How Do You cut it up?

[jamesthomas]

 So, how do Ya'll folks with lead X-ray Sheets cut it up for the melting pot? I have some and its too thick to cut up with my regular tin shears that I use on roof jacks.

[T*O*F]

Ax
chisel
muffler gun
band saw
reciprocating saw
hacksaw...........heck, any kind of saw
What else sharp ya got laying around?

[Robby]

I get it rolled up pretty tight. I use an axe and a sledge hammer and chop it to fit a four quart cast iron pot, melt them down and make pucks using an old cast iron ladle, they fit my casting pot perfect.
Robby

[moleeyes36]

I get it rolled up pretty tight. I use an axe and a sledge hammer and chop it to fit a four quart cast iron pot, melt them down and make pucks using an old cast iron ladle, they fit my casting pot perfect.
Robby

I use the same approach and find that a muffin pan makes a nice mold for creating 12 ingots the right size for most casting pots.

Mole Eyes

[jamesthomas]

 Well, right now all I have is the mouldings that went around the doors and corners (180+ Lbs. so far ) I'm going to have to find a way to cut up the sheets he has that are about 2 1/2 feet square at his place to fit in a 5 gallon bucket for weighing, he probably has 200 +? Lbs. left which will put me over 600 Lbs. of lead.

[hanshi]

If the sheets are too thick to cut with shears I've always used an ax or hatchet.

[zimmerstutzen]

I was given some soft lead bars about 3 feet long and 3/4 inch diameter.  Lopping shears worked easy

[Pete G.]

Finally a good use for the tomahawk.

[Scota4570]

Bandsaw, be sure and use some oil so the teeth don't get clogged and the blade doesn't stick.  It goes as fast as wood but can stick real fast.  Go slower than you might be tempted.

[T*O*F]

use some oil so the teeth don't get clogged and the blade doesn't stick

I use a blade that only has 3 teeth per inch.  Goes thru it like butter.

[Daryl]

Fold, pounding into folded shape if necessary, cut with to length for the pot with an axe.

[bob in the woods]

I tried cutting this stuff years ago, and gave it up as too much trouble. Chopping is way easier. Axe or hatchet. Takes only a minute or two.

[Hungry Horse]

  I guess I'm a lucky guy. I have a giant pair of blacksmiths tin snips that are supported by one of the handles  being fitted into the hardy hole of my anvil. These things cut lead sheet pretty well. Unfortunately most of the scrap lead I get, seems to have been cast into the largest possible hunk that a strong man can pick up, by some previous moronic owner. So, a saws-all or a power hacksaw, are what I use.

                   Hungry Horse

[jamesthomas]

 I have neither an axe or a stump to cut the lead up on. Where could I buy a set of heavy shears? All the ones I've seen are those grass shears.

[zimmerstutzen]

Any hardware or garden store would have lopper shears cost 10 to 25 dollars

[WadePatton]

Any hardware or garden store would have lopper shears cost 10 to 25 dollars

That's shoppin' "high on the hog" (like a high roller).  Try some yardsales or flea markets, 5 or 10 bucks tops.

[Robin Henderson]

I've used a carbide tip saw blade on a radial arm or table saw before with success.

[jamesthomas]

 Well, so far a good old hack saw is working pretty good, I have 2 buckets almost filled with cutup lead in 3 to 4 inch chunks.

[Daryl]

How thick is it, James. The X-ray room lead I have can be easily torn like paper, with just the hands. It's very thin - maybe 1/16" at most. Also makes good flint wrap for the cock's jaws and sparks better in some locks, than leather wrap.  I suspect this is due to the increased kinetic energy of the now-heavier cock. In really heavy mainspring locks, it is V-hard on flints.

[jamesthomas]

 Daryl, this stuff is pretty thick, over an 1/8th to 3/16 ths. thick. I have found a few strips that are around a 1/16th of an inch but most of it is the thicker stuff, I betcha the walls are at least 3/16ths of an inch thick and I don't even have those yet (to heavy and wide to fit it the truck of the car).  I 'll probably bring the hacksaw to him next week and start cutting them up. I have 180lbs.+ for $120.00 so far in just moulding strips..

[Kermit]

I've got an old saber saw that does it. Coarse wood cutting blade, a little oil, and remember the eye and lung protection. I wear cheep cotton gloves and toss them. They're probably hazardous waste.

[KNeilson]

First thing is to be outside and in a breeze. I take the scrap bits and manipulate them with an  hammer and or axe till there about the size of a small bread loaf, I then lean this inside an old baking pan thats been folded to form a funnel with the end in a 4 qt catch pot.. Making sure I`m upwind  I use a roofers torch/plumbers propane torch and melt it till its rendered into smaller blobs with all the tar/ nails and slag etc out of it. These I remelt in a large pot over a camp stove and then ladle into old muffin trays to make the  blocks I store and use . If you have the  tools etc, seems to be about the quickest way for me. One time I put water in the catch pail and got a strange  mix of funny shaped shot and frozen splatter blobs. I found this too hard to store and work with tho.   

[Daryl]

By all means, wear gloves.  TKs James- yes- seems a bit thick. I find an axe easiest and quick with thicker material. With the axe or hatchet, there isn't any waste. Sharps one's aim, too.

[Vomitus]

     I've used a small bowsaw(with big teeth) and cuts and cleans itself quite nicely.

[smylee grouch]

I had a bunch of that stuff and it still had paper glued to the back side. Good and soft though and not too thick so I cut it with a large hunting knife so as to role it and put it into a large cast iron fry pan to burn off the oil and paper.