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I had a 102lb sheet of lead that was given to me and I needed to process it into some shapes to get it out of the front of the barn. I saw that my counterweight mold that was made from walnut worked pretty good so I scrounged up all the scrap pieces of walnut and started making obelisk molds. I ran out and had to use some 3/8 maple plywood to finish them. I had enough for 7 molds. They make a 3 1/2" high obelisk and have a 5 degree angle on all sides. I added some process shots of how I assembled them.

They are just held together with Titebond III and I coated the inside with silicone spray before I filled them. I used them over several times and they are in pretty good shape yet.

The last shot is of the final products. I had one round ingot that I had to split the mold to get it out. That was its last use. There 20 of them and they are around 5 lb. each. They come in handy in the shop for weights during assembly.

cheers, Jim

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Well that's interesting. I wonder how many duty cycles you'll get…
 

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Cool Idea, Jim!

I used to have a Scuba diving shop and molded lead diving weights. I bought the mold but seeing this I could have probably made them. I scrounged lead from everywhere- wheel weights, fishing weights found when diving, even used some lead canisters that we got from the hospital- it's a wonder they didn't glow in the dark!
 

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Are you using them as in exercising weights?

... or as weights to hold glue-ups together, etc.?
 

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Brings back memories of the smelter I worked in Jim. The metal sure explodes if there is any moisture in the molds. Have you thought of making a lead hammer?
 

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Make yourself some drafting ducks for boat lifting or just drawing splines
 

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While none of these will be used for fishing weights, you did a great job on making those molds. Good job Jim.
 

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Good use for that lead sheet Jim.
Those weights will come in handy.
 

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Those weights ought to come in handy, and free is the best price. As long as one puts a taper in the mold, the casting is removable. Back when I met my wife, I gave her a present of a paperweight made of tire weights in the shape of the Greek letter "PSI"- Ψ- and called it a "Heavy Sigh", a la "Mork and Mindy", which was a popular TV show at the time. While I didn't watch a lot of TV, I did manage to catch that item…even though it is technically pronounced "psee", in Greek, just like "Pi" is actually pronounced "Pee" in Greek.
 

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Interesting, I just use a complete old battery for weight when i NEED A WEIGHT, yours is 100% lead. great idea.
 

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So you're using your drill press as a giant C-clamp. I remember getting in big trouble once as a kid when I tried using one of my dad's micrometers as a miniature one! Now I'm all grown up and I can do whatever I want.

-Russ
 

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Great glue ups mate.
 

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Where there's a will there's a way.
Great result Jim.

Bob
 

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Lead fumes. Pretty bad spelling. Connection? But I kid.
 

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great idea, just seems a shame to do that to walnut lol
 

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Please be careful with lead fumes as they are toxic. Also, the lead will be on your clothes and you will transfer it to your house and family.

The effects of lead are not very noticeable but can cause brain issues especially in younger children.

I worked with lead for many years. We added lead to steel to improve machining and had very strict safety rules. We always wore masks and our work clothes were washed by a firm that had special arrangements for doing it. We also were subject to blood tests to monitor for problems.
 

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Thank you all for looking. I'm glad you found it interesting.

Hi Jerry. I think I might get 3 uses out of them before the lead starts getting into the seams or grain of the wood. But I am done with them and will put them in the wood furnace for heat this fall.

Hi Joe. No exercise weights..I lift too much already all day in the shop. These will be used to hold things while glue is drying or hold stuff in place when I weld it. I will use a group of four for stands on the bench to assemble things on and they have to be all exactly the same in height. With that taper, it poses a problem for holding them to mill off the bottom flat!. I may have to tap threads in them on top!

Hi Russ. I use the drill press a lot for a press. I have a quill lock screw and it keeps the quill down under pressure when I need it. This time I just needed to hold the center assembly down when I put the sides on .
them. I don't put any more pressure this way then when drilling some steel plates. I don't press things in with it like dowels or shafts. That would be too hard on the quill. I'd never use a mike for a clamp. They are precision tools.

Hi Dick. I have a ton of rough sawn walnut in the barn. These were just scraps that seem to build up because I can't throw any good wood away. This helped clean out the rack a bit.

Hi Larry. I hear you on the fumes. I had a fan going behind me all the time and the barn was wide open to clear the air. I'd never do that in the house, but my dad used this same lead pot and ladle on the gas stove when joining cast iron soil pipes when I was a kid.

Cheers, Jim
 

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You did a very nice job on these lead molds.
 

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I've cast bullets for some time and the risk of lead contamination is from ingesting, not breathing.

Lead melts at ~600°F, but you don't breath liquids do you? The fumes and stink are actually from the dross (oil and dirt) and flux used to separate them from the pure lead.

The grime and dust on your hands is another matter altogether. But if you can resist picking your nose, sucking your thumb or eating a ham samich while casting, and wash your hands well before you do, you should be good to go.

:^p
 

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Some lead will evaporate and / or oxidize from the surface of molten lead. Just a fact…..

The dross, scrum and flux can also have potential hazards. With good ventilation the risks are probably minimal. If you have little children around, I would be careful about exposure from anything on you body or clothes.

Of course, just ignore this if you want.
 

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A bit of "heavy metal" goin down here Jim ;) nice job on the moulds, keep everything tidy & easy store
cheers
pete
 
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