good score today

[hoosierlogger]

Today my boss brought me a big ol honkin chunk of lead. It was counter weight in one of his old race cars he parted out. The person who made it obviously put alot of thought into it when they made the pan to hold it. They build a box that looks to be water tight and poured the lead in it. it had handles protruding off of the sides to weld it to the frame.

Well, Paul thought he was doing me a huge favor while I was out of the shop working. He cut the box off of the 6" X 9" X 17" 375 LB lead block. So now it is way to big to fit in my pot. Where as if he would have left it alone I could have melted it in the pan and poured ingots out of it. He told me he would put it in the band saw and cut it into 2" thick slices. Is the band saw going to do it, or should I stick around tomorrow to watch him ruin a blade? The saw has an air blower on the blade to cool it and a wire wheel to brush off steel shavings, but I dont know how it will work on lead.

Oh yeah it was free!!!

[RayinNH]

The band saw will need very aggressive teeth, more like a wood bandsaw blade. Free is good though...Ray

[southpaw]

WOW!!! Free lead and some one willing to cut it into managable pieces. The band saw should make short work of the big block if you have a way of moving it around. I second the aggressice teeth on the band saw. Watch out for the metal tho. If you are really ambitious you can figure a way to catch the lead shavings. Great score. I am a wee bit jealous.

Jerry Jr.

[hoosierlogger]

If you are really ambitious you can figure a way to catch the lead shavings. Great score. I am a wee bit jealous.

Jerry Jr.
There is a tray under the band saw, but I dont really feel like cleaning all of the cut off steel pieces, steel shavings, cig butts, and chew spit out of it for another pound of lead.

[hoosierlogger]

Ok here is what I learned out of this ordeal. I decided to cut it up last night rather than wait for Paul to do it. The person who made the block poured WW into the bottom of the box with the clips still on them, then poured molten lead over it. Therefore eliminating me cutting it with a chainsaw.

1. You can cut lead in a band saw, you have to let the saw feed sloooooowly
2. turn the rotation speed of the blade down, and the air blower up all of the way
3. Dont rush #1 or you will stick the blade in the block of lead. (this takes aprox. 35 min to fix)
4. use an old blade, because you will ruin it

All together from getting the lead out of the shop, on to the band saw, cutting into 6 slices, and fixing my hurry up mistake took a little over 2 1/2 hours. Not too shabby for free lead.

[7of7]

with my project of 3000 lb sailboat keel, I started with a sawsall, demo blade, and finished with a circular saw 40 tooth carbide blade.
The carbide worked great!!
My recommendation for anyone who has a sizable amount of lead to cut, would be a circular saw, with a carbide blade. I was making 20 inch cuts, as deep as the saw would cut, in about three minutes...

[AKsoldier]

Congrats on a sweet score! That should keep you shooting for a while.

[hoosierlogger]

My recommendation for anyone who has a sizable amount of lead to cut, would be a circular saw, with a carbide blade. I was making 20 inch cuts, as deep as the saw would cut, in about three minutes...

I never thought of the circ saw. I have an old chain saw that I use to cut holes for ice fishing and lead only, but the steel clips would have wrecked the chain. would have been a heck of alot simpler if he hadnt cut the box off of it.