Dividing lead ingots

[smylee grouch]

Heat the whole pot and pour off the lead into ingot molds as it melts along the sides.

[moleeyes36]

As stated before, the fumes from melted lead are really bad stuff to breath.  If you're melting lead in a self-cleaning electric oven, I assume this is being done indoors.  I'd be really concerned about getting proper ventilation if you do this anywhere indoors.

T.O.F.'s suggestion of pouring the melted lead into mini-muffin pans to make ingots is a good tip.  I've used this method for years and the ingots are a very handy size for using in an electric casting pot.

[Hungry Horse]

Moley I'm not melting lead in an oven, and Smylee I didn't get the pot, just the lead.

                   Hungry Horse

[Dphariss]

The melted lead is not terribly dangerous as illustrated by some friends who cast a lot and were tested. At least not the fumes.
However, if the temp is too high or the flame too hot, acetylene etc, it can vaporize the lead and this is not good.
Recycling lead with outside or with an open garage door etc is not likely to cause problems though sometimes the stuff coating the used lead can be bad.
Pour into muffin tins for small ingots or buy an ingot mould.
Kitchen range hood with a fan can be used to remove the fumes while casting bullets.

Dan

[William Worth]

I was pondering the possibilities of using a hydraulic wood splitter to cut lead. There are a lot of them floating around out here in California, now that so many communities are outlawing wood burning fire places. What do you smart guys think?

                 Hungry Horse

I've used a hydraulic splitter to section up lead.  The anvil side is the problem.  My splitter doesn't go all the way down to the foot.  It stops an inch or so shy.

I did better cutting up lead bricks with a cold chisel and hammer.  This got them to a size that they would fit into a small cast melting pot to make one lb. ingots.

And I try to have a cross wind when casting.  A tailwind will make a burble or pocket of shared air between you and the pot.

[jamesthomas]

 I've used the hammer an chisel also. And a cast iron cornbread mold(the stick kind) are great for making 5 to 7 ingots, each weighing around 1lb. Its nice an handy to add to the Lee pot.

[heelerau]

 I use an old ax, I get lead in 100lb ingots so they take a bit of cutting. I think a steel wedge and sledge will be the next thing I try.

[Standing Bear]

Y'all must be a lot younger than me. I set my large chunks on top of the vise, locate the little Lyman ingot mold under it, strike the torch (propane or acetylene) and away we go. Once the 100 lb bar or 4" pipe starts melting just tip the mold over to empty and keep it hot. LKTS less work than saws or wedges and hammers. I found it helps to attach vise grips to the mold.
TC

[James]

I solved part of the problem, I got a #9 melting pot and the ingots almost fit in it. Of the 480# of lead I have, all but 50# is in 5# ingots so I hope this pot will work the best for these ingots. Should I pour back into smaller ingots after every use or can I just let the lead cool in the pot?

[Standing Bear]

I just let it cool
TC