Author Topic: has anyone cast lead before  (Read 7703 times)

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #15 on: January 15, 2017, 09:35:00 AM »
I am just on the way out of the door but when I get back this afternoon I will find the short video clip of me casting pewter for the UKIWS seminar. On occasions I turn indian clubs for a customer and they are weighted with lead which I pour direct. I then bore a hole sideways through the club and pour a dowel tp ho;d it in place, there could be quite a bit of centrifugal force from these clubs being hurled about.
           I use Maple, it does spit a bit but I pour when it has cooled down a bit. I also use all the PPE I can lay my hands on and I do it outside on my camping stove.

Offline Eric Harvey

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #16 on: January 15, 2017, 11:14:16 AM »
At Dental colledge we used to cast lead/tin mix in plaster moulds,make the item in wax,,cast a plaster mould around it with suitable points for pouring in the the lead/tin mix in,let it set,boil out the wax with a kettle then wash with detergent,let the mould dry,then slowly heat the mould in an oven(so it doesn`t crack when you pour in the lead/tin mix,or lead in this case),while mould is heating/drying heat your lead/tin mix until moulten,when ready for pouring,sprinkle a little borax on the lead to clear the dross,and scoop off,then your ready to pour your lead/tin mix,lead in this case of course,pour very slowly or you will get a blow back which will mean a trip to A+E,then just leave to cool for a couple of hours.
welcome to my woodturning world


Offline bodrighywood

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #18 on: January 15, 2017, 01:18:54 PM »
I use this for pewter after seeing Paul Hannaby using it it a demo.

Pete
Turners don't make mistakes, they have design opportunities

Offline Lazurus

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #19 on: January 16, 2017, 08:24:59 AM »
Steve,

I used a hot plate the same as the links you put up, couple with a strong cast iron small saucepan for fishing weights etc. Works very well and is quick, as for a mould I made some boat mud weights using tin cans of the correct size, all worked very well.

Saucepan is surprisingly heavy when full so a ladle is another cheap essential.
Living and working on the Norfolk Broads

Offline fuzzyturns

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #20 on: January 16, 2017, 09:16:06 AM »
Any of the hotplates will do the heating trick, no problem, but you do want a sturdy container with a long handle (or two), and some leather gloves. However, since you mentioned this will be used as in inside weight, I really think that just casting pellets into an epoxy will be much easier and achieve the same purpose.

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #21 on: January 16, 2017, 11:26:14 AM »
it would be easier to use pellets but it also means that i need to have more volume to allow for the air between pellets and i'm not even sure where i would buy the pellets?

i actually fancy casting something as it involves me doing something stupid and potentially dangerous so i think i'll have a go at that first.

i intend to get a good ladle as i won't trust a handle with up to 5kg of 300+ degrees worth of molten metal. i'll see if i can find a good cast iron pot on ebay...


Offline seventhdevil

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #23 on: January 16, 2017, 01:55:10 PM »
cheers for the link paul.

not cheap is it...

Offline Richard S

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #24 on: January 16, 2017, 04:16:34 PM »
Why bother to cast it? if it is hidden why not use Lead Sheet and roll it into the shape you require [Lead Swiss Roll] no heat, no fumes and much safer.

Richard

Offline Derek

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #25 on: January 16, 2017, 09:30:24 PM »
Like Fuzzyturns I use to make model boats and have cast some lead using very dry wooden moulds as they are one offs. I have also used the pellets in epoxy resin as well. When I have had to melt it I use an old cast iron pan with a wooded handle over a gas burner and like many done this outside wearing all of the PPE.
Some gun shops sell pellets whether they are still lead one you would need to enquire.

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #26 on: January 16, 2017, 11:05:45 PM »
Why bother to cast it? if it is hidden why not use Lead Sheet and roll it into the shape you require [Lead Swiss Roll] no heat, no fumes and much safer.

Richard

tried that already, took me half an hour just to do one so would waste too much time and it's not as easy as it sounds...

i need lots of these so will go down the route of making a reusable mould probably with a hinge for speed of extraction.


Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #27 on: January 18, 2017, 08:55:03 AM »
You haven't said why you need to cast lead, what are you making?

Offline seventhdevil

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #28 on: January 18, 2017, 12:15:27 PM »
they are weights to add to indian clubs. currently i am making indian clubs from beech and they weigh 1.5kg but he wants 3kg ones the same size so i must use a lead weight to achieve the extra weight.

i did try to get him to change the shape and size slightly so that i could use a heavier timber to get the 3kg but he doesn't want to do that.

i'm making the ones labeled as hand turned on this webpage.
https://www.kettlebell-fit.com/uk-made-indian-clubs-meels/

Offline The Bowler Hatted Turner

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Re: has anyone cast lead before
« Reply #29 on: January 19, 2017, 09:20:07 AM »
I had the contract to make these and manged to get the weight to within a few grams of each other. When I increased my prices to become a little more realistic looks like he came to you.
Good luck!