how to melt ship ballast?

legi0n

legi0n

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I bought 2 ship ballast weights (55lbs each).
These weights are like baking trays filled with lead (hopefully).

Now, how do I melt them to retrieve the lead?

I doubt an electric counter-top stove would stand the weight. Not that I could find one for sale in the Vancouver area anyways.

Suggestions? :confused:
 
I have a few of those. I use an old Coleman camp stove and an aluminum sauce pan that came from a second hand store for $10/set. The sauce pan is about 20cm diameter and is quite stable. I fire it up and set the billot into the pan. It will melt very quickly, once it starts and it will melt faster than you think, so be careful.

When it is all melted, I pour it into muffin pans to make it easier to handle and mix later. All of the ballast lead that I've come across, has been pure or very close to it. It's getting hard to find lately.

If you plan on shooting a lot and can get more, get as much as you can. You won't be sorry.
 
Last edited:
ZAMESB said:
i use an axe and a sledge hammer to cut my pot sized pieces works good for me
Click to expand...

This is probably the safest start.
If I were you, I would be very careful at first, and ensure to break it up into smaller manageable chunks, before melting.
If god forbid, there was a void in this ship's ballast, and somehow water leaked into it, you dont want to find out when you are sprayed with hot molten lead, when the water goes to high temp' steam vapour pronto.

Example: A buddy and his friend were given a steel pipe supposedly, only filled with lead, that they wanted for pistol bullets. This long steel pipe was the cornerstone of a fence once, and buried deep underground. When they tried to melt the lead out of it, trapped water vapor turning instantly to steam, turned it into a molten lead cannon.

Something to keep in mind.
 
If you can find a pot to melt it in a tiger torch works really well. Just use an old muffin tin for making ingots.

The next best is a metal bandsaw. Its like a hot knife through butter. A Sawzall would probably be nearly as good.
 
Okay... dumb noob lead hunter question. Where do you guys find used ship lead ballast in GTA area or up to 2hrs away?

I can't depend on my local tire shop for WW anymore. I need another source of cheap lead or free. How much am I expecting to pay for these big weights?

Thanks!
 
I'll try that
the problem is in supporting the lead pig until it melts.
PIGLEAD.jpg
 
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