Cutting lead pipe

[cabezaverde]

A plumber friend gave me some longer lengths of lead pipe. I would like to cut it into shorter lengths and then flatten it to consolidate storage space.

What are uou guys using to cut it with?

[CastingFool]

Sawsall with a coarse blade. If it bucks too hard, try a fine tooth blade.

[Forrest r]

i use an ax to cut my lead pipe and lead sheeting

[bangerjim]

Let the electric power do all the work! Sawzall with the right blade. Right blade will cut thru it like butter and not break your back.

[ButchC]

Axe or wedges, just drive them through over a stump.

[lightman]

A Sawzall is my favorite. An ax will work if you're up to the work.

[JimB..]

Sawzall and it’s not worth the effort to flatten them imo.

[Scrounge]

Haven't actually done it yet, but have a hatchet & mallet, and reciprocating saws. Hatchet & mallet, for a preference, as I don't want to lose any of it.

Bill

[john.k]

I find a large pair of gardening shears ideal for cutting lead sheet and pipe.....If too thick ,then a hammer and wide chisel ,like a brick bolster with a sharpened edge.

[longbow]

Not sure of wall thickness or diameter of your lead pipe but a circular saw or chainsaw works just fine on large plates or chunks of lead. With circular saw an occasional squirt of WD40 on the blade keeps it cutting well.

If the pipe is small and thin wall then you've got your answers above.

Longbow

[Win94ae]

Axe, maul or chisel.

[GhostHawk]

Axe, and the process of beating through it helps knock loose the old scale on the inside. I cut mine into aprox foot long lengths. At that time I did not have a smelting setup. Short pieces and give each length a good hard knock endwise on concrete and most of the scale and mud fell off.

[Gtek]

Cut it with about 700 degrees and it stacks pretty well afterwards usually.

[Pete44mag]

Have my young strong son cut it for me. I take it out of his rent.

[Polymath]

24" bolt cutter

[TyGuy]

I’ve used a maul in the past as it was what was available at the moment. It worked pretty well, just took some time. I sure enjoyed it more than splitting logs!

[ole_270]

on pipe up to about 2 1/2" od I've used hand operated tree pruners before. Slices the soft thin walled lead with ease

[remy3424]

Ax...cut a lot of lead phone cable sheathing...with the copper phone wire inside. Once you figure out how to swing, it is one swing per cut,not a big deal, forget the saws, way too slow.

[kevin c]

Dual bladed circular saw. Maybe I just had poor technique, but the chatter from a Sawzall felt like it would knock out my fillings.

Axes are hazardous to my health. Even a hatchet set carefully on lead and hit with a maul threatened to amputate various body parts. Too much the city boy, I guess.

[Sasquatch-1]

Didn't see anyone mention it, but put down a tarp, if you plan on using any type of saw, to collect the "saw dust".

[Bushwacker Berg]

Curious what you guys do after, adding tin, adding it to wheel weights or using as is?

[Bushwacker Berg]

Disregard, found some answers below.

[bangerjim]

Yes put down a tarp! You will not loose that much with recipro saw, but you do not want it going into the ground anyway!

Only common sense.

banger

[rbuck351]

I use a band saw. It's very fast and cuts very thin making not a lot of saw dust.

[Winger Ed.]

I use a propane torch.

It's slower, but that way I can justify staying outside in the shop longer, and not have to actually work on something.

[JimB..]

I just realized that nobody has mentioned a pipe cutter.

Slow vs an axe, but easy work and no mess.

[pworley1]

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-75-amp-double-cut-saw-63408.html

[bangerjim]

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^I prefer one of these ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

But most do not have them and are definitely not willing to pay $60.00 for a tool to cut lead (and just about ANYTHING ELSE). Once you have one of these you will wonder how you ever got along without it!!!!!!!!!

[John Boy]

https://www.amazon.com/Dasco-437-4-Inch-7-Inch-Brick/dp/B000BRBY9I/ref=asc_df_B000BRBY9I/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=344024276099&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2539535769972682242&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003982&hvtargid=pla-743910048919&psc=1&tag=&ref=&adgrpid=69357499815&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvadid=344024276099&hvpos=&hvnetw=g&hvrand=2539535769972682242&hvqmt=&hvdev=c&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9003982&hvtargid=pla-743910048919

[Sasquatch-1]

I have never had the good fortune to receive any lead pipe but would like to know if anyone has ever tried the scissor type PVC pipe cutters?

282897

[remy3424]

That might work on the little stuff, it would definitely help your hand shake grip and be slow. Might be a good idea if you had just a few feet to cut up. I wouldn't consider a saw for 3 feet or 300 feet of lead pipe...I have cut more than my share of lead pipe/sheathing.

[TyGuy]

I wonder how one of those pocket cable saws would do. They make short work of branches and even small metal objects but I’m not sure if the lead would build up on it. They are handy little guys.

[clintsfolly]

Have set of cable cutters that look like 36”bolt cutters but have curved shears blades

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

hydraulic wood splitter (if you got one)
I cut them to length, then slice them lengthwise to open them up.

[skeet1]

I use a band saw with a wood cutting blade It makes quick work of lead pipe without much waste.

Ken

[Cast_outlaw]

Depending on thickness I cut roof flashings with my roofing hook blade at work all the time works quick and efficient couple passes with a straight blade will work to

[jsizemore]

32 ounce Estwing and a 2" chisel cuz they're on the truck all the time. I lay them open like JonB in G because of water trapped in the line sometimes. I know, but once is too many times and my xray vision don't work on lead.

[jonp]

Used both axe and sawzall. Depends on size but with the sawzall I do it over a piece of cardboard or tarp to catch the pieces and shavings. I don't use the corse blade, I use the finer blade.
Framing hammer and a wide chisel like a masons block chisel works well

[jonp]

I have never had the good fortune to receive any lead pipe but would like to know if anyone has ever tried the scissor type PVC pipe cutters?

282897

Nope but I've used those for the yellow coated aluminum propane pipe. Guess they would work

[jsizemore]

I have never had the good fortune to receive any lead pipe but would like to know if anyone has ever tried the scissor type PVC pipe cutters?

282897

They will cut a golf ball and are the best to break down old loaded shotgun shells that just aren't worth the risk of shooting.

[Cosmic_Charlie]

I just used a hatchet and stump on the cable sheathing I got. Fast and no dust. The hatchet had a wide flat blade though, not a boy scout model.

[remy3424]

Well, it depends on the size I have decided. If it is half to .75" water pipe or cable sheathing, I found a small bypass hand pruner was very adequate to cut it down to pot sized lengths. But the big 2 to 3" phone cable needs a solid cut from a sharp ax on a wood block. Still don't understand using a saw for soft lead. The hand pruner worked well to score the phone cable sheathing (it think it was maybe 20-pair size) to break it open to pull the copper phone wires out, then just snip, snip, snip to length. Someone mentioned a large cable cutter, this should like work great for larger stuff, but I doubt many have access to one. I guess there are a lot of options, you likely own something that will make short work out of it, many good ideas here.

[Trailboss]

Definitely not an angle grinder with mini thin disc, Tin snips are ok. Chisel , Score and snap with sharp knife works too on flat sections ....knowing a little bit about sheet lead sort of guides u as to what tools u might use to cut it. When I’m desperate and in a hurry I admit I have Just torn it with my bare hands but it’s hard yakka and that sort of thing leads to stuffed up arthritis hands for old tradesmen too dumb to go look for some snips

[phidelt208]

I've used a chisel and hammer, but find a sawzall works best and I'm not wasting time.

[usedtobeyoung]

https://www.harborfreight.com/5-in-75-amp-double-cut-saw-63408.html

I like the look of this saw, I think I'll buy one just to try out. I'm guessing it's a lot more useful than I can imagine.

[mazo kid]

I have cut up over 500 pounds of lead water pipe. The thing that worked the fastest, easiest, cheapest was the limb lopper. It cut anything that would fit in the shear effortlessly.

[GregLaROCHE]

Some people use chainsaws to cut sailboat keels into manageable sizes.
Most of all make sure there isn’t any moisture trapped inside when you go to melt them down. Otherwise, you will have a visit from the tinsel fairy.

[Drm50]

I have a pair of cable cutters that make short work of any lead pipe that fits, 1.5” diameter. Bigger gets the Sawz All.

[15meter]

I have cut up over 500 pounds of lead water pipe. The thing that worked the fastest, easiest, cheapest was the limb lopper. It cut anything that would fit in the shear effortlessly.

Never thought of that, always used an axe to cut to length(telephone cable). To rip along the length, what end up working the best for me was an air hammer with a panel ripper:

https://www.toolpan.com/Grey-Pneumatic-CH110--Claw-Ripper-and-Panel-Cutter-Impact-Chisel_p_15891.html?gclid=EAIaIQobChMIysOFr9-s8QIVjnxvBB1Xkwt3EAQYASABEgJQ0vD_BwE

One of these walk right down the pipe, I used it on the phone cable to open it up to clean out all the silly little wires they stuff in there.

All the guys I know who worked for the phone company have retired. No more phone lead. Bummer. It's good stuff.

[Werkur9]

A Circular saw is the best option for cutting the lead pipe.

[Chill Wills]

The thing that worked the fastest, easiest, cheapest was the limb lopper. It cut anything that would fit in the shear effortlessly.

That was my experience too. Some years ago I got a large amount of lead pipe with very thick walls and maybe 2.5" in diameter. I tried the garden limb sheer thinking I may wreck it or it may not work. To my surprise, it cut the pipe fast and easy. I made short work of it in no time. No damage to the tool.

[gbrown]

I have used a battery operated reciprocating saw with coarse toothed blade and it was quick and easy. Flattened it out with a mallet first.

[brassrat]

This got me thinking about a scrap shower liner that I been saving for a couple yrs. It was folded up and around 100lbs + I went with the battery Sawzsall and cut into smaller hunks in a couple minutes

[DME72]

i almost always use a battery operated saw. older metal cutting blade seems to work well for me. make sure there is no water left in the pipe when you go to melt it down. a small hatchet that is sharp also works pretty good.

[5614estell]

Limb lopper for service pipe. Easy no dust or shavings

[Buzzard II]

Some people use chainsaws to cut sailboat keels into manageable sizes.
Most of all make sure there isn’t any moisture trapped inside when you go to melt them down. Otherwise, you will have a visit from the tinsel fairy.

I agree about checking for any moisture before melting the pipe. The tinsel fairy will remind you if you forget! I use 1)Hacksaw, 2) Sawz All, 3) Snips- for sheet lead. Good luck!
Bob

[Jtarm]

I have used a battery operated reciprocating saw with coarse toothed blade and it was quick and easy. Flattened it out with a mallet first.

+1 on the coarse tooth. I use demolition blades, not the fine bi-metal ones.

Be careful of kick-backs.

[iomskp]

Pruning shears for the small pieces and an axe and a wood block for the bigger bits.

[brstevns]

Have some that is 4x5x12 inches long. What to use, thinking Sawzall?

[wilecoyote]

Have some that is 4x5x12 inches long. What to use, thinking Sawzall?
...yes, here. and a sturdy bench vise.
a face mask wouldn't hurt,
and something to collect the shavings, to melt too.