Lead Weights?

[PowayDave]

Still making that chess set. I want to weight the pieces (for a quality feel) with something heavy and dense (NOT my skull). I can't find lead anywhere except in industrial quantity and I don't need 500 lbs. Any ideas? I thought I'd drill a 3/4" X 3/4" hole in the bases, add the weight and seal, and finish off with a good felt bottom. I've tried plumbners and bullet casters with no luck.
All suggestions will be appreciated.

Dave

[JimSawyer]

Look in the roofing section of the big box stores...
The stuff for flashing chimneys should work fine. It's very malleable. I have some for those book-ends I've yet to make...lol.

[ASDLF22]

Split shot sinkers in the fishing department?

[wood-n-things]

Try your local sporting goods store and get fishing weights...they can be pounded into almost any shape...

OOPs looks like Douglas and I were posting at the same time. I must be a slower typist...oh well still good suggestions..

[sawdustus]

Like Doug and Mike said, fishing weights work great. Your other option is to find someone who does stained glass and have them pour some of their melted solder into the holes you drilled.

george

[evilbadger]

You can stop by a local tire shop and they will usually give the used weights from balancing tires. Then you just melt them down and pour into a mold whatever size you need.

[jim_mex]

Hi Dave - I'm not sure whether it's still available in the US due to H&S concerns but I buy lead buckshot from the local shooting store when I want to weigh things down. Its small enough to fill a bore hole with and real easy to use.

[shinzam]

Try your local diving club (If there is one) as the lead weights they use is lead shot in bags as this shapes to thier body and makes it more comfortable to dive with.
Regards graham

[PowayDave]

Wow! What great ideas. Thanks to all for taking time to help me out.

[Wood Dog]

I drilled a hole with my Forstner bit and put in 4 nickels when I made some small clocks to give them a little weight, epoxied them in and glued some felt to the bottom....... another suggestion for ya.

[Bayward]

Battery repair shops and recycling centers also have used lead, usually for the price of scrap.

Bob

[coullion]

Stores that sell Pinewood derby cars sell lead weights for them as well. Melt them down and pour it in.

Todd

[jim_mex]

I don't want to buck other suggestions but I'd be wary about pouring molten lead in the bases. The instant localized heat can cause wood to discolour or even split particularly if the chess pieces have relatively thin side walls.

I'd play safe and go for preformed lead slugs or shot mixed with a bit of resin to stop any rattling sounds.

Just my take....

[treslakter]

Years back I made a couple of lamps that came out beeing a little unstable. I came to the conclusion that some lead in the feet would be the solution, but the problem that then arised was thin side walls after boring out the feet from the bottom. Pouring hot lead into the feet directly was out of question, but the solution i came up with was very simple! I bored holes in scraps of same kind of wood, but a little shallower then the holes in the feet. I made as many holes as the number of feet, and took care that the grain direction was the same in both scrap and feet. I then pured molten lead into the holes in the scrap. After the weights cooled down, I moved them to the feet. Since they didn't fill the feet all up, I had room for wooden plugs to complete the feet with. - A little longish way to describe how to make "preformed lead slugs" as suggested by jim_mex (aka JAM....)

[Spirithorse]

Golf supply stores have lead powder or lead shot for professionally weighting golf clubs. Small quantities and relatively inexpensive.
God Bless! Spirithorse