Todays Project - What did you do today?

[RobWilson]

(03-29-2015, 06:24 AM)PixMan Wrote:  it's the lead you can't easily get.

      Why is Lead so hard to get hold of ?  , easy to get here in the UK , church roofs are covered with the stuff  


I was thinking about making some copies of the mould and sticking them on Ebay .


Rob  

[EdK]

Very nice finish on the SS Rob.

Ed

[PixMan]

Lead isn't really hard to get here, it's just getting awfully expensive because of all the scrappers and thieves turning in for cash.

Our government has taken to watching where it's used, so it's gone from gasoline, paint, and now winnowing away from shotgun shells, bullets and fishing sinkers.

[RobWilson]

Much the same here Pixman     .  I do allot of work with large capacity battery's so its not so hard for me to get . 

Rob  

[PixMan]

Lead-acid batteries will be a thing of the past in the not-too-distant future too, I'm afraid.

[Highpower]

Wow, that's a nice one Rob.  

I'm in the lazy camp and use the black iron pipe for mine.  

Fortunately I have several lifetimes worth of lead alloy and linotype tucked away that I used to bring home from work in buckets for many, many years. Back in the day shops had to PAY to have it taken away, so I took it home for FREE instead.   

[RobWilson]

Cheers Willie , 

I would have been in the same camp too if I had some pipe the correct size   ,  I wish I could have found the proper handle , It was half pipe and had a rubber grip , like the old claw hammers . any way it took only 1/2 hour to whittle that one out of the hex bar .  

Linotype now there's a thing of the past , printing metal has Tin in it (i think ) and would be probably better for the hammer head . 


Rob 

[Highpower]

(03-29-2015, 12:32 PM)RobWilson. Wrote: Cheers Willie , 

Linotype now there's a thing of the past , printing metal has Tin in it (i think ) and would be probably better for the hammer head . 


Rob 

Rob, quite the opposite actually. Linotype does have some tin but it also has a good amount of antimony in it, making it a very hard alloy. Monotype even more so. That is what made it good for printing because it holds a sharp edge. I want a lead hammer to be soft so as not to mar the surface of what I am walling away on. 



Linotype is also a great addition to bullet casting alloy for high velocity ammunition because they hold together better under the increased pressure and heat.

[RobWilson]

Hi Willie


I forgot it had Antimony in the mix as well . I take  your point , I was going to add some Tin to the mix , but I will just leave it as is soft . 


Your mould looks new , how long you had it ? 




Rob 

[Highpower]

Rob, adding some tin will help fill out (flow) to the edges of the mould more. I don't think tin alone will make it much harder. I've had the mould for a few years now, although the clamp on it is new. I dropped it once and of course the original clamp snapped in half.