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Old 17-08-2017, 18:19   #1
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Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

I am looking to purchase ballast for my build project "Roberts 370 RC" and am happy to freight from anywhere in Australia to the NT if the price is right.

Would prefer lead but am also happy to use steel or iron such as rail lines etc. Did consider concrete but not enough space in the keel to fit all 3.2 tons (3.6 in total required). Will consider anything that can be transported relatively easily.

Thanks,

Garry Chapple
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Old 17-08-2017, 18:43   #2
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

That is a lot of weight. I might ask a battery recycling place since you don't need pure lead. Batteries are usually lead-calcium.
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Old 18-08-2017, 05:23   #3
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

A guy I know went to alot of tire shops and bought the used tire weights. Put an ad out saying you will buy lead at higher than scrap price. Have them bring it to you.
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Old 18-08-2017, 15:35   #4
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Do you have a large city within a day or two's drive?
Almost all of them have scrapyards and every scrapyard will buy and sell lead scrap, or know who in the area does.
Fairly large lead pigs are also used as counterweights in elevators, which again are found in larger cities, and there are always lead pigs sold for scrap when old buildings with old elevators are torn down.
If tire weights are still legally lead in Oz, they can be a nuisance because of the iron clips that are part of them. Lots of lighter metal that have to be skimmed off the molten float, less lead once you get rid of them.
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Old 18-08-2017, 19:31   #5
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Contact local boatyards esp. long term storage. Maybe they have abandoned hulls going under the backhoe's crush that will yield lead, in quantity, from old keels.
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Old 19-08-2017, 02:00   #6
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Thanks all for the comments. I have tried most of these suggestions without much success, hence the post here. Not a big problem I can probably fin large stocks of scrap steel around the NT to use, just lead would be nice.

Thanks again anyway.

Garry
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Old 19-08-2017, 09:31   #7
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

just use gold.
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Old 19-08-2017, 09:52   #8
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

You may consider Wolfram/Tungsten.

It has almost the same density as Gold or Uranium (about 50% more than lead) and is way cheaper than lead. I somewhat around 440 US/ton. While lead is around 1900 US/ton.

The only problem is that it takes about 6192 °F to melt. Which may make it imposible for you to use. But maybe you could put solid parts into the keel and melt lead to fill the gaps.

Oh I see, it is already used in yacht keels. But probably not in many.
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Old 19-08-2017, 12:50   #9
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

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Originally Posted by garryc View Post
Did consider concrete but not enough space in the keel to fit all 3.2 tons (3.6 in total required).
Did you conspider using old/rusty-cheap chain? It need not have any strength. Put it in place and fill up with easy-flowing concrete to make perfectly fitting ballast pieces of nearly iron-like specific weight.

Prepare to cast it in portions which are removable later if needed- some kind of bulkhead between the portions, plastic film to cover all areas coming in contact with the concrete, be sure the pieces can pass out of the keel space. You certainly got the point.

Good luck.
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Old 19-08-2017, 13:05   #10
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Rusty chain, or simply unprotected iron (boilerplate punch, etc.) in concrete can be problematic. As they found out the hard way in the early restoration attempts at the Parthenon, the iron rusts, the rust expands about 14x(?) in volume, the "hydraulic" pressure of that expansion blows the stone (or concrete, even highway slabs) apart. Since concrete is largely water, and actually crumbles when dried out, there's a problem when you mix in iron, which has to rust and expand. Unless you can really thoroughly protect it and seal it, eventually it goes off.
Versus buying or renting a half-ton pickup truck and making a half dozen runs to a scrap yard for lead?
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Old 19-08-2017, 13:13   #11
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Try a shooting range.
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Old 19-08-2017, 15:24   #12
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Ballast Weight Lead Ingot (500 LB)

https://www.rotometals.com/reclaimed...hoCCM4QAvD_BwE

I know you are in OZ and all, but there should be somebody down there dealing in lead ingots or reclaimed lead shot. Shot is cool because you can fill in awkward spaces without melt & pour.

What they said, about chain and other iron or steel encased in concrete. In the short term it might work if you make some expansion room with spray in place foam, but I wouldn't go there on a bet.

Old boat keels are might be your best bet. Wear proper safety gear when cutting or melting. Maybe you can get someone to give you their old derelict boats, and you sell the bronze, iron, aluminum and copper, sails and hardware, chop up the fiberglass and wood for the landfill, and use the lead. That is a lot of ballast and it will likely take a couple of boats to give you enough lead.
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Old 19-08-2017, 15:47   #13
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Car batteries. Smash the case with a sledge hammer and throw what's left in the space. Maybe 20 cents (US) per pound?
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Old 19-08-2017, 16:06   #14
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

Quote:
Originally Posted by trikola View Post
Did you conspider using old/rusty-cheap chain? It need not have any strength. Put it in place and fill up with easy-flowing concrete to make perfectly fitting ballast pieces of nearly iron-like specific weight.

Prepare to cast it in portions which are removable later if needed- some kind of bulkhead between the portions, plastic film to cover all areas coming in contact with the concrete, be sure the pieces can pass out of the keel space. You certainly got the point.

Good luck.
You are right lead is the best, I melted lead pipe into molds containing cast iron ingots from a power station. The mold I used was made of wood about 6" wide 12" long and 4" deep. They took hours to go cold and were very heavy. We used rope to lower them into the GRP keel. I then filled in the gaps with concrete and metal shot as agregate. (Can't spell') To make sure the ballast did not move in a B2 knock down I glassed over everything, not wanting 3.5 ton of ballast breaking loose! All in all 3.5ton in a 37' GRP Endurance. The result with good sails and a folding prop made a long keel cruiser into a great performing boat.
Just a point made earlier, take care when melting lead, bits of crap in the lead pipe (in my case) exploded and caused a nasty burn on my wrist still seen today 25 years on.
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Old 19-08-2017, 16:15   #15
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Re: Ballast - Lead or other suitable heavy weights

If it comes to melting the scrap lead into ingots, take a look at this video from SV Panope. He cut the lead from his old keel during a rebuild and made ingots to fit the new space:
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