Cutting Slab Lead?

Throw it into a camp fire at the end of the night.
In the morning when it's cooled off dig thru the ash's to recover the "river's" of lead.
I had to do that a couple time's in the past.
 
I cut large chunks of lead in a 20 ton press, pressed a axe head in to it, worked relay good but my ingots were lot smaller.
Buddy who makes his own shot for his skeet addiction uses chain saw for relay big pieces that were used for ballast in sailboats.
 
an axe and a sledge hammer will do just as good as anything. I have cut hundreds of pounds of lead up this way and other than a miss-formed axe head have had no problems
 
Get someone to cut the top off of the biggest expired propane tank you can get for nothing. If the best you can do is a 20 pound barbeque tank use that, and cut 2 opposeing corners off the lead slab until it will slip in. Use a tiger torch to melt it down from there. A big bulk melting pot is a handy thing to have around anyway.
 
lyman54 said:
I've cut lead with a circular saw quite easily. Cut it in a large garbage bag to keep the lead from flying everywhere, standard blade. Wear good glasses.
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I used the same method as lyman54,cut through a couple of pieces 4"x4"x12" in about 20 minutes,no problems,just take your time and let the circular saw do the work.
 
Hang it off a tree, tripod, etc (winch it up on a sheave and hang it from one corner).Then bust out the steel bucket and tiger torch.I use a $25 turkey frier burner for large melting pots.That under a steel bucket, to keep it liquid, and the torch to melt the big chunk.
 
Well, the chainsaw might be the ticket. I was wanting to try the "hot wire" but failing that I guess I'm stuck with the one option. Being that the chuck of lead in my basement is 24"X36"X20" (app3,500 lbs) it's not exactly easy to move around. I'm just have trouble with the idea of using using my Husky 55 on it, maybe I'll put an old chain on it that's been sharpened of course.
 
Katana said:
Well, the chainsaw might be the ticket. I was wanting to try the "hot wire" but failing that I guess I'm stuck with the one option. Being that the chuck of lead in my basement is 24"X36"X20" (app3,500 lbs) it's not exactly easy to move around. I'm just have trouble with the idea of using using my Husky 55 on it, maybe I'll put an old chain on it that's been sharpened of course.
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- In your basement? Wear ear defenders. :D
 
Lead slab cutting

Eagleye had it right. AN AXE!, powered be sledge hammer or hydraulic press is the easiest. Saw blades and chainsaws are downright scarey and only work when enough heat is built-up to melt lead. Anhydrous lanolin (available at drugstores) smeared on the axe will lubricate the lead making the cut clean and much easier. Do not use motor or mineral oil for lube as some potentially deadly fumes could form when melting.
 
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