Question about weights for compound cuts

[handibunny]

Hi,

I'd welcome any suggestions on an easier way to smash egg-shaped fishing weights than the jig suggested by Diana Thompson. I made a 7/8" jig, as directed, to smash a 1 oz. lead egg weight, then tried to smash it. After making a major racket and little progress, I finally resorted to clamping the weight into a metal vise and enlisting the aid of a stronger person to crush it down to size. It worked well--the weight was nice and round, and I used the vise to hold the weight to file off rough spots.

Success--but, I'm not happy working with lead and hate having to ask for favors, and even though I vacuumed up carefully, I'm wondering if there are safer alternatives for weighting those unstable wooden objects.

Would appreciate hear how other scrollers have handled this situation.

Carole

[Greenfield_Bob]

Carole, I drilled a hole in a piece of wood ( the size I need ) and melted the lead and poured it in. It worked for me.

Bob

[Minnesota scroller]

Why not just buy the size sinkers you need? You can buy round split shot in many different sizes as you can the egg sinkers. If you're going to melt the lead, go to a tire shop and get a bunch of lead wheel weights. I used to melt these down all the time for making bottom bouncers and thousands of sinkers for my now defunct fishing tackle business. You can buy small electric lead melting pots with a pour spout that would work great for this. It'll hold 4# of lead and will melt it in about 10 minutes. They cost around $35.

[handibunny]

Any problem with the molten lead being toxic?

Carole

[William Young (SE BC)]

Yes, get free used lead wheel balancing weights from the tire shop and melt them down and pour it in. I started doing that after reading instructions in a book on how to do it the hard way and figured there had to be an alternative..
Ones like these need the weight when they have a clock in the top of them so I make the hole in the bottom bigger and deeper than what the pattern suggests and pour the lead in until level with the wood and glue on a felt bottom.
W.Y.

[chrispuzzle]

You could use lead shot which saves having to melt it? Scuba people put it in belt pouches, you can get it from diving shops among many other places. Lead shot weighs somewhat less by volume than a slug of lead but is still heavy. You would need to plug it with something better than felt though!

Chris

[Minnesota scroller]

Carole, while the lead is melting it does emit fumes and smoke, which probably are hazardous. You should definitely do it in a well ventilated area. I used to melt and pour the lead in the house but made sure I had plenty of windows open. My wife still complained because she has the nose of a bloodhound. When the weather warmed I was forced to do it in the garage.

[BobD (Archive)]

I like the shot idea...you could probably get the same weight using the "BBs" sold for BB guns...or even air rifle pellets.... Like .177 caliber...you could even crush them easily to add more into the same area...

Great idea Chris...That way you wouldn't need to worry about the melting tool and fumes!

Bob

[lucky788scroller]

the shot combined with epoxy would work good. Dale

[Minnesota scroller]

I believe BB's would be too light. Aren't they made of copper?

[sawdustus]

sawdustus of hiawatha

YIKES!!!!!

LEAD FUMES ARE HIGHLY TOXIC. Lead is one of the heavy metals like mercury, bismuth, tin and antimony. They are all damaging to the human nervous system. Why do you think we took it out of paint and gasoline. Even lead paint chips are considered toxic.

If you insist on melting it before pouring it into a hole in the wood, please do it in a very well ventilated area and try to wear a vapor mask rated for lead vapor.

By the way, I just pound them flat with a 3lb sledge. I drilled an appropriate sized through hole in some hard maple and then put the jig and the lead on an anvil before pounding. By using small pieces of lead, I can usually get the round flat piece I need in a few tries. I then trim off the ragged edges with a side nipper and wipe up the area with a damp paper towel. Pure lead is very soft and can be cut with any sharp tool or round die of the type used to punch holes in leather. I have found that because of the cost of lead, sinker manufactures often add some iron or zinc to cut costs. This just makes the lead harder to work with.

[Minnesota scroller]

If you're looking for pure lead, go to a plumbers supply outlet. They sell plumber's lead in 5# chunks. Yes, it isn't cheap, which is why I always used wheel weights for molding sinkers. I could pick up a 5 gallon bucket for a couple bucks.

[Marsha]

Candle_Holders_003.jpg Tulip_Candle_Holders.jpg

[William Young (SE BC)]

Good idea putting a base on the candle holders.
Although these were amazingly stable for their size a base would have been better at least for appearance because they do look rather top heavy without a base.
That is what amazed the people that bought them. They asked what made them so stable with such a small base so I had to let them in on my ancient chinese secret about filling the base's with lead
With these I made a large opening in the base to hold lots of lead. First I drilled an oversized hole and then I used a round steel burr cutting bit in my Dremel tool to remove more wood right up close to and under the stem of the candle holder. They held twice as much lead as the instructions in the pattern suggested .
W.Y.

[beemerbob]

Wen I had a new roof put on the house, I salvaged all the vents. They are made of lead. I melted them in a stainless steel container. I used a regular Butane torch. When a piece was melted, I poured it on my concrete driveway.
I ended up with a gob of lead approx 1/2 in. thick. For the clock, I just used the scrollsaw ti cut out a circle that fits the hole. Epoxy it in and you are done.

Bill's suggestion to drill the hole in the base a little deeper is fraught with danger. I did it once on a clock and when the clock was removed, it had holes an each of the sides of the base.