Scrapyard trip today and could use your help. :)

WRENCHGOD

WRENCHGOD

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Hit the local scrap yard at lunch today. I got two 50Lb. blocks of pure lead for $60.00 out the door.

The blocks are 10" X 6" X 2" and are too big for my cleaning pot. I am looking for ideas on processing them down into my RCBS ingot molds. I am thinking a large frying pan on my turkey burner is my best bet at the moment but wanted to see what you guys came up with. I would like to avoid the sawsall / axe type ideas.

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tiraq has the right idea! Just set the big chunk on something higher then your melting pot set your oxy/act torch to what makes it melt like butter and your good to go.
 
I use my band saw to cut 60lb ingots into pieces i can fit into my pot, melt chunks, flux, and pour out a bunch of 1/2lb and 1lb ingots for later usage. If you're cutting with a bandsaw or sawzall, get yourself some cutting wax, I found it kept the blade from gumming up as much.
 
If you try to melt with a torch directly on the lead, be prepared for wonderful golds and purples in your ingots - the torch flame overheats the lead a lot! Normally, your melting pot is getting lead to 800-ish degrees at most. By 900 degrees you are starting to pump lead fumes into the air - that is not good for you! The blue tip of a propane torch flame is 3,200 degrees or so - check that out on Google.
BTW, I have at least 50 pounds of gold and purple ingots - guess what I did....
 
Potashminer said:
If you try to melt with a torch directly on the lead, be prepared for wonderful golds and purples in your ingots - the torch flame overheats the lead a lot! Normally, your melting pot is getting lead to 800-ish degrees at most. By 900 degrees you are starting to pump lead fumes into the air - that is not good for you! The blue tip of a propane torch flame is 3,200 degrees or so - check that out on Google.
BTW, I have at least 50 pounds of gold and purple ingots - guess what I did....
Click to expand...

Thanks, good to know. I may just stick to the cast iron frying pan then.
 
Too bad you are not in my area otherwise you could have borrowed my bad ass
bottom pour melting pot.
Last batch I had 400lb in there :rockOn:
 
Choices: in order of ease

Oxy acetelene torch
Log splitter / excavator bucket
Sawzall
Axe - if your aim is excellent
Sawsall
Band saw- not recommended unless you are near the off button and can get th such a big piece off the blade.

Expense varies for each method, but frustration is very much a variable.

I have tried everything but the excavator bucket.

JWB
 
shoot_to_kill said:
A cold chisel and a little sledge hammer might cut it up nicely.
Click to expand...

Might take a little while, but this would probably be the cleanest and least hazardous method.

I would just give'r with an axe, but that's just me. I'm fairly confident in my ability to not drive a lead covered axe into my shin :)
 
I set a 130lb pig of lead across a couple of pieces of rebar that spanned some 6" high concrete bricks then melted around the edges with a tiger torch. I had bought some cupcake tins at a thrift shop for $0.25 each and used them to catch the flow of molten lead. Took and hour but sure worked slick. Each cupcake weighed 2 1/2 lb.
 
A sharp maul will go through those pretty quickly. Just make sure they're flat against a well anchored stump or frozen ground or you're going to chase it around a bit. Sharp heavy chisel should work too, but I haven't done it personally and you start needing a lot of energy to go through thicker stuff with any speed.
 
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