Odd Lead?

[Josh]

I came across a thousand pounds of electric conduit, it is 1/4 inch thick pipe about 3" in diameter and stuffed full of this stuff:



It seems to be lead as it melts but I have no clue what kind of lead it is, I got it all for free just for picking it up. Anyone know what alloy it is?

Thanks!
Josh

 

[JonB]

I'd melt a batch, and give it the drop test...a thud usually means near pure.
Also, watch the temperature to find the melt temp.

 

[Josh]

I only used a propane torch on a bit of it, as long as it isnt pure tin (which I dont think, it bends easy and doesnt creak when it does) I will be happy. I plan on melting it seperate and scratching, dropping, and hammer testing it. If it is pure this will put me over 3k lb of pure, good thing I have lots of tin and can get antimonial alloy from rotometals!

 

[fiver]

lead wool.
they used to use it like oakum and pound it in the joints to seal them.

I used to carry a small amount of it [for those oh-oh moments] when I was a pipe fitter.
melt it down into an ingot let it cool then drop it on the ground [thud]

 

[RicinYakima]

fiver is right, lead wool. Also used in the chemical industry for those acid / base leaks and sealing the drains in piping. In emergency response, we used that to pound into tank car cracks so the car could be re-positioned for chemical removal.

 

[Paden]

I'd be leery of what it might be contaminated with...

 

[Josh]

I will put it in the pot then walk inside.

 

[Ian]

Pour a little diesel fuel on it and light it off right after you fire up the burner. Items with large surface areas have a lot of oxide to deal with, the diesel fire IN the pot will reduce that as the stuff melts and save a lot of metal.

 

[Josh]

Pour a little diesel fuel on it and light it off right after you fire up the burner. Items with large surface areas have a lot of oxide to deal with, the diesel fire IN the pot will reduce that as the stuff melts and save a lot of metal.

Excellent advice, I am going to cut this in chunks with a reciprocating saw jab out the wool and melt em seperate. It came from the son of an old caster and I asked if he had any moulds, handles, pots, sizers, etc. To give me a call.

 

[RicinYakima]

Ian, Another trick is to use a charcoal briquette, as it will last quite a while consuming oxygen in the crucible but not be as smoky. Ric

 

[Josh]

Ian, Another trick is to use a charcoal briquette, as it will last quite a while consuming oxygen in the crucible but not be as smoky. Ric

Do you just drop em in the bottom while it melts?

 

[Ian]

Excellent advice, I am going to cut this in chunks with a reciprocating saw jab out the wool and melt em seperate. It came from the son of an old caster and I asked if he had any moulds, handles, pots, sizers, etc. To give me a call.

Excellent idea, especially if using a lid. Thanks!

 

[RicinYakima]

Josh, It doesn't have to be on the bottom. Mostly, I put it on top so it is easier to scrap the minerals off the top of the melt. The CO2 is heavier than air, so unless you have a fan blowing on it, it stays in the crucible very well. And as Ian said, with a lid. I normally just lay a sheet of thin metal over most of the top, as that is how I heat my moulds rather than an electric hot plate. This isn't science, just shop work. Ric