Large chunks of lead

[nonferrous]

I recently came into some large chunks of lead that needed to be downsized. A while back I had some 50 pound ingots to deal with and cut them up with a sawsall and this was a lot of extra work. These new slugs were 115 pounds each and that would have been too much sawing. This honestly was a problem for me until the light bulb went on.
I wheeled them down to the dock, slung them with my dingy davit and dunked them in the pot, turned up the heat and sat under a shade tree to wait.
It's simple once you figure it out and work out the details.
Just thought you may be interested.

[lwknight]

A weedburner torch would have sped you up a lot.
Maybe next time. LOL!
I store most of mine in 22-25 pound breadpan ingots.

[44fanatic]

Great thinking. My only concern is when you melt up to the hole and that big chunk of lead dropping in a full pot. Solution, leave enough lead to keep it secure, and place it in an empty pot for smelting.

[hammerhead357]

Good thinking. I hope that pot is iron and not aluminum. Yes watch out for the end of the ingot it could create a splash of lead or even upset the melter....Wes

[nonferrous]

When I moved down from Minnesota 20 years ago I got out of the building business and gave away two pro grade torch's, they were cast iron and I would guess about 150,000 BTU. Who knew.
As far as speeding it up, I guess that's where the shade tree comes in. When I got back into shooting down here, I never would have guessed that hunting down, smelting and hoarding lead would be a big part of the hobby for me.
One of the worries I had while working this out was just that, would the hole in the lead give out from the heat before I was ready for it. As it worked out, I had to submerge the last few inches of the slab in the melt just to free up the re-bar hook and get it out. It was all good.

[DukeInFlorida]

This subject comes up every once in a while.

I just started the process of chopping up a 1400 pound pure lead sailboat keel! Let me tell you, 1400 pounds is a LOT of heavy weight!

I was able to cut the big thing up into manageable chunks with a well oiled chainsaw. Put a tarp under it, and behind you to catch the lead chips that accumulate quickly!

I had a piece roll slowly over onto my left foot last night, and spent the night in the hospital (six hours in the hospital on a Friday night is no fun). No fractures, thank goodness.

But with pure lead weighing 708 pounds per cubic foot ( one foot X one foot X one foot), you have to be careful handling the large pieces.

[nonferrous]

Sorry to hear about your hospital stay, you are right, it's a crummy way to spend time. I am just about at the end of working the kinks out from some elective lower back surgery two weeks ago that kept me in for two nights.
The running joke with all the shooting and Harley types that I hang around with always seems to involve some snide remarks about the better looking nurses they see around the place and suggestions as to what moves should be made.
Maybe I am getting too old to appreciate the thoughts they offer, I really don't think so. But when you are wrapped up in a hospital gown with your credentials flopping around, walking through the corridors with the physical terrorist that comes in every day, eating hospital food to stay alive and having a bunch of needles stuck in you and tubes coming out of you going into various bags, that is probably the last thing on my mind.
Maybe it’s just me.

[7of7]

This subject comes up every once in a while.

I just started the process of chopping up a 1400 pound pure lead sailboat keel! Let me tell you, 1400 pounds is a LOT of heavy weight!



Duke, I had a 3000 lb keel... a circular saw worked well... carbide tipped blade, and some shielding to keep small pieces from flying all over everywhere...

[chas8008]

What are you guys paying for keels.

Are all keels pure lead or mixed?


Living in Fl there are Broke down sails around.

[DukeInFlorida]

We paid $400 for what the guy said was 1,000 pounds. And, it's PURE lead.
We actually got at least 1400 pounds. It's maybe more like 2,000 pounds. That's pretty cheap. You just have to be careful to keep your feet out of the way.

When I sell off my excess share (200 pounds at a buck a pound) as ingots, I'll end up with a lifetime supply of lead for free!

[WILCO]

All that molten lead so close to the water........ Wow......

[chas8008]

nice, did you think you got all the lead? Sounds like you cut it off was there any left on the boat?

Do you think it coulnd be unbolted?

[riverwalker76]

I'm wondering if it wouldn't be easier to bust a keel up with a sledge hammer or a maul?

Several years ago a buddy of mine brought an old sailboat over to my shop so we could break it down. He wanted the English Oak that the boat was made of to make furniture out of. We tore down that boat in less than 3 days and broke the keel up with a sledge hammer. It wasn't all that bad actually.

[DukeInFlorida]

What we got was the bottom o the fiberglass keel, bolted to the lead. First thing we did was remove the fiberglass, leaving us just lead with four bronze attachment bolts cast into it.

http://www.northeastshooters.com/vbulletin/attachment.php?attachmentid=11092&d=1277077466
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nice, did you think you got all the lead? Sounds like you cut it off was there any left on the boat?

Do you think it coulnd be unbolted?

[Curlymaple42]

OMG, the pictures are even better than your story today Duke! Hahaha! I see the "earthquake crevices" in the driveway too. It is pretty amazing that such a small thing weighs so frigging much! Hey, I am pretty sure I have the single axle version of that flatbed trailer of yours. Love that thing! Super handy to have!

[DukeInFlorida]

Stuart is coming by on Sunday, and we'll be doing some smelting and additional cutting.

I can't wait to get even with that bad keel for hurting my foot like that.

We're going to use the engine lift to hoist the chunks into the dutch oven.


OMG, the pictures are even better than your story today Duke! Hahaha! I see the "earthquake crevices" in the driveway too. It is pretty amazing that such a small thing weighs so frigging much! Hey, I am pretty sure I have the single axle version of that flatbed trailer of yours. Love that thing! Super handy to have!