Best way to cut thick sheet lead?

[mdntranger50]

I have large pieces 2x4 to 4x8 sheets of virgin lead. Thickness are 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8. I would like to get them cut down to more manageable sizes for weighing and stacking into piles on pallets more neaty. I'm thinking of trying my sawall first. Any other thoughts?

[country gent]

Sawzall will do it with the right blade. A circular saw with a fine tooth carbide blade will also work well. Lube the area to be cut with a light oil makes the saw slide easier and keeps the blade from loading up. Try to keep 3-4 teeth engaged in the sheet when cutting.

[Budzilla 19]

I agree with both the sawzall and the circular saw idea. All else fails, a very sharp single bit axe, draw lines on sheet, solid backing under sheet, tap the back side of the axe head with a 4 pound hammer, moving right along the line, should cut precise and no chips to clean up! Just my .02

[Joe K]

With those sheets being 3/8 and less I would score and break similar to cutting drywall. If a circular saw is used try putting your blade on backwards. It doesn’t sound right but it will easily cut the sheets without loading up the blade. Saw all will definitely work if that is what you have. Hope this helps.

[contender1]

The backwards circular saw is an excellent way to cut that lead.

[TurnipEaterDown]

Cut a fair bit of aluminum siding w/ a fine tooth plain steel circular saw blade on backwards. Noisy as heck, but works very well.

Far as I remember, pure lead doesn't work harden well, so breaking on a score line will probably take a very deep score, but otherwise should work.
I found the quote below when I followed up my memory on an open source website. I did not check it for validity, but doesn't seem whacky. I liked metallurgy when I was in engineering school, but it's not my job.

"Another factor is that at room temperature, lead is fairly close to its melting point; close enough for stress relief to occur in the worked metal, preventing the accumulation of dislocations that make it harder. A handy concept here is “homologous temperature”, which is simply the ratio of the temperature (in Kelvin) to the metal’s melting point.

The closer a metal is to its melting point, the more easily the atoms can move around in the crystal structure. Being able to move allows them to “heal” the dislocation defects that are created by deformation. As a coarse rule of the thumb, metals begin annealing (which completely restores the crystal structure) at temperatures about 50% of their melting point, and stress relief can happen at even lower temperatures.

At room temperature (300K), copper is at 22% of its melting point (1358K), so it’s nowhere near annealing or even stress relief. Any defects created by deformation remain trapped, hardening the metal. Lead, though, melts at only 600K, so at room temperature it’s at exactly half of its melting point; hot enough to slowly anneal.

But annealing takes time, so if you work lead fast enough you will notice it getting harder."

[HWooldridge]

If you can find one, a Beverly throatless shear will make short work of it. Plumbers and roofers used to have oversized scissor shears that clamped in a vise or locked into an acorn table - that’s how sheathing was generally cut in the old days before power tools.

[BLAHUT]

There is a rotary handheld cutter for tin and ?? I have used them and they work great, Google them and see ? Other wise a large hand held tin snip ( scissors ) will work on the thinner stuff and a skill saw run backwards for the thicker stuff.

[BLAHUT]

There is a handheld rotary cutter that i have used and works great, google it, a hand held large tin snips ( scissors ), a skill saw run backwards for the thicker stuff, a power log splitter works.

[15meter]

Air chisel with a seam ripper blade. Also known as a body ripper.

Circular saw spews lead chips every where and they HURT! Been there done that, didn't like it.

Large sheet of Visqueen, big cardboard next to the saw to catch the chips helps. Long sleeve shirt, tight fitting safety glasses and heavy gloves are mandatory. Full wrap-around face shield is HIGHLY recommended.

And it'll still hurt.

Sawsall, slower less violent distribution of lead chips but still have to clean up the chips.

Air hammer will just produce a single coil to pickup.

I've cut a lot of phone sheathing. Axe, circular saw and air chisel.

Air chisel works the best for me.

[Mr Peabody]

An axe or hatchet

[GregLaROCHE]

People chainsaws to cut large thick pieces of lead. It would probably work for thinner stuff too. Mae sure to set it up so you can save the sawn off pieces of lead.

[kevin c]

Dual blade, counter rotating circular saw. It was suggested to me here, and it worked out great.

Yes, lots of chips, but a tarp caught them. Much smoother and with less wrestling around than a sawzall. I also like my fillings to stay in my teeth (hardly any vibration/chatter).

[georgerkahn]

I have large pieces 2x4 to 4x8 sheets of virgin lead. Thickness are 1/8, 1/4, and 3/8. I would like to get them cut down to more manageable sizes for weighing and stacking into piles on pallets more neaty. I'm thinking of trying my sawall first. Any other thoughts?

Reading previous/above replies to your question, there's not a one I disagree in any way with! 'Specially -- been there/done that -- using a circular saw. NOT the quickest solution: I have done quite well using a Rockwell Bayonet Saw -- a handheld jigsaw -- with course wood blade. There is minimal dust, and any/all chips drop down. I have NOT tried this -- but my thought (hindsight's always best, right?) after I finished that which I had was -- in future -- to use an oxyacetylene torch. Why wouldn't a very small cutting head melt it's way without flying pieces, lead dust in air, etc.? (Of course you'd need to be set up so you do not (duh) breathe any fumes!)
Again -- if fortune gets me some more sheet lead -- I will be trying the "torch".
Good luck.

[Sasquatch-1]

I don't know if this will work but try taking an old reciprocating saw blade and sharpen it like a knife. It should not cause the chips that a regular blade will make.

[pworley1]

The 1/8 inch is easy to cut with good shears. A sawzall is good for the thicker.

[15meter]

Reading previous/above replies to your question, there's not a one I disagree in any way with! 'Specially -- been there/done that -- using a circular saw. NOT the quickest solution: I have done quite well using a Rockwell Bayonet Saw -- a handheld jigsaw -- with course wood blade. There is minimal dust, and any/all chips drop down. I have NOT tried this -- but my thought (hindsight's always best, right?) after I finished that which I had was -- in future -- to use an oxyacetylene torch. Why wouldn't a very small cutting head melt it's way without flying pieces, lead dust in air, etc.? (Of course you'd need to be set up so you do not (duh) breathe any fumes!)
Again -- if fortune gets me some more sheet lead -- I will be trying the "torch".
Good luck.

I was doing primarily telephone sheathing with the phone wires still inside. I tried it with a torch. For about 10 seconds. Nasty. Then axe, then circular saw. Drove 20 miles to get the seam ripper. I had gotten rid of mine from years ago, figuring I was done putting mufflers on cars. No mufflers anymore but splits sheathing well.

But it is hard on the hand.

Torch should work quite nicely on flat stock when done over concrete so you can pickup the droppings.

[country gent]

The problem with the torch and the thicker lead will be the heat dispersion. The lead will suck the heat way out into it slowing the torch some and making it hard to reach over the hot area

[mdntranger50]

Thanks for all the replies! I have a sawall and a jig saw. Also a circular saw but probably won't use that unless I have too. I will cut the 1/8 with shears and try the jig saw on 1/4 and 3/8

[jonp]

Be sure to put the sheets on a tarp to collect the shavings. I'd use a circular saw and a diamond blade or laminate blade for that. The Sawzall for thicker bar.

I bought a cheap circular saw from HF to cut cement siding saving my Hitachi for good stuff. Works just fine for it, too. WalMart has good prices on cheap saws so be sure to check them.