What should I do with this lead?

[sprinkintime]

FL if you know somebody with a beam cutter that is a 14" circular saw, I think that would do it.
Sprink

[F_L]

Wow! I sold all 210 lbs in about 30 min in the classified here. That exceeded my expectations. Thanks to everyone that contributed to this thread.

Fred

[1989toddm]

I am in Washington so I dont plan on stealing any keels from you but I am curious. If you would care to share, where would I go to find a keel filled with lead? I have been wondering this for awhile now, thought I might as well ask.

[F_L]

Most marinas have a few derelict boats they would like to see gone. Unfortunately these "free" boats won't have a trailer. If it had a trailer it most likely would have all ready been hauled off. Or if it has a trailer is most likely won't be free. I have several sailboat trailers so I am in a position to jump on the junk boats. I have never actively searched for the junk boats. The owners find me because they want to get their boats out of the water and quit paying expensive slip fees.Not all keels are lead. Take a magnet with you if you pursue any keels. Craigslist has junk boats some time.
Fred

[F_L]

Keel Update - I got a chance last weekend to attack the keel. I had room in the boat shed to hoist the boat off the trailer. I unbolted the keel and let it fall.

The chainsaw worked very well. After a couple of hours I had about 1000 lbs cut off.

The lead is selling well in the Swappin&Sellin section of this forum. I have sold about 700 lbs so far and I am still getting requests for more. The lead sales have funded a couple of 6 cavity molds and a Lyman Lubesizer with dies, top punches for .45 and 9mm. So I am making a little money and starting a new hobby.
Thanks everyone for the great advice.
Fred

[sirsloop]

This is my smelting setup... old school 20# tall propane tank with the old valve, knocked off the top, cut a removable ring so I can load up a lot of scrap like roofing material and have it melt down. Then remove the ring so I can access it with my ladle. I drilled some holes in the side and bolted on some heavy duty all thread as handles. Works great and easily holds 100#.

[CLAYPOOL]

Their all lying to you. I will come down and get that out of there before the government finds out you have found gold (Lead). Those folks in Calf. will end up getting those gold coins took from them sure as shooting.

[Randy C]

How's the led business are you sold out.

[dikman]

Sirsloop, that's a neat idea - a removable ring extension to raise the height of the pot so that more loose stuff can be stacked in.

[propwashp47]

wow Fred you have really brought this project full circle and brought home the bacon to boot. and wrote the book on how to do keel lead recovery. I have slowed down on lead recovery and will be trying to get a summers worth of boolit casting done be for the heat sets in. tomorrow I am picking up a Winchester high wall in 45-70 and cant Wait to cast and load for it, I sure hope I can get some sleep to night. I am sure you are just itching to try out all your new equipment and send some of that lead down range. great job Fred. donald

[F_L]

I have shipped 1000 lbs of the lead, have about 2000 lbs left. Last week was an annual road trip to Florida, this week is playing catch-up at work. I REALLY want to fire up the pot and start casting for my own pistols but it will have to wait another week or so. I am itching to try out all my new casting toys. Damn work keeps getting in the way!

Randy C's advice on molds to fit the box was spot on. Every one got their lead and comments were great on packaging. One box was "lost", but showed up about 2 weeks after ship date. Another box was damaged but the strapping tape kept the ingots intact.

Toymaker did me the favor of analyzing the lead in a chem lab. He reported a BHN of 7, antimony 1%, tin 2%, and a "trace reaction to ferro-compounds". It's nice to know what I've got. I owe him some free lead when I resume the smelting project.

It has been a lot of fun.
Thanks Everyone,
Fred

[Toymaker]

We had one really nice day before it got cold again so I decided to recast your ingots to a size more suitable to my casting pot. I'd picked up a cast iron camp pot to use and I'd built a stand to support it over the Coleman camp stove I use. I only had time to do a little, but something is better than nothing. Used a cast iron corn cob cornbread pan as a mold since the ingot is then just perfect for my pots. I spent an hour or two at it and it worked great. Then I went to turn off the burner and found that the heat had melted the knob. Managed to get it turned off with a handy screwdriver, then I just had to sit there and laugh. I'd been checking the little propane tank to make sure it wasn't getting too warm but never thought of the control knob. Ah, the misadventures we learn from.

[Randy C]

We had one really nice day before it got cold again so I decided to recast your ingots to a size more suitable to my casting pot.

My mould is 3 wide to a box, They fit in all casting pots by standing them up and slide them in as needed. I'm glad he fit them so they would ship easily, The post office is hard on heavy boxes.