Big piece of lead!

[JKR]

Don,
I’d forgotten that I tried that too. The blade heats up and warps out of shape almost immediately. Makes a kerf about 1/2” wide. Bad idea.

I wonder what would happen with a hydraulic wood splitter.

Jim

[Distant Thunder]

JKR,

I must admit that the chainsaw was among my ideas ?, but maybe not now!

Don,

Circular saw! Yea, I thought about that too, but only long enough to picture it in my head. That's all I needed for that one.

I'm glad I'm not the only one who trades into what seems like a really good deal, only to have reality look a bit different than what I was thinking ?.

[Don McDowell]

Hmmm I have a 35 ton splitter...

[Don McDowell]

Well where there is a will there is a way..

[Distant Thunder]

Dang, Don, you're a genius! I got a wood splitter too. Now we're talking!?

[Don McDowell]

It might work..
After all what's the worse that could happen. LOL

[Distant Thunder]

My press was 80 tons, my splitter is 1/3 of that but it still could work. It's gotta be a better idea than a chainsaw! Sheesh!

[Kurt]

Don,

I'll give that a try if the if the rain ever stops. I may be able to whittle away at it, but it will take some time. If I had a big kettle, I'd set it up in that and build a wood fire under it. No matter what it's going to take time. The price was right though.

Hey Jim,

I still have one of those big cast iron kettles we used when we butchered hogs to make cooked sausage and when that was done make soap that would hold that block of lead but I think I would have to get some new chains and put a I beam up to hold it over the fire LOL.

[Distant Thunder]

That's the BIG kettle I saw! I knew I saw one somewhere, it was in a picture or two you have posted before.

At 700 pounds it would a chore to lift into the pot. The chunk is square, so it doesn't roll worth a darn. It can be lifted with the right equipment. I'll load it on a trailer, haul it home and unload it in my shop and then I should be able to load it on the splitter and that should get me started to something I can handle.

I tried to move it with a two-wheeled hand cart. That didn't work at all. I got it on the cart with considerable effort, but I couldn't tip the cart back to move it. It's a bit heavier than I am! I'll go back with my trailer and load it directly on that and bring it home that way.

This piece added to the lead I got two years ago will give me about 1300 pounds of lead. That should supply me with enough bullets for the next..., oh, 30 years. I think I've the lead thing covered pretty well.

[Kurt]

Jim,

If you have a sawzall get one of these blades. I been thinking getting one for chunking out pig lead when I get them.
You need a blade that has a lot of set when cutting lead. I been using wood blades in my sawzall and I even use a skillsaw with a carbide blade.
I been thinking on ordering a 1000# pallet of lead before it gets much higher.
It's hard to find lead in the scrap yards anymore. It seems like they have a contract with China what they told me the last time I looked for some.