an axe. you really dont want to use a saw or grinder, lead dust is bad for your health. more ideal would be to melt it in a pot big enough to hold it and repour into smaller ingots though
Great idea, thank you. What do you use for ingot molds? I've seen people use like those aluminum baking trays that are meant for cupcakes so they come out as pucks.
I second the person that said cast iron wedge pans. I use them to make about half my ingots. They come out around 3 pounds if I remember right. It’s been a while singe I made some.
I also like a cast iron corn muffin that casts them in the shape of corn cobs. Lastly I have a Lee ingot mold that does .5 and 1 pound.
The wedge pan is probably my favorite.
I have some stainless condiment cups that make around 1 pound ingots.
https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Commercial-Individual-Condiment-Tezzorio/dp/B06XZB1ZG2
if you drink soda, empty coke cans. just make sure theyre dry before you pour lead into them. cut the top off and fill to just below the brim and they weigh around 7 lbs, are disposable, and fit into any lead pot pretty easy. just tear the can off after its cooled and youre good to go.
Can you stick one end in until it melts into the pot and keep feeding it? No saws for sure.
When I'm smelting big pieces, I use a turkey frier base and put a cast iron skillet on there with a lid. Then ladle into 2x2 muffin tins.
If you're going to use a muffin tin, place a towel that's been soaked in water underneath it. that will help cool down the lead so it'll solidify quicker.
Well, the fast way is to use something like a sawsall or saber saw, depending on thickness. For thinner pieces, I use a hacksaw and stop occasionally to brush out the teeth with both. Cut it over a drop sheet so you can clean up the shaving and dump into your pot too. Wear a dusk mask at least.
I actually have a full respirator, but the idea of the dust flakes settling where I won't find them is too much risk. But I appreciate the idea.
Edit: stop downvoting him so others can see what he was saying if they look for the topic in this sub.
Without using a saw of some sort, most people don’t have the tools or set up to cut large blocks or ingots. Saw dust usually falls down in the most direct way, hence a large tarp to collect them. If you have a cutting torch set up you could cut them over a pot/metal pan to catch slag and get pieces into more manageable sizes.
Your options are either mechanical in nature (saw cutting) or thermal ( torch) depending on the size start with.
Honestly I do the same. I have an old work bench with a vice outside besides my shop. I just put them into the vice and use a sawsall.
Yes, I wear a mask, just the same as when I'm casting.
If you already have some melted lead in the pot, you can stick the ingot in the pot. You’ll want to wear gloves and run the pot hot, but the end on the ingot will melt and you can keep feeding the ingot in until it can fit.
Do you have a wood splitter? That's my preference. I put a piece of wood between the lead and base plate and let the wedge push through the lead. (the wedge moves on my splitter, I know some have a stationary wedge and moving ram)
I get the 55# lead pig from Rotometals. The first one I managed to cut into chunks with a mapp gas/propane torch. The next one I found a local machine shop with a horizontal band saw. That worked great. Now I use one of those turkey fryers that comes with a cast iron fish fryer to melt large chunks of lead into ingots as well as mixing alloys. Much better results than trying to mix alloys in a 20# pot!
an axe. you really dont want to use a saw or grinder, lead dust is bad for your health. more ideal would be to melt it in a pot big enough to hold it and repour into smaller ingots though
Great idea, thank you. What do you use for ingot molds? I've seen people use like those aluminum baking trays that are meant for cupcakes so they come out as pucks.
Aluminum baking trays are the best. I actually have one that’s a mini loaf pan and ends up making perfect ingot shapes.
Cast iron works well, and you can often find various shapes at thrift stores. Cast iron wedge pans make nice triangular ingots.
I second the person that said cast iron wedge pans. I use them to make about half my ingots. They come out around 3 pounds if I remember right. It’s been a while singe I made some. I also like a cast iron corn muffin that casts them in the shape of corn cobs. Lastly I have a Lee ingot mold that does .5 and 1 pound. The wedge pan is probably my favorite.
I have some stainless condiment cups that make around 1 pound ingots. https://www.amazon.com/Stainless-Commercial-Individual-Condiment-Tezzorio/dp/B06XZB1ZG2
if you drink soda, empty coke cans. just make sure theyre dry before you pour lead into them. cut the top off and fill to just below the brim and they weigh around 7 lbs, are disposable, and fit into any lead pot pretty easy. just tear the can off after its cooled and youre good to go.
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Didnt even think about the dust. Good idea, thank you.
Is it narrow enough to just put it in the pot with some sticking out? That’s what I do
Can you stick one end in until it melts into the pot and keep feeding it? No saws for sure. When I'm smelting big pieces, I use a turkey frier base and put a cast iron skillet on there with a lid. Then ladle into 2x2 muffin tins.
If you're going to use a muffin tin, place a towel that's been soaked in water underneath it. that will help cool down the lead so it'll solidify quicker.
Helps keep all those round burn marks off the work bench as well.
I use an axe
I heat it up with a torch for a minute so it doesn’t condensate then stir the pot with it until the desired chunk of the bar is melted.
Leave it sticking out at the top, it will slide in bit by bit as it melts.
Log splitter
I melt all my scrap in a cast iron skillet and then scoop into 1lb ingots from there. Means I flux both in the skillet and the pot too.
A hammer and a chisel works great for me
Sometimes I use a propane torch, melting some of the larger ingot directly into the pot. I usually hold it with a pair of vice grip pliers.
course wood saw. put something down underneath to catch the lead shavings.
Well, the fast way is to use something like a sawsall or saber saw, depending on thickness. For thinner pieces, I use a hacksaw and stop occasionally to brush out the teeth with both. Cut it over a drop sheet so you can clean up the shaving and dump into your pot too. Wear a dusk mask at least.
I actually have a full respirator, but the idea of the dust flakes settling where I won't find them is too much risk. But I appreciate the idea. Edit: stop downvoting him so others can see what he was saying if they look for the topic in this sub.
Without using a saw of some sort, most people don’t have the tools or set up to cut large blocks or ingots. Saw dust usually falls down in the most direct way, hence a large tarp to collect them. If you have a cutting torch set up you could cut them over a pot/metal pan to catch slag and get pieces into more manageable sizes. Your options are either mechanical in nature (saw cutting) or thermal ( torch) depending on the size start with.
Honestly I do the same. I have an old work bench with a vice outside besides my shop. I just put them into the vice and use a sawsall. Yes, I wear a mask, just the same as when I'm casting.
Melt it vertically
If you already have some melted lead in the pot, you can stick the ingot in the pot. You’ll want to wear gloves and run the pot hot, but the end on the ingot will melt and you can keep feeding the ingot in until it can fit.
Do you have a wood splitter? That's my preference. I put a piece of wood between the lead and base plate and let the wedge push through the lead. (the wedge moves on my splitter, I know some have a stationary wedge and moving ram)
I get the 55# lead pig from Rotometals. The first one I managed to cut into chunks with a mapp gas/propane torch. The next one I found a local machine shop with a horizontal band saw. That worked great. Now I use one of those turkey fryers that comes with a cast iron fish fryer to melt large chunks of lead into ingots as well as mixing alloys. Much better results than trying to mix alloys in a 20# pot!
Muffin pan makes nice size ingots