Making Weights!

[wellyfish]

Originally Posted by pixybasher

Hey guys joking apart though the lead fumes (gases)are HIGHLY TOXIC and you should wear the appropriate mask. A normal dust mask is NOT siutable, You need a mask that will prevent fumes from entering your airway.I was a Health ans Saferty Manager for 4 years and know how DEADLY lead fumes can be.
Its not just the fumes either, its the Lead dust as well,always wash your hands before drinking or smoking as contamination will be directly transmitted to your digestive tract.Dont let an external HAZARD become an internal one.
LEAD IS A KILLER and poisons many people a year who are not aware of the Health and Safety implications.
Always have a good fresh air supply to disperse the fumes, wear protective gloves to protect from contact with the skin and also to prevent burns. And ALWAYS wear the CORRECT type of mask.

One little tip about the adjusty mould and any mould come to that... dont poor hot lead into it when it is cold!!! Always heat the mould before with a heat gun.This will insure the lead will run smoothly thoughout the entire length of the mould and also more inportantly wont crack the mould due to the shock of the extremely high temperature.

Happy weight making.. That reminds me, wheres mine gone?

great advice nigel lead making can be very hazardous

[tommy a]

Hay chaps is making weights reasonably easy then and does it really save money ? I usually buy a laod of weights every time Im in the shop and they cost about a pound each so maybe its worth having a go ?

[pixybasher]

Very simple as long as you follow the basic safety precautions and follow the manufactureres instructions, I make mine in the garage with the door wide open.
The mould is clamped into the vice and I melt the lead in a cut down baked bean tin on a small calor gas stove.

I DID FORGET TO MENTION ALSO THAT YOU MUST WEAR PROTECTIVE EYE WEAR, THE TYPE THAT ENCLOSE THE EYES AT AT THE SIDES.

When the Lead melts you will get a deposite of slag on top which you will need to scrape off, I use a bit of wood to do this, this then is put to one side for desposal at a later date.

[kiwimarty]

Originally Posted by tommy a

Hay chaps is making weights reasonably easy then and does it really save money ? I usually buy a laod of weights every time Im in the shop and they cost about a pound each so maybe its worth having a go ?

It is easy mate but you must put safety first.....good ventilation is a must and never forget the fact that lead not only gets damn hot, it’s poisonous too. A good pair of old leather gloves work well in case of any spillage and do small amounts at a time! Lead still weighs heavy solid or molten. That may sound daft but one can tend to look at it as just liquid if you catch my drift.

Kiwi.

[tommy a]

Kiwi,

I havent caught your drift - just like the fish eh ..........!!!!

[bazw]

Originally Posted by andyg

Where do you (or anyone) buy lead?

go to any builders merchant and get lead roofing flashing

it comes in rolls and is clean so you dont loose a load to oxide

dont get the alloy 1 as its aluminium but is nice and shiny if you want to make spoons

as an addon to pixkbashers great h.a.s. post if you are going to do a lot of this then it is a good idea to get some disposable white paper coveralls from a car paint supply shop
they cost about £1.50 and you just unzip them and bin them
far better than getting the dust on your clothes and then in the house

(i used to do repairs at a lead factory and even though we used to get our gear washed every day we worked there we still liked to have the added protection )

[bigfish]

(i used to do repairs at a lead factory and even though we used to get our gear washed every day we worked there we still liked to have the added protection )

Condoms all round eh?

[kiwimarty]

Originally Posted by bigfish

(i used to do repairs at a lead factory and even though we used to get our gear washed every day we worked there we still liked to have the added protection )

Condoms all round eh?

What are you like man!!!!.........roar....LMAO

[Ben]

you can pick up the british current issue gas mask for around £25 from ebay or most good surplus stores which would probably be perfect for keeping fumes away from you and also out of your eyes

[gullyworm]

As long as you can get hold of a war shot canister for it Ben.
Pixy i like the bit about washing the lead dust off your hands before smoking,lol