For Sale: 3,186 lbs of lead

[Mexican Hat]

I find myself in the position of having had to settle for a large lump of lead as the only option for payment of a debt. South Texas turns out to be an interesting place in many ways... This is the keel lead from a Hunter sailboat, clean and in one piece.

So if anyone's building a boat and needs lead for a keel, is starting a casting or diving weight business, has a very thick wetsuit, is REALLY worried about the war in Ukraine going nuclear, needs some dense ballast to settle the suspension on that new 1 ton truck, is tired of using cement for those boots or is still playing with Newton's alchemy formulas, I may be your man!

Located in Rockport Texas. Can help with delivery within a 250 mile radius for a reasonable amount. Can help with loading onto a truck. Would prefer to sell the lead intact but if there's demand will consider cutting it up. I don't know what would work, anyone got any experience in the field of lead cutting? It's too big a piece to melt.

Asking $3,186 obo

[tkeithlu]

When I found myself with about 1,000 pounds of uneeded lead, and let my community know about it, I started a lead rush among the surprising number of local hunters that mold their own bullets. Cleaned me out in one day. I'd make a bet that there's a market among hunters in Texas.

[mlydon]

Scrap lead is currently going for 60 cents a pound, according to iscrapapp.com. So a metals scrap yard should give you that rate if you haul it over there.

You can cut lead with a chainsaw

Matt

[JPA Cate]

Actually, also, someone building a keel could cut it up into pieces that would fit in the melter. When you pour a keel, you need to pour it all at once, so you have to melt down a lot of lead (the vapours are toxic), then let it flow into the mould or the shell all at once. It shrinks with drying.

Ann

[Mexican Hat]

Thanks for the replies. Good to know that it can be cut with a chainsaw. Scrap prices may be 60c/lb on that website but the price I've been offered here qualify as 'scrap' without the 's'. I've checked a couple of commodities sites and apparently while everything else is going up, lead is taking the path suggested by it's density. The price is way down.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by Mexican Hat

I find myself in the position of having had to settle for a large lump of lead as the only option for payment of a debt. South Texas turns out to be an interesting place in many ways... This is the keel lead from a Hunter sailboat, clean and in one piece.

So if anyone's building a boat and needs lead for a keel, is starting a casting or diving weight business, has a very thick wetsuit, is REALLY worried about the war in Ukraine going nuclear, needs some dense ballast to settle the suspension on that new 1 ton truck, is tired of using cement for those boots or is still playing with Newton's alchemy formulas, I may be your man!

Located in Rockport Texas. Can help with delivery within a 250 mile radius for a reasonable amount. Can help with loading onto a truck. Would prefer to sell the lead intact but if there's demand will consider cutting it up. I don't know what would work, anyone got any experience in the field of lead cutting? It's too big a piece to melt.

Asking $3,186 obo

I'm betting this came off of a Cherubini Hunter 27? I got 3338 lbs off mine when I scrapped her out.

If you try cutting it up with a chainsaw, be careful of the keel bolts imbedded in the lead, and wear good respiration and PPE. It's not just the fumes that are toxic. So is the dust.

[hjohnson]

Originally Posted by JPA Cate

Actually, also, someone building a keel could cut it up into pieces that would fit in the melter. When you pour a keel, you need to pour it all at once, so you have to melt down a lot of lead (the vapours are toxic), then let it flow into the mould or the shell all at once. It shrinks with drying.

Ann

The vapour pressure of Lead is actually very high, so unless you’re heating it way, way beyond the point where it melts, no significant lead fumes will be produced. The biggest danger to human health is having large amounts of molten metal around.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by hjohnson

The vapour pressure of Lead is actually very high, so unless you’re heating it way, way beyond the point where it melts, no significant lead fumes will be produced. The biggest danger to human health is having large amounts of molten metal around.

Lead melts just below 625 F fumes are generated at 900 F. Unless the person working with it is sure they can control the temp (questionable if it's a DIY operation) they should wear a respirator... and if there is any chance of lead dust they should do the same.

Better to be safe than sorry.

[Oeanda]

You can cut lead with most regular tools. In my brief stint in a boatyard, we once poured a keel for a small ship. The lowest person on the totem pole ‘the new girl’ donned a moonsuit and ventured forth with a power planer to level out the freshly poured lead. The mood was somber. She was resigned. We were just goddam glad it wasn’t us. But we didn’t say so.
‘Farewell and good luck, comrade’.

[grantmc]

Originally Posted by tkeithlu

... I started a lead rush among the surprising number of local hunters that mold their own bullets ... in Texas.

Wow the things you learn here on a yachting forum occasionally blows my tiny brain. I never ever would have guessed anyone could make their own bullets. I know how to make shotgun cartridges, but bullets, that's very cool.

And who'd have thought there'd be so much need for guns and such things in Texas.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by grantmc

Wow the things you learn here on a yachting forum occasionally blows my tiny brain. I never ever would have guessed anyone could make their own bullets. I know how to make shotgun cartridges, but bullets, that's very cool.

And who'd have thought there'd be so much need for guns and such things in Texas.

Well, it is Texas...

And actually? It's mostly target shooters who cast their own 'boolits'. When you shoot hundreds of rounds a month, buying bullets gets pretty expensive. Hunters don't actually shoot much (when hunting), and the technology in today's modern hunting bullet is literally centuries ahead of a solid lead bullet.

Lead is nasty stuff/hazardous material and should be treated as such. I used to load shotshells years ago when I shot skeet (again, cheaper than buying factory loads). Had a Dr. on the league, who said don't handle the shot with bare hands, wear surgical gloves. After loading a few hundred rounds, they were black from the lead dust and powder. I also used to cast lead bullets, fishing sinkers and lead-head jigs. Again a very dirty operation, gloves were always black. Made sure that I had good respirator, ventilatlon, had a small fan in the window of my 'gun room' to pull the dust fumes out. Also requested a BLL (blood lead level) test at my annual physical.

[potbellypirate]

Back in 2000' or so had 8000 lb. keel to haul approx. 100 miles to Compton area in LA Cal. 70 cents per lb. there then. Tried cutting with skillsaw, circular beam saw, old 2- man whipsaw, handsaws crosscut and rip. Lead would immediately clamp blades. In frustration tried chainsaw. Halleluya! Slow cutting, lots of small chips, no dust! Bad pollution to soil for future gardens etc. Suggest a tarp. hauled approx. 5000 lbs. on u-haul trailer and 3000 or so on 3\4 ton pickup. Dragged on with come - along and ramp. Required a 12-pack to treat frustration and got the job done. Recieved approx. $6000 for the lead and learned a few tricks.

[Oeanda]

Frequently spraying cutting blades helps a lot with binding. But it sounds like the chainsaw might be best. It is a pretty brutal situation no matter how you go about it.

[Opie91]

Chainsaw is the way to go, drop a cloth underneath and keep the chips for yourself.

[garyfdl]

Originally Posted by potbellypirate

In frustration tried chainsaw. Halleluya! Slow cutting, lots of small chips, no dust! Bad pollution to soil for future gardens etc. Suggest a tarp.

You say there was no dust, and you might not have seen dust, but I assure you there was dust, unless you flooded the area with water while you were cutting. Of course then you would have to collect and process the water, or wind up with you own mini superfund site. But it sounds like you might have done that (contaminated the area) anyway with just the chips. Nice job!