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Casting and Drilling lead - anything I should know
Ivan - 15/12/12 at 10:21 AM

I need a lead hammer to use for the knock-on spinners for my new Cobra wheels - I am having difficulty sourcing one in South Africa and as I have a few kilos of lead lying around I thought I would cast one but to attach the handle I need to drill a 12mm hole through the head.

Do I just drill at low speed using conventional steel bits and lubricant or are there some tricks or potential problems that I should be aware of.

I was just planning to use a piece of 50mm pipe with one end welded shut as both the mould and crucible - any potential problems with that idea.

Simon - 15/12/12 at 10:46 AM

1 Make sure there are no potential leaks, molten lead very fluid and will find holes.

2 Lead holds temp for quite a while so be patient.

3 Using pipe is good idea, but you'll want some lead proud of pipe for hammering, weld handle to steel pipe, don't drill lead for handle, you'll never secure.
You can put the flame directly on lead to melt it, saves heating the crucible to melt (but slightly irrelevant as you'll be keeping anyway).

4 Obviously, hand, eye and body protection.

ATB

Simon.

David Jenkins - 15/12/12 at 10:46 AM

Why not put a 12mm steel bar across the middle of your mould? You can knock it out after it has cooled.

Another safety warning - make sure that the mould is ABSOLUTELY dry before casting, as any water will instantly turn to steam and molten lead will be ejected with a lot of force (seen it done!).



[Edited on 15/12/12 by David Jenkins]

snakebelly - 15/12/12 at 11:06 AM

And obviously don't inhales the fumes

theconrodkid - 15/12/12 at 11:15 AM

what Mr Jenkins said about being dry,molten lead does burn,ask me how i know

Simon - 15/12/12 at 11:42 AM

If the pipe is to be used as both mould an crucible, then when lead scrap is put in and then melted, crucible will dry as heating process starts. Good practice otherwise.

ATB

Simon

britishtrident - 15/12/12 at 12:06 PM

As already posted you can just pour the molten lead into the mould and cast in a a steel shaft

However you probably can't buy a lead hammer because they have been supplant by "Dead Blow Hammers" which are tough SRS plastic hammers filled with steel shot.


http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dead_blow_hammer

blakep82 - 15/12/12 at 12:39 PM

interesting stuff, but why does it have to be lead? can it be a rubber or leather mallet?

MakeEverything - 15/12/12 at 01:12 PM

quote:
Originally posted by blakep82
interesting stuff, but why does it have to be lead? can it be a rubber or leather mallet?


+1, i would use a hide mallet.

designer - 15/12/12 at 01:51 PM

Hide faced, like these here:

http://toolexchange.com.au/Hammers-Soft-Face.html

britishtrident - 15/12/12 at 02:49 PM

For this application it really has to be a fairly hefty hammer --- 1kg/2lbs hide and ordinary soft face plastic mallets are a bit too girly, hence why I suggested a dead blow hammer.

designer - 15/12/12 at 04:34 PM

I have a hide faced hammer which is a lot heavier than a limp hammer!

MikeRJ - 15/12/12 at 05:40 PM

You could always buy/make a Jaguar, Aston or MG, Healey wire wheel spinner saver to protect your spinners.

clanger - 15/12/12 at 08:01 PM

another vote for dead blow hammer............one of my favourite tools

paulf - 15/12/12 at 09:56 PM

When I served my apprenticeship in a tool room they used to make lead mallets by casting the lead around the handle which was usually a bit of tube or solid bar with a cross pin in it.I always used to use a copper faced mallet for the knock offs on my mgb.
Paul