Sailboat Keel - 1400 pounds of pure lead sweetness!

DukeInFlorida

DukeInFlorida

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So, BadLuther and I went to Northport, ME this afternoon, and picked up a 1400 pound sailboat keel that was salvaged from a ship wrecked boat. It's pure lead, and one heavy sucker of a hunk of lead.

It's still in the back of his pickup, but will be here tomorrow afternoon, so we can start stripping off the remaining fiberglass and bottom paint. Then it's blow torch time. I'll post a picture of this monster when it gets here.

Our plan is to lift the thing with a hoist, and while it's hanging from the chainfall, we'll blast it with some heat, and allow the drippings to go into a dutch oven, where we will ladle ingots from.

Wish I had a faster way to deal with a 1400 pound block of pure lead. Ideas??
 
Dnotarianni said:
circular saw with a carbide blade and wax. Knock off chunks and melt into ingots from there.

Dave
Click to expand...

This. We tried using a torch or a chunk of lead about the size of yours and it was a mess. It took forever. A diver friend of mine recommended a saw and it went much faster and cleaner. Watch out for water in the lead.
 
BadLuther suggested taking a chain saw to the lead, but I'm concerned about hidden steel in the lead.

Was thinking of hanging it, and using one of those 500,000 btu sidewalk weed killer torches on it. Put a pot under to catch the dripping edges. I've done it that way (successfully) with smaller pieces. This thing is HUGE.
 
Think the easiest thing would be probably to take a torch to it and see if it can cut off chunks

DukeInMaine said:
BadLuther suggested taking a chain saw to the lead, but I'm concerned about hidden steel in the lead.

Was thinking of hanging it, and using one of those 500,000 btu sidewalk weed killer torches on it. Put a pot under to catch the dripping edges. I've done it that way (successfully) with smaller pieces. This thing is HUGE.
Click to expand...
 
The paint and fiberglass are flux so just ventilate the area.[laugh]

What are the dimensions of this Bad Larry? How about a log splitter?
 
Manhandling logs into my log splitter is no issue.

Manhandling this bad boy onto the splitter is another matter. Not that it's physically large (6 feet long, 10 inches thick, and 6 inches wide NOT a rectangle, mind you, but curvy surfaces), but just that it's extremely heavy.
I've had logs slip off the logsplitter onto my foot. I wouldn't want to to happen with this.

I'm talking one ton lift chains shivering with excitement.

Fixxah said:
The paint and fiberglass are flux so just ventilate the area.[laugh]

What are the dimensions of this Bad Larry? How about a log splitter?
Click to expand...
 
Duke, your a lead pig! I mean that in a loving sort of way:)

In work the other day, we wanted to melt a small amount of lead and tried to saw off the end of one of the ingots I brought home from the workshop. Thought that it would be easy, even with a somewhat fine hacksaw blade but it was a pain in the ass. The lead melted more than cut. Maybe you could use a course toothed hand saw.
 
rent the gas powered cutoff saw at homedepot. The one they use to cut cars apart with. Will cut whatever is in there. Steel, copper, concrete, lead etc.
 
JackO said:
When did you check lead prices last?
We use a lot of lead for radiation shielding. The cheapest pure lead today is $2+/pound.
Click to expand...

Scrap metals off Kitco. Pure lead for industry is more expensive. Like Dave said, yards pay even less.
 
Update:

  • BadLuther showed up right on time, with the monster lead in the back of his pickup.
  • I borrowed a 2 ton engine hoist from a mechanic neighbor
  • Used a lifting strap and a chain, and we started lifting the keel.
  • My driveway in front of the barn has a "lean" to it.
  • As soon as BadLuther drive his truck out from under the keel, the last bit of the keel bumped his right side of the bed, and the hoist started lifting and going off balance. This sucker is heavy!
  • Hoist went right over on it's side, the keel landing with a solid thunk.
  • Earthquake crack in my driveway!
  • After unntangling the hoist, we redid the lifting connections, and got the keel up on some 4X4 pieces.
  • We wanted to get the fiberglass gel coat, and bottom paint off the keel.
  • Tried a rotating Wurth air tool that I have which is made for taking rust off. Was working fine, but very slow, and my tool was using too much air for the compressor to keep up with.
  • Grabbed my 7" grinder, while BadLuther tried with a hammer and chisel at the other end.
  • The grinder was the way to go, and I quickly cleaned up the entire side of the keel in about 20 minutes!
  • Now, to get the keel over on it's other side, to finish the cleaning.
  • Gotta cut it into smaller chunks.
  • Tried the sawzall with a very course pruning blade. That worked, but it was slow.
  • Shrugged my shoulders, and brought out the chain saw. Zing zing zing! Lead chips flyin everywhere, but it works sweet!
  • We whacked off a small end, and tried to lift it. . . Damn! Can't even lift a small piece! It was small enough in diameter to fit in a dutch oven, but no easy way to get it in there.
  • So, started to cut the rest of the keel into smaller pieces, just to get it roughly chunked up.
  • One of my cuts didn't go all the way through the lead, and the bar (chain saw) got pinched as the lead closed up on it.
  • We used some long lever bars, and managed to get the keel section upright, freeing the saw.
  • Then, somewhere, somehow, the damn freed chunk ROLLED ever so slow motion onto my left foot!
  • INSTANT PAIN.
  • BadLuther helped me into the house, and we put some ice on it. Looked nasty, so he brought me to the hospital for Xrays.
  • Friday nights at the big city hospital is insane, especially when you get there just as three ambulances come in with people dying.
  • At 2 AM they tell me that there's no fractures (yay, no 8 week cast!), but that I have to keep off the foot, keep it elevated, keep the ice on it, and do the ibuprophine routine.
  • So, the lead will sit out there... taunting me...... for a week or so.....

BadLuther promises pictures. he was taking them right up until the accident. So, stay tuned for him to check in.

He's a really good friend, driving me home at 3 AM! Thanks, buddy!
 
DukeInMaine said:
Update:

  • BadLuther showed up right on time, with the monster lead in the back of his pickup.
  • I borrowed a 2 ton engine hoist from a mechanic neighbor
  • Used a lifting strap and a chain, and we started lifting the keel.
  • My driveway in front of the barn has a "lean" to it.
  • As soon as BadLuther drive his truck out from under the keel, the last bit of the keel bumped his right side of the bed, and the hoist started lifting and going off balance. This sucker is heavy!
  • Hoist went right over on it's side, the keel landing with a solid thunk.
  • Earthquake crack in my driveway!
  • After unntangling the hoist, we redid the lifting connections, and got the keel up on some 4X4 pieces.
  • We wanted to get the fiberglass gel coat, and bottom paint off the keel.
  • Tried a rotating Wurth air tool that I have which is made for taking rust off. Was working fine, but very slow, and my tool was using too much air for the compressor to keep up with.
  • Grabbed my 7" grinder, while BadLuther tried with a hammer and chisel at the other end.
  • The grinder was the way to go, and I quickly cleaned up the entire side of the keel in about 20 minutes!
  • Now, to get the keel over on it's other side, to finish the cleaning.
  • Gotta cut it into smaller chunks.
  • Tried the sawzall with a very course pruning blade. That worked, but it was slow.
  • Shrugged my shoulders, and brought out the chain saw. Zing zing zing! Lead chips flyin everywhere, but it works sweet!
  • We whacked off a small end, and tried to lift it. . . Damn! Can't even lift a small piece! It was small enough in diameter to fit in a dutch oven, but no easy way to get it in there.
  • So, started to cut the rest of the keel into smaller pieces, just to get it roughly chunked up.
  • One of my cuts didn't go all the way through the lead, and the bar (chain saw) got pinched as the lead closed up on it.
  • We used some long lever bars, and managed to get the keel section upright, freeing the saw.
  • Then, somewhere, somehow, the damn freed chunk ROLLED ever so slow motion onto my left foot!
  • INSTANT PAIN.
  • BadLuther helped me into the house, and we put some ice on it. Looked nasty, so he brought me to the hospital for Xrays.
  • Friday nights at the big city hospital is insane, especially when you get there just as three ambulances come in with people dying.
  • At 2 AM they tell me that there's no fractures (yay, no 8 week cast!), but that I have to keep off the foot, keep it elevated, keep the ice on it, and do the ibuprophine routine.
  • So, the lead will sit out there... taunting me...... for a week or so.....

BadLuther promises pictures. he was taking them right up until the accident. So, stay tuned for him to check in.

He's a really good friend, driving me home at 3 AM! Thanks, buddy!
Click to expand...

Now i am definitely sure this is insane..
I hope your foot heals quickly..
 
DukeInMaine - I always really enjoy your information-rich posts as much for the entertainment value as for the amount of knowledge you've been able to share. I was thinking hanging with you for a weekend would be informative and entertaining. But, now I'm thinking you really need your own reality show. Seriously!


Hope you heal quickly.
 
Sometimes I ponder the notion of writing a book about my life, the things I do, etc. Then, I remind myself that no one would believe any of it. Fortunately, I have enough participants in my life (witnesses) that every bit of my whacky world is true, and most often FUN.

Even through the pain of my foot, I can smile, and think: "Damn! 1400 pounds of pure lead sweetness! How cool is that!"

Feel free to come up any time. We like company.

Knuckle Dragger said:
DukeInMaine - I always really enjoy your information-rich posts as much for the entertainment value as for the amount of knowledge you've been able to share. I was thinking hanging with you for a weekend would be informative and entertaining. But, now I'm thinking you really need your own reality show. Seriously!


Hope you heal quickly.
Click to expand...
 

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