I have some family members who work with virgin lead for medical supplies and they gave me about 20 pounds or so of lead brick. Currently the brick is cut into chunks between 1 and 8 pounds apiece, I'm guessing. I was originally planning to melt these down and pour some weights but now I'm thinking maybe just use them as is (since I use a weight belt that has pockets) if I can get them measured and sized to the right sizes I want.
So I have a couple of questions:
If I do decide to use the lead as is (essentially), I'm thinking about "sealing" them with some tool dip to soften the edges a bit and hopefully provide a little durability. Has anyone tried this and had success? I saw a mention of it in a thread about making weights but never heard whether it was successful or how durable it ended up being.
If I decide to melt it down and make some molded weights, what is the best way to start the melting process? I've read a bunch of threads about using cast iron pots to melt the metal in and then pour it into a completely dry mold. I'll be making the molds out of dry hardwood I have around, if I do this. Is there anything more to this other than preparing for fumes and keeping things completely dry to avoid splatter? Just drop the lead into the pot and heat it like that?
I've read the threads and the appropriate safety precautions will be taken, I'm just looking for a little clarification of the most basic process.
So I have a couple of questions:
If I do decide to use the lead as is (essentially), I'm thinking about "sealing" them with some tool dip to soften the edges a bit and hopefully provide a little durability. Has anyone tried this and had success? I saw a mention of it in a thread about making weights but never heard whether it was successful or how durable it ended up being.
If I decide to melt it down and make some molded weights, what is the best way to start the melting process? I've read a bunch of threads about using cast iron pots to melt the metal in and then pour it into a completely dry mold. I'll be making the molds out of dry hardwood I have around, if I do this. Is there anything more to this other than preparing for fumes and keeping things completely dry to avoid splatter? Just drop the lead into the pot and heat it like that?
I've read the threads and the appropriate safety precautions will be taken, I'm just looking for a little clarification of the most basic process.