I have about 500 pounds of sheet lead that was given to me several years ago . If ya dont know , this is rolled lead sheets , used in roofing .. Have yet to melt any of it down , as I have plenty of whellweights and pure lead laying around .. But will be soon ..
Does anyone know if the sheet lead is "pure" , have no idea of the age of it , so I dont know if they did in the past or have in later years mixed other materials with it ..
I know its cast on a bed of sand , is about all I know about it , other than it's the most durable roof available , if properly applied ( can last 200 years or more )
Thanks
Jack

It's nearly pure lead. they don't make teh attempt to use pure lead, but it's so close to pure you can treat it that way. Wasn't an uncommon thing to find in old buildings here (at least pre-Katrina), and you are right...it just won't leak (unless a tree crashes through it)...but the expense and WEIGHT (which really adds to the cost of the sturcture under the roof that has to hold it up) makes it pretty rare in the last 100years.

Was talking to a roofer today. French Quarter Commision (that oversees the historic accuracy of the buildings) passed a new requirment: all new rooves will be slate. Not fake slate or slate-look-alike, but slate. If you happened to have lead jointed seames or even a lead roof (although there were some copper ones) may aply for an exemption and replace it with the same type...no one can affort to do that (for that matter, few of them can afford slate). Know one man who is now looking at a new roof that will cost between 200 and 250K in slate..fake slate would have cost about 1/2 to 1/3 of that.

Does anyone know if the sheet lead is "pure"
Jack

I've cast round balls for muzzleloaders with "sheet lead". If it's easy to unroll and bend, it's probably pure lead. You could try scratching it with your finger nail, then scratch some known pure lead and see if it's similar; my guess is it will be.

If you don't want to alloy it to make it a little harder you might want to see if you can trade it. Muzzle loaders need pure lead or close to it.

Whatever it is, It is a good find for a bulletcaster. You have good stuff for fishing sinkers or slingshot ammo too. It can always alloy it to suit your needs.
Cheezywan

Thanks , if looks are any indicator , then it is as close to "pure" as ribbonstone states , it is really soft and eay to werk with ..
I was gonna mix it with alloy is why I was wondering , havbe enuff known "pure" to last a while ..
Jack

Thanks , if looks are any indicator , then it is as close to "pure" as ribbonstone states , it is really soft and eay to werk with ..
I was gonna mix it with alloy is why I was wondering , havbe enuff known "pure" to last a while ..
Jack

Will bend aily, then you'll notice you can't unbend it..got harder at the crease...let it sit for awhile and it will bend easily again...pretty good indication of being pure enough to use as pure.

I agree it is as pure as you need. I use it for my muzzle loader. I would love to have about 100 Lb's. But I think the shipping here to Maine would kill me.
I would love to trade for some of my world class streamer flies.

http://www.streamerfliesbygraywolf.com

I would love to have about 100 Lb's. But I think the shipping here to Maine would kill me.

Shipping actually is not to bad if you send it in the flatrate box.
You can send up to 70 pounds for $7.70 well it was $7.70 before the postage increase, not sure what it went up to, I would have to check and see.
I bought 200 pounds of shotshell shot, 50 pounds per box last year, being in 1 liter pop bottles 50 pounds was all he could fit into a box, could have put 70 pounds in each box if he had put it in cloth sacks or socks, but 50 pounds per box was pretty hefty, LOL


Michael Grace

EDIT: The flatrate box is now $8.10 which is still a good price to ship up to 70 pounds.


I was once told on sheet lead that you can not really determine it's hardness till after you melt it and recast it as ingots/bullets/etc as it is cold rolled into the sheets and this work softens it, so when your testing it as a sheet yet your not getting a true reading.