300lb block of lead

[Phunahm]

I have a guy that does scrap pick up says he get 200-300 lb blocks of lead every week He says the scrap yard gives him 40 cents a pound...I told him I would be interested in it, but how would I know if its Good lead IE: pure,mixed with tin,etc....

[cohutt]

ask him where he gets it, what it comes from. any info might help

[MakeMineaP99]

What's the hardness? Should be around 5 BHN for pure Pb.

[Phunahm]

Ill have to ask where he gets it.....alot of Mfg plants around me so who knows .... Even Trijicon is 1/4 mile from me....

[fredj338]

The other question s how do you handle/smelt a 300# block of lead? I had some 50#+/- from a 10" frypan someone gave me, tough to manuever those.

[MakeMineaP99]

Ill have to ask where he gets it.....alot of Mfg plants around me so who knows .... Even Trijicon is 1/4 mile from me....

You're in Wixom? Been down that way a time or two.

[layusn1]

You grab a saw and hack it up...but your questions remind me of somebody buying drugs...how do I know if its been cut? What has it been cut with? How pure is this stuff man? I need a fix.... :rofl:

[Oreo]

YOu could set the lead block on a ledge with a pan underneith. Then take a blow torch to the lead block & it will melt & drip into the pan like an ice cube.

[MakeMineaP99]

Novel idea on small scale, inpractical on a large scale.

[BigSlick]

Buy a big pot.

Me an Lonnie melted a lead boat keel last year dat weighed 200 lbs +.

It was kinda hard ta handle, but we put our mind to it an afro-engineered a solution dat happened to work pretty well.

Had some pics too, I a hafta look em up an post em.

Maybe give ya some ideas

[Phunahm]

You're in Wixom? Been down that way a time or two.
yeh I work in Wixom......

[layusn1]

Hey...would the propane fish fryer bases they sell at Bass Pro work as a beginning smelter...they are like $40. Maybe stick to 100 - 150 pounds at a time.

[Phunahm]

I would use the band saw at work to cut into manageable pieces :chainsaw:

[BigSlick]

Ya can't cut lead wit a saw worth a damn.

Heat builds up, lead clogs up da teeth an ya stop cuttin.

300lb chunk a lead ain't exactly huge

Melt da whole damn thang at one time.

You a be much happier wit doin dat

For real

[AdamN]

300lb chunk a lead ain't exactly huge


9" cube of lead just a touch over 300lbs, 8"cube a little over 200lbs.

Should fit right in the dutch oven

Link from Jawja....http://www.maycoindustries.com/Calculators/geometry_xls.htm

[SWAMPMASTER]

and one the size of a basketball is really heavy also

[jawjaboy]

9" cube of lead just a touch over 300lbs, 8"cube a little over 200lbs.

Should fit right in the dutch oven

Link from Jawja....http://www.maycoindustries.com/Calculators/geometry_xls.htm



Yessir. Fit nicely. :wink5:

[Fatdaddy]

A sharp ax works fairly well, If you can maintain your cutting groove.
You'll be tired but it works.

[Oreo]

If you can melt it all at once like slick is saying, that's got to be the best idea.

After that though... I'd still use the blow-torch idea as the next best. Use Map gas 'cause it burns hotter then propane. Hold the flame in one spot & it will melt out of that one spot & drip down right into your ingot moulds.

[yammerschooner]

Buy a big pot.




I half smashed a turkey fryer recently melting a lead footing of some kind. My advice is to reinforce the fryer that is under that big pot. I got lucky and the legs only bent before I tipped the rest of the hunk off and jumped as far away from the situation as possible.

No lead spilt as the hunk rolled off of the pot, but things were a bit tense for a couple seconds.

[layusn1]

Soo...about that fish fryer base question...lol...

[fredj338]

If you can melt it all at once like slick is saying, that's got to be the best idea.

After that though... I'd still use the blow-torch idea as the next best. Use Map gas 'cause it burns hotter then propane. Hold the flame in one spot & it will melt out of that one spot & drip down right into your ingot moulds.
I think you would be best wearing a hazmat mask if you apply direct high heat to lead w/ a torch. It will start to vaporize as it melts, very bad. I even keep my melting pots below 750deg for that reason.

[ISUSteve]

Hey, if I guess about how much that lead block weighs, can I have it?