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organ_pipe

This is interesting, found at the bottom of the last page...

OSHA ISSUES
Tests conducted by OSHA in organ shops that cast lead confirmed that lead is not an occupational hazard, as long as lead melt is kept below 800* F , areas are kept clean, and there is no grinding or sanding of lead surfaces.

[sargenv]

I bought from a gent here many moons ago.. and he recovered pipes from a church organ and he got two alloys.. he got some with 9% tin and the other with 18% tin. I bought both from him and still have some of that alloy.. I have yet to incorporate it into something to cast with having both solder and monotype already to sweeten up my pure with.

[duckear]

I wonder if bullets cast from church organs work on vampires?

Or just silver bullets?


Hmmmmm, off to do some testing......

[nitroviking]

duckear

Silver bullets are for werewolves, no affect on vampires.... you'd need a wooden bullet through the heart for a vampire... a good hollow point wooden bullet too, so it stays in the heart

[JBinMN]

Unless I missed them, I did not see anyone post the links so here they are:

Here is the post I believe you are looking for by Gear gnasher & Organ Pipes;
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?155880-Pipe-organ-tubes&p=1734414&viewfull=1#post1734414

Here is the "Pipe Organ Tubes" topics link:
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?155880-Pipe-organ-tubes

G'Luck!
:)