Simple way to cast lead weight - teflon pan

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Blazinator

Contributor
Messages
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Location
Cleveland, Ohio
# of dives
100 - 199
My neighbor is a stained (leaded) glass artist, and has boxes full of lead strips, so I decided to use it ('specially since losing my weightbelt in heavy surf), but:

  • I didn't want to spend all day on it (did anyway, but it was fun - next time will be faster).
  • I didn't want to buy or weld up a mold.
  • I didn't want to wait forever for the lead to melt over the propane burner each time I fill the pot to cast more weight.
Solved all three issues with the following tricks that weren't mentioned in any of the other threads on casting lead weight ('cept for one person that suggested a MAPP gas torch)

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First off, I followed all the safety precautions like doing it outside, used a respirator, etc. blah blah.

I had a melt pot - small aluminum sauce pot - perfect. I used the burner element from an old grill - but lead cooled at edges faster than it melted.

Trick is to do all the melting directly on the lead pcs with a MAPP gas torch with the big air tip, and use a regular propane torch under the melt pot to keep hot - burner element not aggressive enough (my experience anyway). The MAPP gas torch melts five pounds of lead in about three minutes.

I then poured the lead into the edge (after a little preheating) of an old non-stick, curved sided sauté pan that I had tilted on its edge, resting on a brick - about 30° tilt angle.

Each 3 lb "puddle" of lead cooled in about thirty seconds and popped right out of the pan without a problem. Since the castings had curved bottoms but flat, level tops, the plan was to join two castings together at the flats by puddle welding the lead at the perimeter seam to make one standard weight.

I then wanted heavier castings, so I heated the edge of the aluminum frying pan and bent up a lip so that I could pour a deeper pouring of lead, and was able to get a casting of almost four pounds each - joined together to make a 7.5 pound compact rounded shape that fits perfectly into my integrated BC pocket. The smaller 4.5 lb pcs would fit easily into a pouched weight belt.

The welding of the two halves is real easy - simple puddle welding with the MAPP torch - easier than puddle welding steel with ox/acetylene.

I was able to make over thirty pounds that day, and next time it will only take about an hour or so.
 
I cast lots of weights for customers at my dive shop and I must say that its very easy using ready made moulds and the weights look like weights and are dual purpose as having slots in them they can always be attached to a standard weight belt!
Using the mormal gas cooker is also easy as lead has a very low melting point!
 
Be careful using nonstick pans at high temps. The coating is supposed to break down into toxic agents. A petition to put warning labels on nonstick pans said "Non-stick coatings break down to a chemical warfare agent known as PFIB, and a chemical analog of the WWII nerve gas, phosgene".

A respirator would help against these -- if it had the correct cartridges on it (and they are different then for lead vapors), but they are rumored to be persistant and toxic in small dosages.
 
Were you using MAPP-Air or Oxy-MAPP?

I used MAPP air, but oxy MAPP would be faster yet. Might create more fumes though?
It has to be quicker than the hottest gas burner, cuz five lbs is liquid within mere minutes. Especially in conjunction with a gas burner.


Good point GS Chris on using molds - if you have them. My trick is for those that don't have molds, and would use the weights in a weight integrated BC, or a pouched weight belt.

If you run a dive shop, I think casting weights with real molds is a great idea to make a little money, if you have the equipment. Time is money, and you have to weigh the opportunity cost, but when business is slow, then bang out a bunch of weight. People will always need to buy weight.

Nerve gas from PTFE? HMmmm. I know you said that it's essentially a thermally triggered by-product of an element of nerve gas, but I would compare this to the idiotic idea of calling in a HAZ-MAT team when you accidentally break a fluorescent bulb.
Your claim may be true (although well below TLL's), but I think the lead fumes warrant use of the respirator (which I used, even when outside) more so than any other trace hazard.
I suppose you don't eat out of tupperware? Or live near power plants? Or use a cell phone?

I'm a polymer scientist, and if you truly want to be afraid of potential chemical emissions, never get into a brand new car that's been sitting in the sun. The concentration of evaporated unreacted monomers in the air that we all like as "new car smell" is well beyond the danger level of burned teflon.

Yet we still live longer now days.
 
I think the lead fumes warrant use of the respirator (which I used, even when outside) more so than any other trace hazard.

I wonder: If I want to try this with my Oxy-MAPP setup, can I use my SCUBA gear instead of a respirator? If I keep my mask on, I should be breathing only safe air. :dork2:
 
That would be the absolute safest way to breathe clean air, but would cost a tank fill or two. Make sure you do a safety stop three minutes before you finish casting!

Mask is good idea too to keep from breathing through nose and act like safety goggles.

I wonder: If I want to try this with my Oxy-MAPP setup, can I use my SCUBA gear instead of a respirator? If I keep my mask on, I should be breathing only safe air. :dork2:
 
It looks like a good idea Blazinator. Thank you for the post and ideas. I wanted to make a harness for freediving. I use 24lbs on a belt and have to hike down steep trails. A harness would be more comfortable for hiking and diving.

The boiling point of lead is much higher than the melting point. If vapors from lead were a major deal, then we would have a lot of lead poisoned plumbers and do-it-yourself homeowners when copper pipe was sweated with lead solder. There may be other contaminates if using recycled lead. The newer weights are an alloy of lead and antimony.
 
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I'm not too concerned about the fumes, especially casting outdoors. People have been casting lead since the beginning of time. Do you think soldiers on the civil war battlefield wore respirators? Fumes were the least of their problems.

The boiling point of lead is much higher than the melting point. If vapors from lead were a major deal, then we would have a lot of lead poisoned plumbers and do-it-yourself homeowners when copper pipe was sweated with lead solder.
 
Ummm. Lead isn't good for you, but obviously it won't kill you instantly like other things. It causes brain damage, low IQ and has been linked to retardation in children.

If you're going to melt lead, do it outside and have a fan nearby if there isn't much wind. And keep your children away, it's more damaging to children than adults.
 
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