cutting lead

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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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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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runfiverun posted this 04 July 2010

a dutch oven will make smaller ingots pretty handilly.

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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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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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72coupe posted this 05 July 2010

I have a 72 pound 5 inch thick lead cookie. How should I cut that up?

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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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tturner53 posted this 06 July 2010

Ditto on the carbide blade. A Skillsaw will cut full depth, about 2 1/2", but makes a lot of chips. Put down a tarp to catch them, and don't rush it. Anybody tried a chainsaw? I have some to cut that's about 10” on the narrow dimension.

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canalupo posted this 06 July 2010

I hang big pieces over an ingot mold and melt with a torch. It will drip into mold and all that hammer swinging and ax chopping will be avoided.

Bob D

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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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James Ball posted this 24 September 2010

if you have a lot of lead,freeze it then hit it with big hammer in a vise.or submurge in alcohol and dryice for 20 min,get to 32 below,pull it out hit it on the edges,last resort move to alaska or take winter vac red eye in jan.its 70 below then

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Lefty posted this 11 January 2013

Which blade? Wood or bimetal?

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Lefty posted this 11 January 2013

My post is regarding an earlier post which recommended a Sawzall for cutting lead. I picked up a 75# block this morning. It is about 3” thick. So again which blade will work best in a Sawzall? Thanks for any help.

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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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delmarskid1 posted this 12 January 2013

I tried a circular saw and the blade stuck in the block of lead. It looked like something from the “Sword and the Stone". I had good luck with the electric chain saw. It goes slow enough that the lead doesn't heat up and stick the blade. I got a nice pile of 1/8” chips that I was tempted to use for chop shot.

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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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rockquarry posted this 12 January 2013

Someone mentioned using a torch; don't know if they were referring to a propane torch or oxy/ acetylene. The latter works very well and quickly if you have access to such equipment.

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fa38 posted this 12 January 2013

A few years back a friend had some counterweights from a big front end loader. They were about 6 inches thick and something like 5 by 3 foot. He used a jack hammer with a chisel blade.

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Ringer posted this 12 January 2013

I use an air chisel when I have heavy lead to cut. Ringer

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fa38 posted this 12 January 2013

Dale 53 quote >>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):<<

What really helps when you have a lot of lead to do is to have a propane weed burner along with the turkey fryer-cast iron pot. You hit the lead from the top with the weed burner and it is almost an instant melt. Cuts the total melt time by two thirds. My weed burner moved to Arkansas with my brother:(.

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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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Pigslayer posted this 12 January 2013

I have a metal cutting bandsaw that I use with a 14TPI blades. Works fine.

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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onondaga posted this 13 January 2013

There is another simple answer too. I prop big blocks of lead up on an angle with bricks and torch them. You can melt a trough and drip drip directly into ingot molds. When it gets smaller and you can hold the piece with a pliers and gloved hand, you can still drip it right into an ingot mold. No cutting at all. This works best with 2 people, one torching , the other moving ingot molds and lead block.

It is fast, easy and you only need an oxy/acetylene torch or a good Mapp torch,

Gary

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Pigslayer posted this 13 January 2013

onondaga wrote: There is another simple answer too. I prop big blocks of lead up on an angle with bricks and torch them. You can melt a trough and drip drip directly into ingot molds. When it gets smaller and you can hold the piece with a pliers and gloved hand, you can still drip it right into an ingot mold. No cutting at all. This works best with 2 people, one torching , the other moving ingot molds and lead block.

It is fast, easy and you only need an oxy/acetylene torch or a good Mapp torch,

Gary

Gary,

That is a good way to do it. But have you priced acetylene lately? I just exchanged mine for a full one . . . holy crap! & I only have the “B” size tank! Bought a bottle of Mapp gas the other day to do some silver soldering . . . almost $10.00!

Pat

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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Pigslayer posted this 13 January 2013

Ed Harris wrote: 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!

I have to agree in that the Ivory soap or paraffin on the blade is the way to go. I also do that when cutting aluminum on my metal cutting bandsaw. It works like cutting oil does when tapping/threading.

Pat

If someone else had of done to me what I did to myself . . . I'd have killed him. Humility is an asset. Heh - heh.

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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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Scota4570 posted this 24 October 2013

Yeah, bandsaw, easy. You need to use some lube or the blade will stick. Make a track of oil, any kind, ie 30W, Gear oil, STP, then, cut along the track. I just cut up a 60# brick the other day. Cuts very fast, wood blade, metal blade, does not matter. Just don't see how fast you can go, let the chips clear.

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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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Bud Hyett posted this 26 August 2021

Melting is better, I realize this takes more setup and work. I've tried both and prefer melting, but I have an old metal pot that holds 120 to 140 pounds to get a one-year supply of a hard alloy for production class.

Someone with a hydraulic ram press with an axe head welded into the end will cut into the lead and work well. Big chunks of five to ten pounds to drop into the pot. I had this setup and am working to get another similar setup.

The Sawzall is another approach with coarse blade and a way to catch the chips.

Farm boy from Illinois, living in the magical Pacific Northwest

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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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2frogs posted this 04 January 2023

Ok. I have a huge weight from a old clock.maybe 5 inch in diameter,20 inch long. How do I cut that

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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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foesgth posted this 04 January 2023

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 :firefire:fire

This method works like a champ. I cut a dozen blocks in half to fit in my pot. Put piece of scrap wood behind the block so the splitting wedge will cut all the way through.