Lead Weight & Storage

[ericscher]

I swear, I tried to find an answer on this using search, and I couldn't.

I have a bunch of lead, mainly in Linotype and cut-offs of pure lead in sheet form that I'm told came from a lead garment manufacturer.

Currently I have them in those heavy cardboard boxes that gallon water jugs come in, and they are resting on rolling carts, which is fine as long as they just sit there.


Here's my problem...

I'm moving this fall and I need to put the lead in storage, but those cardboard boxes will fall apart if I try to move them at all.


So basically, I need to transfer them to something that I can store them, that is stackable for reasonably compact storage, sturdy enough to be moved around without falling apart, and small enough that the weight is manageable for people who are NOT the Incredible Hulk. And hopefully not inconveniently expensive.


Probably something in the 50 to 100 pound range when filled would make a reasonable compromise between being light enough to lift, versus having a ridiculous number of containers.

I have considered storage bins, 1 gallon metal paint cans, ammo cans, plastic paint buckets of 5 gallons or less. (not filled all the way of course)


It occurs to me that y'all might have some suggestions based on experience, and save me a lot of experimenting. So... What would you suggest for storage containers?

[Winger Ed.]

They'll split over time, but 5 gal. paint buckets filled about half way work for me.

[gmsharps]

Military ammo cans work for me. 30 cal if weight is an issue 50 cal cans weigh in at about 100 lbs or so. They stack well and little if no no oxidation.

Gmsharps

[dondiego]

I have a lot of stuff in 5 gallon buckets and plastic milk crates. If you overload them they will eventually fail. They are plastic after all. If you keep the weight down they work well. The old metal frame milk crates are the best as are wooden boxes.

[Dusty Bannister]

If you decide to use plastic 5 gallon buckets, cut a disc of plywood or OSB to form a solid insert within the bucket. Put in about 50 pounds of ingots and then the insert. This prevents the ingots from piercing the bottom of the bucket above as you stack the nested buckets 2or 3 buckets high. Put a plastic lid on the top bucket. Good to go, and can be moved as desired without hurting ones self.

[Hossfly]

1 cubic foot of lead weights 708# solid.

[StuBach]

I’m a fan of free. Why not just use usps if it fits it ships boxes and tape them closed with packing take for structure? If you’re using ingots (especially CB ingots) you can fit 20-25 pounds in a small if it fits it ships box. Smaller and lighter so takes a little more moving but makes things super easy.

https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210918/6c3666fe559263d8c6b9b2e04956979e.jpg


Could also look for these jigsaw boxes that one of our member uses. Their closed with band straps but very sturdy. I believe the members name was “Chu” but I bought these iso cores from him years ago so I could be wrong. https://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20210918/c87bb87ea5af315a6d63dae8eb5ee6ca.jpg


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[Dusty Bannister]

I am sure those USPS SFRB's are very handy for storage and packing material. I see that in 2010 the rate was $4.85 and a recent shipment cost me $8.45. I am sure that this was all just an increase in the postage and had nothing to do with the extra expense of providing those free boxes.

[Polymath]

Milk crates. Dry wall mud pails,

[imashooter2]

Bakeries have a lot of used 5 gallon plastic buckets in the trash. Stored indoors, away from UV light, they last a long time. I have a number of them that have been filled to the brim with range scrap ingots for between 9 and 14 years. None have split yet.

[kevin c]

Hi, StuBach ;^].

Those boxes were given to me by friends who ordered from the Acme Bullet Co, who ship their boxed bullets inside USPS MFRB's. When I ran out it wasn't too hard to make boxes of similar size out of scrap ply. Mine were butt instead of box jointed, but the combination of 1" staples and shipping straps (the straps are also used by Acme) seems enough for storage of 60 odd pounds of loose boolits.

The boxes can hold 50-55# of lead containers, which are mostly empty space. I believe they're strong enough to hold a greater weight of ingots, especially if the box is constructed with the tops and bottoms having the sides sandwiched between, rather than the other way around. The straps are extra insurance in case the staples pull out, but are mainly for the rougher conditions of shipping.

Costco bakeries use a lot of icing and fillings that come in two gallon buckets, that they'll sometimes give away for the asking (try to get the fitted lids too). They're strong enough to hold the lead, like imashooter2 said, though I'm less sure that the plastic handles are strong tenough to lift by. 25# of brass, though, is no problem in my experience.

[imashooter2]

Never lift a plastic bucket of lead by the handle. When it comes off, if you’re lucky it only scrapes up your shin. If you’re unlucky it breaks your foot or toes.

[Sasquatch-1]

If you are interested in using the 5 gallon buckets check new construction in your area. When they start drywalling the buckets usually end up in the trash.

As stated less then half a bucket tends to be VERY HEAVY. When I was doing range scrap 2/5's of a bucket was about the max I wanted to lift into my truck.

And just to let you know, the picture on the left is not an avatar it is actually a picture of me.[smilie=1:

[762sultan]

I use milk crates...but I use the old metal ones. I find them at yard sales, flea markets, garage sales, etc. I have over 800 ingots in 7 milk cases. They are hard to move but are very sturdy. But I like the idea of the free postal cardboard boxes.

[GhostHawk]

I'm with Winger Ed, only in my case I mostly use 4 gallon cat litter buckets, they are square, stack better. Still only half full, but they are designed for 40 lb piles of scoopable cat liter. So they take the load better IMO with more comfortable handles. I'll stack 2 or 3 together, lid on the top one to keep out dust and debris.

[nannyhammer]

I use 20mm ammo cans that I modified by adding a piece of rebar under the ends so you can pick them up with a hand truck. Do not fill them completely full if you have a cheap hand truck.

[lightman]

Milk crates, plastic buckets, ammo cans. All of these will work. As mentioned, only partly fill these. A full milk crate full of stacked ingots weighs over 700#. A full 5 gallon bucket level full may weigh 150#.

I find the occasional milk crate on the road side. I get 5 gallon buckets from my farmer friends, that oil comes in. I saw about 50 buckets stacked near a dumpster behind a local BBQ joint recently.

[Bashby]

If you are interested in using the 5 gallon buckets check new construction in your area. When they start drywalling the buckets usually end up in the trash.

As stated less then half a bucket tends to be VERY HEAVY. When I was doing range scrap 2/5's of a bucket was about the max I wanted to lift into my truck.

And just to let you know, the picture on the left is not an avatar it is actually a picture of me.[smilie=1:


You should change your avatar to a more recent pic of yourself, you were way less hairy back then.

I use 5 gallon buckets with ingots made in a muffin pan semi-neatly stacked. I put around 75 lbs in each one so I can lift them, then stack them 5 or so buckets high, which I can move with my hand truck or lift one off the stack as needed.
Word of caution when sourcing buckets from a construction sight, the one with the lid on it may have a surprise in it, they make good makeshift toilets in an emergency.

[JimB..]

30cal ammo cans. Not exactly cheap at $7 each, but very convenient for things line monotype and linotype that aren’t in ingots.

[ericscher]

Thanks for the input everyone. I particularly liked the one about the USPS cardboard box, though I did want to stay away from cardboard for durability reasons.

Also, I was accidentally unclear... Nothing is actually processed, except for a few small weights that are ingot-ish. The rest is either pieces of linotype or rolled up sheets.

Anyway, I decided on these: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08H27W7MB/ref=ppx_od_dt_b_asin_title_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Obviously, I can't fill them to capacity, but I can probably fill them half way, they should stack well, and they weren't excessively expensive.

[Bashby]

Not sure those totes will hold up to much stacking with much weight in them.

[BIGOX]

I would also not recommend the totes. Over time the lids will break if you stack others on top.

[ericscher]

No, you're right, they won't stand up to stacking beyond a certain point. MAYBE 3, but likely 2 high is the limit, so I'm going 1 high. My plan is to have them on the bottom level of the bottom shelf and put them in a single layer, with lighter stuff on top.

The shelving is that beefy commercial stuff.

[kevin c]

If filled to the top (not all lead, but with, say, some scrap stick lumber or ply layered on top of the lead to the point that it touches the underside of the lid), any weight on top of the lid wouldn't be bearing on the sidewalls of the tote, but on the wood, the lead underneath, and then down to the bottom of the tote. That might allow stacking.

[Sasquatch-1]

The totes would probably be fine as long as you don't use the lids. You could stack two or three that way. As far as the sheet lead goes, if it is large sheets cut it to fit your shelfs and flatten as best as you can with a hammer. If smaller just flatten and stack. I believe flat sheets would be the easiest way to store it. If you get any oxidation over the time of storage it will float to the top when melted.

[ericscher]

Kevin -
That's a good idea. Thank you.

Sasquatch -
The sheet stuff is currently rolled up into semi-flattened bundles and wrapped with plastic pallet wrap.
I did think about unrolling, flattening and cutting but I decided that's a fair amount of work without a whole lot of payoff.
I think I'll just add some Gorilla tape to the outside and call it good.
As you say, any oxidation will come out in the melt, so my main concern is just not having to chase a bunch of little pieces of linotype all over the ground.

Honestly, my ideal situation would have been to cast them into manageable billets and stack them naked. Failing that, metal ammo cans. But I don't have time for the first and I was too cheap to buy that many ammo cans. :grin:

[RogerDat]

Melt and pour the sheet lead into bread loaf pans. Inch or two slabs from bread loaf pans stack well. Stack on piece of wood on top of a harbor freight furniture dolly. Slabs can be similar weight to the USPS boxes at 15 - 25 lbs. from a single ingot pour. That weight isn't too bad to move them individually. As long as you don't have a gravel driveway the furniture dollies roll pretty well. Can't stack the dollies by not too hard to get 400# on each dolly.

Putting bottom shelf up high enough that dollies roll under bottom shelf.

Always test a new bread loaf pan for how well it releases ingots. I have only had a couple that stuck like a bad muffin pan but it is a hassle to get the lead out if it sticks. Loaf pans from garage sale or thrift store or estate sales. Doubt I paid over 50 cents for any of them.

I use 5 gallon buckets for stuff like type that I don't want to melt because the form proves the alloy. Soft lead comes from sheet or pipe or roof or xray shielding so I don't mind melting it as long as I know the source is soft lead. I also in addition to stamping "Pb" on the slabs will often stamp a number or letter "batch" id. So I know that this batch of ingots are all from the same source.

In the picture note the furniture dolly and stack of slabs next to blue bucket on floor, the crate next to it is also on the dolly. The buckets have type. For home shelf the furniture dolly is nice, for moving I think a hand truck friendly load is better. Sure makes rolling it around in the garage easier if it can be moved by one or the other. Wheels rule!
288994

[oley55]

Melt and pour the sheet lead into bread loaf pans. Inch or two slabs from bread loaf pans stack well. Stack on piece of wood on top of a harbor freight furniture dolly. Slabs can be similar weight to the USPS boxes at 15 - 25 lbs. from a single ingot pour. That weight isn't too bad to move them individually. As long as you don't have a gravel driveway the furniture dollies roll pretty well. Can't stack the dollies by not too hard to get 400# on each dolly.

Putting bottom shelf up high enough that dollies roll under bottom shelf.

Always test a new bread loaf pan for how well it releases ingots. I have only had a couple that stuck like a bad muffin pan but it is a hassle to get the lead out if it sticks. Loaf pans from garage sale or thrift store or estate sales. Doubt I paid over 50 cents for any of them.

I use 5 gallon buckets for stuff like type that I don't want to melt because the form proves the alloy. Soft lead comes from sheet or pipe or roof or xray shielding so I don't mind melting it as long as I know the source is soft lead. I also in addition to stamping "Pb" on the slabs will often stamp a number or letter "batch" id. So I know that this batch of ingots are all from the same source.

In the picture note the furniture dolly and stack of slabs next to blue bucket on floor, the crate next to it is also on the dolly. The buckets have type. For home shelf the furniture dolly is nice, for moving I think a hand truck friendly load is better. Sure makes rolling it around in the garage easier if it can be moved by one or the other. Wheels rule!
288994

I have the same shelving unit and it is surely stout, but I ended up with enough weight on the shelves that I was detecting a bit of outward bowing of the side braces. Fearing they could spring out too far and have a catastrophic failure, I picked up some 5/8" all thread and ran a rod at the halfway point on each shelf with jam nuts on the inside to prevent twisting/bowing either inward or outward. If that makes sense? edit pic added.

As pictured I too replaced the particle board shelves with 3/4" plywood (while it was still affordable to normal humans!).

[anothernewb]

There's a cat litter that comes in square 5 gallon-ish pails that works slick. no clue as to the brand though. with 3 kids with cats, i have a never ending supply of them. They stack a little better than round pails. Same weight restrictions apply like 5 gallon pails though.

I have moved more of them than I can count from the shed to the house with the my radio flyer wagon leftover from when I was young enough to ride in it.

[imashooter2]

There's a cat litter that comes in square 5 gallon-ish pails that works slick. no clue as to the brand though. with 3 kids with cats, i have a never ending supply of them. They stack a little better than round pails. Same weight restrictions apply like 5 gallon pails though.

I have moved more of them than I can count from the shed to the house with the my radio flyer wagon leftover from when I was young enough to ride in it.

Tidy Cat brand.

[StuBach]

Melt and pour the sheet lead into bread loaf pans. Inch or two slabs from bread loaf pans stack well. Stack on piece of wood on top of a harbor freight furniture dolly. Slabs can be similar weight to the USPS boxes at 15 - 25 lbs. from a single ingot pour. That weight isn't too bad to move them individually. As long as you don't have a gravel driveway the furniture dollies roll pretty well. Can't stack the dollies by not too hard to get 400# on each dolly.

Putting bottom shelf up high enough that dollies roll under bottom shelf.

Always test a new bread loaf pan for how well it releases ingots. I have only had a couple that stuck like a bad muffin pan but it is a hassle to get the lead out if it sticks. Loaf pans from garage sale or thrift store or estate sales. Doubt I paid over 50 cents for any of them.

I use 5 gallon buckets for stuff like type that I don't want to melt because the form proves the alloy. Soft lead comes from sheet or pipe or roof or xray shielding so I don't mind melting it as long as I know the source is soft lead. I also in addition to stamping "Pb" on the slabs will often stamp a number or letter "batch" id. So I know that this batch of ingots are all from the same source.

In the picture note the furniture dolly and stack of slabs next to blue bucket on floor, the crate next to it is also on the dolly. The buckets have type. For home shelf the furniture dolly is nice, for moving I think a hand truck friendly load is better. Sure makes rolling it around in the garage easier if it can be moved by one or the other. Wheels rule!
288994

Not all of us are as organized with our lead as you Roger [emoji1787].

Personally I just use a sharpie to write the content on the lead if it gets tested. Each info gets marked with percentages of the big three alloy components for safe keeping and for posterity if I was to not be around to assist.

Shameless plug for Chris though, if you don’t have one of the CB/redneck gold I got molds you should see if when Lakehouse will get more in. They are phenomenal at keeping lead sorted.


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[fredj338]

I am fine with 5gal buckets but they can only handle about 100# without shearing the handle off. HD sells half milk crate copies that stack nicely & are sturdy, cheap, easily holds 150# & can be moved if you can lift 150# or put it on a ref dolly.

[GregLaROCHE]

At Home Depot or similar type stores, you can buy black buckets that are designed for masonry work. They are around three gallons and made for heavy weight, especially the metal handles. I’ve filled them full of range scrap and carried them, but pure lead is heavier. There are several levels of quality. The inexpensive ones have worked for me. They should cost less than two dollars a piece, but I haven’t bought any recently. If the lead is level on top, you can stack them. I can’t say how high, at least two or three maybe more if they aren’t full.

[bigjake]

How about no containers? just stack the ingots where ever you plan to store your lead. this way there will be no heavy lifting.