Cutting large chunks of lead

[Perkiomen Bruce]

Hello,
I have a literal brick of lead. Obviously much too large to fit into my casting pot. What method(s) could be used to cut small sliced off this mass?
Thanks,
Bruce

 

[reddogge]

I've never tried it but maybe a cold chisel may do it.

 

[DCAN]

I.ve used a Sawzall with a metal blade. Also, an ax has worked in the past.

 

[Scota@4570]

A saw and some oil. I use a bandsaw. I had zipped up many brick sized pieces on the band saw. Clean up the lead sawdust so it does not get tracked into the house.

I missed out on a 500 plus pound lead pig. IF I had to deal with it I would have used a chainsaw.

 

[Frontier's]

Sawzall

 

[Bnewberry]

I have used a splitting maul. It is a workout!

 

[Tom A Hawk]

I used a chainsaw. Cut it up into pot sized chucks, then cleaned up and melted the shavings. Worked great and fast too.

 

[earlwb]

I tried the cold chisel and hammer then small sledge hammer. But that didn’t work out so well for me. I think the band saw or chain saw method or sawzall is a better way to go.

 

[Tom A Hawk]

After the chainsaw I melted the chunks down over a charcoal forge, then into ingots for the lead pot.

 

[Sidney Smith]

Acetylene

 

[rmark]

Sawsall

 

[Sun City]

Chainsaw!

 

[Scota@4570]

Careful with the Oxy-Acetelen torch. It will get the lead hot enough to create lead vapors that will make you sick.

 

[bpd303]

Careful with the Oxy-Acetelen torch. It will get the lead hot enough to create lead vapors that will make you sick.

I use a rosebud tip in a well ventilated area outside. Makes short work of it melting into my ingot mold. I've also used an old hatchet with a 3 pound hammer to cut off smaller chunks.

 

[Perkiomen Bruce]

Thank you all.
Lots to think about.

 

[ronaldrothb49]

I have a 25 lb. plumbers lead pot that I Got from my dad, we used to use it to cast the joints on cast iron pipes. So far I haven't gotten a piece I couldn't use it to melt down and then cast 1 lb. ingots. works better to clean up the lead instead of putting dirty lead into your casting pot.

 

[smokeum54]

Depending on the size, hammer and chisel or propane bottle torch have been my go to.

 

[bpd303]

I've used an old 10 in cast iron skillet and a Colman camp stove too. I also have a couple of plumbers pots and the kerosene burner but it takes more fiddling with to fire it up for under a hundred pounds of lead to melt, You are right they are excellent for cleaning up dirty lead.

 

[Pukka Bundook]

Axe and a chopping block.

 

[oldwood]

Big blocks will puddle up out doors with an acetylene torch pretty quick. Have used all of the above depending on the piece of lead.