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kyratchethead

Best Way To Cut Lead

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What's the best way to cut lead? I got two 8 pound + ingots from a retired plummer today but

both are WAY TOO BIG to fit in my Lee IV Pot to melt! Any reccomendations appreciated!

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would tin snips work? or maybe if its that big use a torch with a pair of pliers and melt it over your pot till it fits?????? But I have always used tin snips...

Flatsrat76

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An Ax .. Hatchet .. sharp thick Blade ..... BIG hammer ... Just chop it up .. works for me.

Its good to have a pot that you can melt it down ... flux it .. clean it, pour into ingots that will fit in you pouring pot.

Have fun .. I could use about 100 #s of some of that free stuff.

JSC

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An Ax .. Hatchet .. sharp thick Blade ..... BIG hammer ... Just chop it up .. works for me.

Its good to have a pot that you can melt it down ... flux it .. clean it, pour into ingots that will fit in you pouring pot.

Have fun .. I could use about 100 #s of some of that free stuff.

JSC

Yep hatchet and a hammer for me when I get big pieces.

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I use a propane torch. Set the ingot on top of my pot and let the pot warm it, then just hit it with the torch and let it drip right into the pot..........probably takes a little longer than chopping with an axe, but 8 lbs is really not a big ingot.

When it gets to where I don't think it's as stable as I'd like, I jsut move it with pliers. You just have to be careful that big chunks of it don't drop into the hot lead in the pot ans splash.

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I'm probably going to op out for the butane torch route. I did get the two ingots cut apart today,

so's I'll probably set them one at a time on an ingot mold or mini muffin pan and melt them into

whatever and then go from there. I just want to get these BEHEMOTHS down into a workable size.

'Tanks 'fer all the feedback!

dangestideers31.JPG

Edited by kyratchethead
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I got a few ingots that are too big for my IV also. I tried the chisel and hammer, the axe, and a pick but ended up holding it at the top of the pot and using a propane torch to melt it into the pot. Worked fantastically, bout 2 minutes to melt a 2lb ingot.

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For big blocks like that, get a couple of old baking trays (I bought the wife new ones and took the old ones), get a piece of 4x4 and put the chunk of lead on top of the wood with it hanging over the edge. use a torch and start melting it and let it drip onto the cookie sheet.

Doing it this way you won't have dust, and you can pick up the melted pieces and put them in your bottom pouring pot.

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I get my lead in 50lb ingots and use the hammer and chisel method mentioned by many. I tried a heap of different methods, from axe to drilling holes to using different saws, but the good old hammer and chisel came out top.

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I have a fairly large pot that I use to melt down all impure lead and/or pieces that won't fit in my Lee pot and cast them into managable ingots. The pot is about 9 inches around and about 6 inches deep. For large ingots that I get sometimes and other large shapes that have at least one end that will fit in my 9 inch pot, I drill a hole in one end and hang into the pot from a tripod with a cable and pully and lower the piece of lead into the pot. OPnce the pot is full, I hoist the remainder up and por ingots. The pot is empty, I lower it in again.

This isa good way to quicly and efficientll make ingots out of large pieces of lead.

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I have a fairly large pot that I use to melt down all impure lead and/or pieces that won't fit in my Lee pot and cast them into managable ingots. The pot is about 9 inches around and about 6 inches deep. For large ingots that I get sometimes and other large shapes that have at least one end that will fit in my 9 inch pot, I drill a hole in one end and hang into the pot from a tripod with a cable and pully and lower the piece of lead into the pot. OPnce the pot is full, I hoist the remainder up and por ingots. The pot is empty, I lower it in again.

This isa good way to quicly and efficientll make ingots out of large pieces of lead.

Glad your system works for you, but I'll keep cutting. I don't want something else to worry about while melting lead, like the tripod falling or something like that. No disrespect meant to you at all.

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I have a fairly large pot that I use to melt down all impure lead and/or pieces that won't fit in my Lee pot and cast them into managable ingots. The pot is about 9 inches around and about 6 inches deep. For large ingots that I get sometimes and other large shapes that have at least one end that will fit in my 9 inch pot, I drill a hole in one end and hang into the pot from a tripod with a cable and pully and lower the piece of lead into the pot. OPnce the pot is full, I hoist the remainder up and por ingots. The pot is empty, I lower it in again.

This isa good way to quicly and efficientll make ingots out of large pieces of lead.

I like it. As long as all theproper precautions are taken, it is a good solution. If the area is clear of inquisitive onlookers and you are wearing the correct gear then no one can get hurt.

Dave

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If you're cutting or chopping the lead, do it over a drop cloth, so you can collect the "saw dust" or chips that you'll make, and use them, too. And wear a dust mask.

If you have kids, or plan to, lead can be dangerous, so be careful.

Funny, but it turns out that the old expression, "It'll put lead in your pencil", is actually not true. Lead poisoning kills sex drive. And leads to irreversible developmental problems in kids.

Edited by mark poulson
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