cutting lead

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Last Post 05 January 2023

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99 Strajght posted this 04 July 2010

I have about 10 lead squares 1 in. thick and 8x8 in. I need to cut them in half to fit into my melting pot. I have tried a Hack saw, jig saw and a band saw. They work but at a cost of a lot of time and saw blades. Is there a easer way to cut lead?

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99 Strajght posted this 12 January 2013

If you are going to use a saw blade spray it with WD-40 and on the line you are going to cut. It will keep the lead from sticking to the blade. Cuts much faster also.

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idpasharpshooter posted this 11 April 2013

i use a 2 inch wide chisel and a hydraulic press.

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larryfisher posted this 04 July 2010

Yel,Take a cold chisel and hammer.

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LWesthoff posted this 04 July 2010

You don't need to cut it all the way through. Just get it notched all the way across and it will break (regardless of whether you notched it with a chisel or a saw).

Wes

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runfiverun posted this 04 July 2010

a dutch oven will make smaller ingots pretty handilly.

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99 Strajght posted this 05 July 2010

My band saw blades would stick and bind and come off the wheels. This would kink the blade and then the blade would would not be useable again. The best I have found so far is the score with a chisel and then put in a vise and bend back and forth with a pipe wrench two or three times. Brakes right off.

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jppr26 posted this 06 July 2010

i use a chop saw with a carbide blade just make sure you have glasses on and put some wax on the blade befor you cut, helps clean the teeth out

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Hammer posted this 24 September 2010

Sawz-all works well on any size ingots....

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Dale53 posted this 24 September 2010

I had 750 lbs of large ingots (65-92 lbs each). I used my standard smelting set up (a Turkey/Fish fryer burner and a six quart dutch oven from Harbor Freight):

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offhand35 posted this 11 January 2013

a coarse hook tooth wood blade will work the best in a Sawzall....as was mentioned in regard to a Skilsaw, put a tarp under your cutting area to catch the “dust". I cut up a few hundred pounds of Lino a few years ago with my bandsaw. used the coarsest blade I could put on it, worked great!The Sawzall would be better than a circular saw, less scatter of the 'dust'....

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Ed Harris posted this 12 January 2013

In addition to spraying the kerf line with WD40, loading the saw teeth by dragging across a bar of Ivory soap or Gulf paraffin canning wax in addition helps greatly!

73 de KE4SKY In Home Mix We Trust From the Home of Ed's Red in "Almost Heaven" West Virginia

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bighammer posted this 26 August 2021

Using a torch can cause toxic fumes (I'm told) so you don't want to inhale them.

I have been looking for a way to cut up a chunk about 2' x 3' about 5" thick. It's about 1800 pounds. I don't really want to use a saw and create a bunch of dust/shavings, but a torch would probably take a while. I can't imagine trying to get thru that thickness with an axe. Any other suggestions?

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max503 posted this 26 August 2021

Harbor freight weed burner.

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Tom Acheson posted this 27 August 2021

I have a pile of pure lead cable sheathing pieces. They are about 1/4 to 3/8” thick and 3-4 feet long. Lay one on a round wooden log section and use a wood splitting maul. Makes quick work of them with no airborne lead dust…..and you get a little exercise.

Tom

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Duane Mellenbruch posted this 04 January 2023

Cut with sawzall and coarse blade with lube. Thickness of cut off pieces will fit in the smelting pot. If you need smaller, Cut thin and fold over the pieces.

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Tom Acheson posted this 04 January 2023

I have some pure lead cable sheathing. The sections are 4-5 feet long. I whack off short pieces that fit into the melting pot. A wood splitting maul, a wooden log sitting on the ground. Lay the long piece of sheathing on the face of the log and swing away! Before long you have a pile of short pieces ready fit in the pot. But....don't di this on wet or snow covered ground......Your pot will not like the residual moisture.

Tom

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longhunter posted this 05 January 2023

It sure is fun to read stuff on here!

Jon

Jon Welda CW5 USA Ret.

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bushranch posted this 04 July 2010

Sharp axe , a big hammer and a solid block of wood to sit the lead on. Sharp axe cuts a lot quicker than a chisel . A extra person to hold the axe helps.

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frank l jr posted this 04 July 2010

one might locate a friend with a hydrolic log splitter, just use a great deal of discresion.. no fingers in the way. we cut up a bunch of babbit bars with this method.. works for me.

see ya

frank l jr :) :D:firefire:fire

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jhrosier posted this 05 July 2010

99 Strajght wrote: .... They work but at a cost of a lot of time and saw blades. Is there a easer way to cut lead? A band saw will cut lead like a hot knife through butter, but you need to use coarse pitch wood cutting blades. I cut a bunch of 1-1/2” thick ingots with no problem.

Jack

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