Cutting large pieces of lead

[mrappe]

My LEE pot is small and if I get a large thick piece of lead that is not thin like flashing is there any good way to 'cut' it or do you just have to break it into chunks.

Thanks

[zxcvbob]

A couple of things not to try:

An ax, if the lead is more than an inch thick. (an ax works pretty well if the lead is thin enough)
Drilling a bunch of holes in it with a 1/2" drill so you can "connect the dots" with a saw. The bit will grab and the 50# chunk of lead will spin around and smack you in the shin.

A carpenter's saw works pretty well if you take long slow cuts with it. If you try to go fast, the lead gums up in the teeth.

You probably don't want to add scrap directly to your bottom-pour pot anyway. Melt the scrap down and make ingots.

[geargnasher]

Chainsaw.

Why aren't you smelting your flashing into ingots that will fit into your pot first? Putting that dirty (assuming used) crud in your clean pot is liable cause problems.

Gear

[Wally]

Hard to cut lead as it galls on a sawblade and makes dust. I hold it over my casting pot with a pliers and melt w/ a propane torch. When the pieces are small enough, dunk them in the molten metal.

[mazo kid]

My LEE pot is small and if I get a large thick piece of lead that is not thin like flashing is there any good way to 'cut' it or do you just have to break it into chunks.

Thanks

If your lead pieces are the right size, I have used a limb lopper to cut lead pipe. Slices through like a hot knife through butter.

[lwknight]

I put mine on the smelting pot and used a weed burner to melt a large hole in it and kept moving around and repeating till the left overs fit into the pot.
Years ago I did not have a good way to smelt and did have a chunk of lead too big for my casting pot so I used a propane torch to melt if off a little at a time . What a PITA it was too!!

[JSnover]

I borrowed an air chisel from a body shop once, to cut 1" thick lead plates down to size. Don't try cutting across from the side. Just use the bit to perforate it (like chain drilling) and you can bust it up with a mallet.

[lwknight]

Just be careful , if the lead is too thick , you could get your chisel buried up to where you would have a hard time getting it back out.

[JSnover]

Got that right! On some sections I ended up going halfway through and flipping it over to finish. Also learned the secret to getting the stuck chisel out: Clamp the lead to the bench with part of it hanging over edge and whack it till it spreads enough to release. It was two years ago and I'm still sweating....!

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I got a tractor wheel weight once
2 " thick and about 14" in dia.

I used a carpenters circle saw, with a very thin carbide toothed blade.
I cut only 1" deep on each side, the cut lines didn't match up exactly,
but a whack with a splitting haul and WaLa.
that worked pretty well.

I tried many other things and failed, til I tried the circle saw.
Jon

[lead4me]

The last big chunk I cut was 3'x3'x2.5" and I used a circular saw with a carbide blade it cut right threw it...USE safety glasses if you employ this method as it throws small lead missiles at you. But really not bad, sweep up the "sawdust" and toss it in the pot. Go slow or you will gum up the blade.

[fecmech]

+1 on Skill saw and carbide blade, cuts like butter! Wear a dust mask and goggles cause the chips hurt. OH, and cut over a plastic tarp so you can collect the lead chips!

[Papa Jack]

You guys might try turning the saw blades around backwards on those skill saws....I cut a bunch of sheet metal that way and it works slick ! Fiber glass rooffing to...I used a fine tooth blade.
I haven't tried this on lead sheets yet, but I am going too, I have a bunch of 3/8" thick lead sheeting to fit into my smelting pot....
What ever you use, be real careful and wear gloves and safety glasses......"PJ"

[a.squibload]

For sheet lead somebody here said use a boxcutter, works pretty good.
Score it a few times then bend.
Not sure how thick this would work on.
Previous to that I used a hammer & chisel in a straight line, takes a while.

[mckutzy]

My roofing buddy uses hook blades to cut the lead from the roof, and I usually use the hacksaw that cuts the sheet quickly into smaller pieces so that i can get them in the crucible.
After the ingots are formed,( they are triangle bars) and when i need them, I use a large wire cable cutter to cut the refined chunks to fit into the melter.

[Hammer]

Sawz All is fast and doesn't make a big mess.... All you have to do is find away to hold the ingot down... Gives the spouse or significant other something to contribute....[smilie=p:

[onondaga]

I never cut large chunks, I put them in an angle iron sluice over ingot moulds and use an oxy-acetylene torch,

[Lloyd Smale]

i have an old chainsaw i use just for the purpose.QUOTE=geargnasher;1006940]Chainsaw.

Why aren't you smelting your flashing into ingots that will fit into your pot first? Putting that dirty (assuming used) crud in your clean pot is liable cause problems.

Gear[/QUOTE]

[Fixxah]

I know a guy who used a chainsaw to cut up a 1,400lb sailboat keel.

[crabo]

Chop saw!

[Mal Paso]

I use my 5 HP 20 Ton Log Splitter. I've cut up to 4" thick pure lead cutting against a piece of steel scrap. It's like cutting heavy clay and no saw chips.

[lone bear]

ive used an old hand saw to cut large pieces of lead. just spray blade with some type of lube wd40 or silicone. the courser the blade the better it seems to work

[John Boy]

http://www.harborfreight.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/370x/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/i/m/image_2330.jpg

There isn't a large chunk of lead that this propane torch won't melt ... and quickly!

[lwknight]

Thats what I use on big stuff that I cant get into the smelter pot.
It will melt a puddle in a short time.

[JIMinPHX]

If you are going to use a circular saw or sawzall, lubing the blade with a little grease first helps to prevent it from gumming up.

[a.squibload]

If your lead pieces are the right size, I have used a limb lopper to cut lead pipe. Slices through like a hot knife through butter.

I tried that last night, thanks!
Had a tangle of pipe that was connected to a 4" collector of some kind, had a
threaded copper ring in it. Was all mashed and wrinkled.
Used the lopper to trim down to the ring and the solder joints.
Also had 1½" pipe with 1/4" wall, ate that up, and sheet lead too.

[dicko]

I never cut large chunks, I put them in an angle iron sluice over ingot moulds and use an oxy-acetylene torch,

Biggest pieces I get is roofing sheet. I also cut it by making a line with a cold chisel and folding it. Very slow. I found the Skil saw tip interesting, but don't get lead in big enough piece to use it.

But, dammit, guys, surely y'all can't be so dumb not to see the danger of cutting with torches ! I often see the story about dangerous fumes from melted lead. In fact there are no fumes at nomal casting temperatures. But there are above 900F and torches melt it way above that where the cut is made. As lead fumes are odourless and colourless, and lead poisoning is cumulative and never leaves the body, cutting with torches is crazy. Of course, I'm sure I will be dismissed as exaggerating. So keep on doing it, its your life !

[white eagle]

I agree with the circular saw
worked slick as snot
I use to use a sawzall but not no mo