Hooda Thunkit
Member
I've been sitting on a couple buckets of wheelweights, so I decided it was time to render them down to stack the lead out of the ways.
Started with thi - One bucket sorted into 3, so I can pick it up, and an unsorted bucket. I figured I can sort whilst waiting for the pot to melt.
Got it all laid out - gotta love the huge weights in the right foreground on the benchtop.
That's a jug of used motor oil under the bench on the right. I use it to flux (reduce, actually) the filthy weights.
Got a bit enthusiastic when pouring oil in there. The flames were over 3 feet high at one point. It burned for 15 minutes. Usually I pour in a couple tablespoons, but got about 1/2 cup in there by mistake.
Result, after about 3 hours of melting, sorting the other bucket, pouring, cooling, stacking.
Then, the next problem came to light. I can't stack anything in this mess.
Time to rearrange the whole shootin' match. I had to move all that lead and assemble some new shelving. Fortunately, I rarely throw anything away. A few years ago I re-floored a utility trailer, and saved the decking that wasn't rotted out.
Using that, and some concrete blocks that I salvaged from another project, this is what I came up with. Using 2x10 lumber, the 2 lower shelves are 7' long, the upper is 8'.
I decided to turn the concrete blocks, so I can put a narrow shelf in the holes if I wish.
Got it filled up -
Soft lead (pipe, sheet, stickon wheelweights) lower left.
Lyman #2 next shelf up on the left, and range lead on the right.
Clip-on wheel-weights bottom right shelf, and above it on the right. Different size ingots, I'll use the weird sizes first.
To the left of that, is mixed 50/50+Sn
Top shelf, from left to right, is cans of various alloys - 20:1, recovered solder (37%Sn), a roll of solder I picked up at the flea market.
Then it's pewter coins in a box.
Far right on top shelf is linotype; pigs and boxed type.
Well over 1500 pounds total, and I moved it 4 times.
I moved 3 tons of lead. I'm wore out.
Started with thi - One bucket sorted into 3, so I can pick it up, and an unsorted bucket. I figured I can sort whilst waiting for the pot to melt.
Got it all laid out - gotta love the huge weights in the right foreground on the benchtop.
That's a jug of used motor oil under the bench on the right. I use it to flux (reduce, actually) the filthy weights.
Got a bit enthusiastic when pouring oil in there. The flames were over 3 feet high at one point. It burned for 15 minutes. Usually I pour in a couple tablespoons, but got about 1/2 cup in there by mistake.
Result, after about 3 hours of melting, sorting the other bucket, pouring, cooling, stacking.
Then, the next problem came to light. I can't stack anything in this mess.
Time to rearrange the whole shootin' match. I had to move all that lead and assemble some new shelving. Fortunately, I rarely throw anything away. A few years ago I re-floored a utility trailer, and saved the decking that wasn't rotted out.
Using that, and some concrete blocks that I salvaged from another project, this is what I came up with. Using 2x10 lumber, the 2 lower shelves are 7' long, the upper is 8'.
I decided to turn the concrete blocks, so I can put a narrow shelf in the holes if I wish.
Got it filled up -
Soft lead (pipe, sheet, stickon wheelweights) lower left.
Lyman #2 next shelf up on the left, and range lead on the right.
Clip-on wheel-weights bottom right shelf, and above it on the right. Different size ingots, I'll use the weird sizes first.
To the left of that, is mixed 50/50+Sn
Top shelf, from left to right, is cans of various alloys - 20:1, recovered solder (37%Sn), a roll of solder I picked up at the flea market.
Then it's pewter coins in a box.
Far right on top shelf is linotype; pigs and boxed type.
Well over 1500 pounds total, and I moved it 4 times.
I moved 3 tons of lead. I'm wore out.
