Identify this chunk of lead?

[corvette8n]

its heavy, rings when I tap it with a hammer, I played the propane tourch on one corner and it melted, but hardened rather quickly when I removed the flame.

[HABCAN]

Babbitt metal boiler pressure plug?

[jimofaz]

Looks like a medical isotoype container. The 10 or 12 of these I had given to me about 10 years ago weighed around 32 lbs. each and checked out somewhere right around wheel weight alloy in hardness. Made great boolits as-is, for me anyway. Jimofaz

[Bill*]

yeah.. that's mine all right...where'd ya find it:mrgreen:

[redneckdan]

Radio-isotope container. As others have said it tests about like wheel weights. If you have the inner lead containers that go inside those are pure lead. If you ever open one up and find a little vial, close it back up and get the hence with the container to the hospital....you both need to be checked.[smilie=1:

[Doble Troble]

Looks like a scintillation counter shield.

Scintillation counters are what scientists use to measure radioactivity in solutions.

They're being used less as non-radioactive methods become more available. Radiation Safety offices in universities are dismantling old units at an increasing rate for surplusing. They usually include radioactive internal standards that must be disposed of, and they usually take out the lead shielding at the same time to dispose of as hazardous waste (or in my case as valuable cast bullets).

If you work at a university, get to know the radiation safety people. They've got a lot of lead that's a PITA for them to deal with.

It could be an isotope container too - I've never seen one. The brass nut inserts look like those in shielding, maybe containers have them too.

[beagle]

I don't know but I had one like it several years ago and it made bullets. Glad to kind of know what it maybe was....../beagle

[Bob Krack]

Medical isotope container.

96% or so lead, 4% or so antimony. Makes good boolits.

Ya might wanna add a little tin if needed for good fill out.

Bob

[corvette8n]

thanks guys if it ever stops raining I will smelt this thing.

[montana_charlie]

More information on isotope containers...
http://www.fellingfamily.net/isolead/index.html

[Hardcast416taylor]

A friend of mine, yes I do have a friend, that is a boiler operator at our local hospital brings me these still in the tall white plastic pail (?) they come in. The hospital keeps these lead shielding plugs locked in a lead lined vault for 1 year from entry, date is writen on each pail. After 1 year the half-life is more than passed the oldest pails are given to any personell of the hospital that desire them. There are never any left for sale to a local scrap yard. My friend brought me 8 of these lead loaded pails June 1 for my casting for this fall.:bigsmyl2:Robert