cutting lead blocks

[SkipJ]

I have some blocks of lead, about 4 in square, too long and wide to fit in my lead pot. Is there any way to cut them? The lead clogs up the teeth of a saw on the first cut, I tried a air chisel and it jammed before I got through the block. Cutting would save melting the lead twice if I could find a pot big enough to handle it.
Thanks
SkipJ

[Jack C., 69th NY]

I have used a hydraulic log splitter. Worked very well if you allow it to ram in short bursts, not one long stroke. My wedge is quite sharp.

[Lou Lou Lou]

SAWzall with a coarse wood cutting blade

[RaiderANV]

SAWzall with a coarse wood cutting blade

YEAH,,,,,,what Lou said. I've even grabbed a bow saw for pruning trees when I forgot to bring the sawall with me. Fast going.

[Maillemaker]

Someone suggested somewhere of taking it to your local fire department and letting them practice on it with their Jaws of Life.

Steve

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I put my 70 lb. ingots on the lawn, then pounded a hatchet head through them with a hand sledge. Not sophisticated as a saws-all or torch, but it just left a dent in the lawn without any drippings or shavings.

[Jim Brady Knap's Battery]

I had some big blocks once. Best thing I could figure was to fire up my plumbers furnace with a 20 lb pot on it and standing the block vertically with an eyebolt screwed into the end. As it melted down I took the block out, poured small ingots and stuck the block back in. Repeat until there's nothing left but the eyebolt. They won't melt in a plumbers furnace. Mine anyway.

Jim Brady
Knap's Battery

[John Lahman 11013]

I use a 35,000 btu propane burner with a cast iron dutch oven (harbor freight) for bulk melting. Sure beats using a casting pot. Don't remember who I got the burner from. Also need a hose to connect to propane tank.

[Alphawolf45]

I had couple very large -320 lbs lump of lead salvaged from ballast weights from a standup forklift..Thought I would be able to work it down using a big rosebud torch head and oxy-acetylene but the large mass was effectively a huge heat sink so that didnt work very well..Finally used forklift to load it onto my big horizontal bandsaw and cut it and re-cut it into usable slices with a 9 tooth per inch band..

For a single piece of lead I'd just use a tree pruning saw..

[Ron/The Old Reb]

I use a Coleman LP campers stove and a small sauce pan. Melt it down, flux it to get the crap out of it and pour it in to one pound ingots.
Works for me.

[Gary Van Kauwenbergh, 101]

I used to use a Coleman camp stove with a Dutch oven style pot, but the stove was an older one that used the canned fuel. I got tired of buying the fuel, and switched to heavy duty LP burner designed for deep frying turkeys, with the same pot. I use the large pot to melt down and clean large pieces of lead, and then pour them into one pound ingots. To cast bullets, I feed the one pound ingots into a 20 pound electric electric pot.

When I clean out my electric pot, I coat the inside with Drop-out, or mold release agent. The coating doesn't last forever, but it sure keeps the corrosion down on the sides of the pot while it's there.

[rachbobo]

Find a spot with a downhill slope, preferably under a shade tree. Build a small charcoal fire and set the block of lead in it.
Smokey the Bear says bring a bucket of water just in case. Also, a bottle or jug of your favorite sipping liquid might help pass the time as you watch.
As the lead melts and starts to run and puddle down hill you can break it off into managable pieces.
Hail, if it is near a fishing hole it would be even better.
Just a thought.

Bill Cheek
Cockade Rifles

[Alphawolf45]

Find a spot with a downhill slope, preferably under a shade tree. Build a small charcoal fire and set the block of lead in it.
Smokey the Bear says bring a bucket of water just in case. Also, a bottle or jug of your favorite sipping liquid might help pass the time as you watch.
As the lead melts and starts to run and puddle down hill you can break it off into managable pieces.
Hail, if it is near a fishing hole it would be even better.
Just a thought.

Bill Cheek
Cockade Rifles

I do that with complete aluminum automatic transmissions and heads and intake manifolds that I want to render down to manageable sized bits for casting.. Just thrown'em on a bonfire and let'em cook down.

[Ron/The Old Reb]

I have an adapter and hose that connects the stove to a regular LP tank. You will go broke using the one pound tanks. I don't know if you can buy the adapter any more or not. About twenty years ago I passed up a plumbers pot and have been kicking my butt ever since.:(

[Southron Sr.]

Heating lead above a certain temperature, approximately 1,000 Degrees Fahrenheit MIGHT cause it to release TOXIC FUMES.

So, always melt lead in a WELL VENTILATED area. Sawing or chopping lead causes it to release microscopic "Lead Dust" into the air, so I recommend you cut/chop your lead in a well ventilated area AND WEAR A BREATHING MASK you can get from your local hardware or building supply store.

[SkipJ]

Thanks, some good ideas
SkipJ

[P A Laake 10798]

I use my band saw....works great.