Can one break down 25lb lead bricks with a hammer?

[Geofois]

Happy to notice an ad for lead bricks on craigslist and they are 25lbs each. If pure lead can a steel hammer break pieces off or can it only be melted in a large pot? He's got 2000 lbs in case anyone hear can use it. I'm just starting out on casting so probably beyond my capabilities.

[TKM]

It can be divided into bite sized pieces with a chisel. Or a chainsaw if you don't like your chainsaw.

Best bet is some kind of hydraulic shear.

[hambam105]

Appears to be a good, no, a great deal!

But...Make sure this lead isn't contaminated. Seriously. I'm sure someone else here on Calguns can shed more light on the possibilities of contamination.

[hermosabeach]

Lead is pretty soft and can be busted up

Chisel is better or a sawzall if you need to use a tool

[Batman]

Use a hammer with this...
https://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-...dle-96231.html

Hit the back of the hatchet with the hammer, and it should do short work of the lead bar.

[pacrat]

Originally Posted by Batman

Use a hammer with this...
https://www.harborfreight.com/1-1-4-...dle-96231.html

Hit the back of the hatchet with the hammer, and it should do short work of the lead bar.

NOT a good idea. The flat on the back of a pole axe [like link] or hatchet, is for driving wooden or nylon wedges or wooden stakes. Not for beating on hard surfaces.

The handle to head fitment is "ovoid" in shape. If you beat on the flat with a hard hammer. Or drive steel wedges with it. The handle quickly gets loose. Even with a fiberglass handle.

BTDT, and got my butt kicked for doing it.

Could be done with an Estwing type hatchet/axe, because the head and handle are forged from a single piece of steel. But don't suggest using a steel hammer to pound with. A deadblow or large hard rubber mallet would suffice. NEVER hit a hammer with a hammer.

A sawzall will work only of you use a course wood type blade at very slow speed. Fine tooth hacksaw type blade, loads up, quits cutting, and quickly heats up, and melts the lead into the teeth. Same for bandsaw. AGAIN - BTDT.

[middleofnowhere]

I’ve used a chisel on a piece-of RR track I have in my garage with good results.

[Cowboy T]

A 25-lb brick will easily fit into a Dutch Oven. Just use the same process that you'd use for melting down a bunch of wheel weights. Then, take a ladle and scoop the molten lead into more manageable pieces. I use a cheap muffin pan for this purpose, preferably without Teflon coating, but if that's all you can find, then a Teflon coated muffin pan also does work.

[Sandspider500]

8"x4"X2" , that would fit in my stainless pot.

[Steve45-70]

Yeah it would not take a huge pot to melt it. I have a large cast iron skillet and I have done 50 pound blocks in it.

[BIGOX]

Dutch oven is the way to go but a mallet and big chisel will cut through anything lead. Ive broke down a 900 hull with just a mallet and chisel. Testing for zinc contamination is a must. It is very complicated as well. Put a few drops of nail polish remover on a clean piece of the lead if you see any bubbles then there is zinc. Not so hard after all. Finding out what kind of lead alloy it is may be a harder job. Bring art pencils to test harness if possible.

[BIGOX]

If you hit a lead ingot with a hammer and it dose break. Then what you have is an alloy rich in tin.

[Sheldon]

If anyone curious I emailed about price and was quoted $1.50 a pound in a 500 pound quantity.

[iMigraine]

Propane torch, but you would want to catch the melted lead.

[Geofois]

Originally Posted by Sheldon

If anyone curious I emailed about price and was quoted $1.50 a pound in a 500 pound quantity.

When I called for 100 lbs the quote was also $1.50.

[Cowboy T]

Hmm....if it were $1/round, that sounds like it'd be reasonable.

[BIGOX]

Not a bad deal if it's hard lead and is not contaminated with zinc. But I and others sale lead of a known source and already clean and cast into smaller ingots for about that price and offer shipping, so maybe not worth the effort at that price but looks to me to be very soft lead. For 500 pounds the price should be lower.

[ar15barrels]

Originally Posted by Geofois

When I called for 100 lbs the quote was also $1.50.

I was going to call but no thanks at that price.
I need to be well under $1 before I drive over there.

[JagerDog]

We've just used a hatchet or axe. Takes a few whacks, but no waste.

[Steve45-70]

Finding lead here for under a dollar is just about impossible. We outlawed lead wheel weights years ago. If I can get it, I like about as soft of lead as I can get and mix it myself. I recently got 240#'s of roofing lead for $1.25. I wish I would of bought more. For my Sharps I mix 50/50 solder to get 25/1 lead/tin. For everything else I mix in foundry lead to get my hardness/tin content I want for whatever I am shooting.

I do have a little over a hundred pounds of lead that has about an 11 hardness. Not sure what it is but my 45 acp loves it. Pretty much what I use it for.

[BIGOX]

Originally Posted by Steve45-70

Finding lead here for under a dollar is just about impossible. We outlawed lead wheel weights years ago. If I can get it, I like about as soft of lead as I can get and mix it myself. I recently got 240#'s of roofing lead for $1.25. I wish I would of bought more. For my Sharps I mix 50/50 solder to get 25/1 lead/tin. For everything else I mix in foundry lead to get my hardness/tin content I want for whatever I am shooting.

I do have a little over a hundred pounds of lead that has about an 11 hardness. Not sure what it is but my 45 acp loves it. Pretty much what I use it for.

I perfer this same method it insure I get the right hardness for my application. I usually mix pure lead with Linotype for harder lead and pure lead and 60/40 solder for softer lead. You could always have the lead tested if you really want to know the alloy but if it shoot good why bother.

[GraveTPO]

Those lead ingots are surprisingly easy to cut with a circular saw. Hold your breath, cut off appropriately sized chunks and come back when the dust has settled to sweep up the lead chips. Most of the chips don't fly very far from where you're cutting so you lose almost no lead.

[BIGOX]

Originally Posted by GraveTPO

Those lead ingots are surprisingly easy to cut with a circular saw. Hold your breath, cut off appropriately sized chunks and come back when the dust has settled to sweep up the lead chips. Most of the chips don't fly very far from where you're cutting so you lose almost no lead.

Hold your breath and operate this power tool. That's great advice there.
Yes and that lead is also surprisingly easy and deadly to breathe in when in the form of dust. Why not consider wearing some kind of mask and eye protection. Also do this in a well ventilated area. Let's not harm your bodies trying to process lead. That said if use a hammer and chisel make sure to use one of those rubber safty things to protect your hand on the chisel. A mallet to the hand is no good. You can also drill holes and connect the dots on really large and thick pieces.

[edgerly779]

1.50 a pound is no deal. Also do not try and drill with hand drill. Drill bits have to steep an angle bit will bite and stop without power feed from mill. Or shallow ground bit.

[BIGOX]

Originally Posted by edgerly779

1.50 a pound is no deal. Also do not try and drill with hand drill. Drill bits have to steep an angle bit will bite and stop without power feed from mill. Or shallow ground bit.

I'll agree with that to some degree. I personally think anything under $1 a pound is a fair deal but usually when found at that price it's in raw form or of an unknown source. If buying processed cleaned lead of a known source then its pretty hard to beat that price. With most scrap dealers unwilling to sale to the public and the days of finding a bucket of lead wheel weights now about over most people don't have an opportunity to find lead at a cheap price.

[TMB 1]

Originally Posted by JagerDog

We've just used a hatchet or axe. Takes a few whacks, but no waste.

^this^

[GraveTPO]

Hold your breath and operate this power tool. That's great advice there.
Yes and that lead is also surprisingly easy and deadly to breathe in when in the form of dust.

Big Ox is correct here. If you can't hold your breath for the few seconds it takes to make each cut then by all means wear a mask. Lead poisoning is pervasive and everyone peripherally exposed to this Polonium-like material will meet a painful, lingering and untimely death. Don't chance it!

All kidding aside, yes, there can be adverse health effects from ingesting lead; that is undeniable. But unless it's flying toward one at high velocity, isn't it a bit hyperbolic to characterize lead as "deadly"?

[BIGOX]

Originally Posted by GraveTPO

Big Ox is correct here. If you can't hold your breath for the few seconds it takes to make each cut then by all means wear a mask. Lead poisoning is pervasive and everyone peripherally exposed to this Polonium-like material will meet a painful, lingering and untimely death. Don't chance it!

All kidding aside, yes, there can be adverse health effects from ingesting lead; that is undeniable. But unless it's flying toward one at high velocity, isn't it a bit hyperbolic to characterize lead as "deadly"?

All kidding aside i know a few members here that might have trouble with that holding of the breath and making a cut. If your making an 8" cut I'm sure you'll be fine if you have something like 1000# lead keel with multiple cuts of over 4' long then it would be smart to wear a mask and eye protection.
Remember some random guy will find this info online and probably use it with little to no concern for safty. Then post in on YouTube. Ok breathing in any type of dust isn't good calling it deadly, maybe a bit of a strech. Is that better?

[Sandspider500]

Cowboy T and steve45-70 already gave the best way.

The bricks for sale are 8"x4"x2"

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I have a brick that is 8"x4"x1".


This is a CCPmart hotplate, it's $15, it runs at 1100watts.

IMG_20230125_164558_171.jpg
This stainless bowl was like $8

[Sandspider500]

IMG_20230125_171146_355.jpg
At 15 minutes the 1.5" of lead at the bottom is melted.

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At 25 minutes

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At 35 minutes, still a little chunk on the bottom.

A Dutch oven and a turkey fryer would be much faster. Circular saw? Chisels? Drills?


There's an easy way and then those other ways.

[Sandspider500]

While your cussing, hammering, drilling, chiseling and cutting I'm done making ingots an hour later.

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Fluxed and ready

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[Steve45-70]

Originally Posted by Sandspider500

While your cussing, hammering, drilling, chiseling and cutting I'm done making ingots an hour later.

Those muffin tin pictures make me laugh. I think we all do it but I know my wife was not super happy with me converting her muffin tins to ingot molds.

[Sandspider500]

The muffin tin episode wasn't as bad as when she walked in on me cooking bullet lube on the kitchen stove.

[Sydwaiz]

Is that stuff from some hospitals radiology department? I would cut it with my bandsaw but I know not everyone has a bandsaw laying around.

[Sandspider500]

^^^^ They're lead ballast weights, probably 99% lead.

[fguffey]

I have 3 old meat saws by Diston made in Philadelphia that work, and then there is the hot wire method when used with a battery and then there is my last choice for cutting blocks, I have lots of axes.

Most of the lead I have recovered or purchased out of Iron & Metal yards come in sheets of LEAD THAT WAS USED TO SHIELD x-ray rooms. Other sheets I have purchased were used around toilets and showers.

F. Guffey

[Cowboy T]

Sandspider demonstrates the point very well, above.

I do use a Dutch Oven and a propane burner. It's pretty fast. And yep, I also make muffin ingots. Works great with the Lee Pro-4/20 bullet casting pot.

[bruce381]

last lead I got from the Captain in cast boolits forum site was I think $72 per delivered 51 Lbs for a price of 1.41 lbs fluxed and clean ingots

[BIGOX]

Originally Posted by bruce381

last lead I got from the Captain in cast boolits forum site was I think $72 per delivered 51 Lbs for a price of 1.41 lbs fluxed and clean ingots

I'll second that. The Captain is top notch. Only its $74 now so about $1.48 a pound still a great deal. Once I was considering buying about 500 lbs of The Captains range lead specifically to be used for making my own lead shot Only I was able to come into enough pure lead that I was able to make my own alloy with my existing stash of sweeteners instead. Only unfortunate part is The Captain only sales range lead. No pure lead, hard lead or sweeteners.

[Geofois]

I like the idea of the hot wire method. Seems less messy but I have a Prius and a motorcycle. I wonder if the motorcycle battery would do the trick. Maybe I can torch a piece of metal but it would probably cool super fast. I can just use my propane torchand shed off what I need. I came into some solder 60/40 tin/lead. I wonder how many lbs of lead I can swap for 1lb of solder. I found out I need some tin to make the bullets form better. The lube grooves were not defined on my first ever attempt at casting.