Melting Lead: Results (good)(pictures)

So I went around and got anout 130lbs. of wheel balancing weights from some local tires shops. (the big stores don't give it away, try the little guys). I got it all for free, so the was awesome! I was also given about 10lbs. of pure lead sheets from old x-ray films by a doctor, so I'm up to 140lbs before melting down.

Pretty simple from there, melt down the lead. I did end up casting it though, since I has so much. I used a metal spackling mix pan as the mold.

Here is my set-up, I just used a wood fire.



I just put those handles on the pot to put myself further away from the hot stuff. I wore welding gloves. Holding 52lbs. of molten lead at that distance from my body was heavy enough!

I didn't get any action shots, but here is what the "bricks" look like:


And here is the mold I used. You can buy them at any hardware store. I did spray it with cooking spray, and the lead popped right out.


So there are the surprisingly good results. I ended up with 120lbs. of cast weight, so I lost about 20lbs. in steel clips off the weights.

Those weights will go on the front of this snowplow, right on top of that rusty weight that is already up there.


Hope somebody learns something here. I'm just trying to give back a teeny bit

Yep, did the same thing when training for my PADI diving certificate!

The idea was to make belted diving weights, we had about 6, five gallon buckets worth of wheel weights, not knowing we de-clipped most all the wheel weights just to find out that the clips being lighter than lead would float to the top and could be skimmed off with little effort...Damn!




Scott

Reminds me of the time I wouked in a printed circuit board shop back in the 60's. There was a very large solder pot the circuit boards were dipped in. The pot was larger than needed so to purchase less solder one of the high paid engineers went out and got a very large chain to take up the extra space.When the solder melted the chain floated (oops) Stan

Interesting.. Thanks for showing. Was wondering how you did the cool down of lead. ... If on it's own cool down ..? How long did it take for each brick of it I see?

Never heard of putting weight in the front. I have piles of weights and fluid in the tires on my 420 L&G. Same thing for my 210. I don't need traction to steer, I just back up and plow straighter.

Last year, if I hit enough snow with the blade at an angle, it just pushed the front of the tractor sideways. But rear weight is necessary too! You can just barely see those suitcase weights hanging out back there in that picture, I use 4 or 5 at 70lbs. each on the back.

For Larry on the cool down, it took about 30 minutes for the lead to be set up enough to come out of the mold. Still REALLY HOT, but I just left the chunk laying on the ground where I popped it out so I could pour the next one.

Made this weight bracket. Ah heck, made everything for this darn snowplow outfit! Modify plow, weights and brackets, mix and match chains chains lol

Nice looking 318. I grew up on one of those and a 300. In the south we do not have much snow 8) but used those blades to backfill behind a trenching machine. Saved a lot of labor. The 300 has one set of remotes, and the 318 has two. We mounted dual cylinders on the blade. One for tilt and one for angle... Careful with the lead if you live in California. Everything I read says that it causes cancer if you are in California! I had to poke fun at that one.

Charles

It looks like they turned out pretty good. I'd be a little worried about that big of a blade and all the weights on a garden tractor. If you hit something in the snow or tried to go to fast, you could cause some damage. Dave

I hop dat yuse real a lize dat when yoose reach my age you be a babbleing idot.
Walt
Giggle

My brother has cast lead ingots and bullets for decades. About 10 years ago he developed a case of heavy metal poisoning from breathing too many fumes. Very painful and seemed to have hit suddenly and not easy to get rid of.

Make sure you stay safe even when working outdoors with what you think is plenty of air flow.

I'll second the safety. You want to go pretty careful with those fumes with that amount of lead. I know a fellow who ended up with cancer that they reckoned came from doing that. Sam

I wore a respirator the entire time approved for fumes. Didn't take it off for 4 hours. I don't plan on doing this often either. But yes I agree, safety, safety. I had on all long sleeves, no synthetics, and safety glasses too.

That blade is 54 inches, and can be as small as 42. The Deere-made blade is 54 inches.

Max front weight per the manual is 790lbs. Blade~ 100lbs, 100lbs of weight up front.

Max rear weight is 1200lbs, max I put on is 350.

The tractor weighs about 1000lbs. So 1000+350+200=1550. 1750lbs if I'm driving. That leaves about 240 lbs under capacity in total. The front may be cutting it close with the engine being up there, but Deere's weight set for the front is 250lbs, so a little heavier than mine.

I'm trying to follow the rules ;-) And the blade has spring trip, so it SHOULD flop over if I hit something. Should...

Thanks

O ya. Just finshed putting on the hydraulic angle this year. Now I never have to leave the seat

Thanks

A welders leather jacket and full face shield should be used.A leather apron will protect the family jewels.I melted a lot of lead for cast iron soil pipe.Melting lead is dangerous,avoid it.