DIY Weights, first attempt.

[michael-fisch]

Over the years I've probably cast around 4 tons of V-Weights, P-Weights and STA Weights in the following sizes:
8Kg V-Weight
4.5Kg V-Weight
5Kg Kg V-Weight for widely spaced 140mm Steels
2.7Kg V-Weight
2.5Kg P-Weight
3.5Kg P-Weight
3Kg STA-Weight.

I only get best results by doing the following:
Heat the molds and keep them hot using butane/propane
pour the lead using a soup ladle
Skim with a spoon along with a propane torch and remove the crud that swims to the top of the cast lead
The torch is used to to clean up the edges of the molten lead in the mold
turn off the heat under the mold and as the lead slowly cools smooth the surface of the lead using the torch.
after the lead is no longer liquid cool the mold with water untill it no longer steams, then using welding gloves dump the mold in a water bin
2 minutes later you can dump the weight out of the mold and start reheating the mold for the next weight, I find I can work efficiently with a maximum of 4 molds at a time.

Hard lead (wheel weights) is brittle and V-Weights made of hard lead end up breaking instead of bending, Solt lead (roofers lead) isn't brittle, but the top surface needs to be reheated a couple of times due to the lead contracting as it changes from a molten to a solid state. I use roofers lead bought from a junkyard.
Lead is currently selling for $1800 / long ton and shouldn't cost much more than 60% of that as used uncleaned lead from a junkyard
Tin strips in the lead cause real problems, it becomes impossible to get a clean casting untill the tin is gone - cut the tin off before it lands in the melting pot
I heat the lead in a 2 quart stainless steel pot over a propane burner, which takes a while to get everything melted, but I end up casting 15-20Kg of lead an hour.
Then the weights have to have the sharp edges filed, which takes more time - I cannot comfortably cast more than 80Kg a day.
Wear a mask n gloves, wash your hands often, no hand to mouth interaction, and shower after yoú get done or before you eat. the water bin used for cooling the weights is also great for First Aid, you will occasionally get hit with a lead splatter or 2 and cold water is a big help.

Michael

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

Be very careful with any water around a melted pot of lead.

 

[michael-fisch]

Be very careful with any water around a melted pot of lead.

Yeah, you are right and tossing wet lead back into a hot melting pot is something something that, after being learned, is only done once.
Intelligent divers learn from the mistakes of other divers by reading about them. Less intelligent divers learn by watching others perform the mistakes, and the least intelligent divers only learn by getting burnt by lead splatters themselves - but the bin filled with water reduces the size of the blisters if you can get to it fast enough, and 10 seconds is too long.
Michael

 

[Sam Miller III]

@WolfSpring @Eric Sedletzky

A little more dive weight history …
<< Deleted too historical for the modern diver >>>

 

[BRT]

Got a digital scale today and the 3lb mold ones are coming out 2lb 12 oz, made 5 all the same weight so at least it's consistent I can deal with a little light.

Tin in the lead makes them light.

 

[michael-fisch]

Tin in the lead makes them light.

So does the up to 3% antimony which is used to harden the lead in lead shot, linotype plates and lead hammer heads.
Worse, antimony is toxic.

Michael

 

[happy-diver]

Perfect job Wolfspring I haven't made lead for fourty years found to much of it on the bottom

You know, when people do stuff then they learn stuff to do more stuff, just don't tell anybody
because they will have you doing their stuff for them because they don't want to do any stuff

So all my BCs have bakpaks and get the No3 shot treatment about ten poundsish then sealed

Hey Heix the next stuff I'm going to do is install a bucket next to my chair

Now take a deep breath now

 

[JamesBon92007]

James, what are the chances of spray paint flaking off underwater, what effects does that have on the sea life? I'm not trying to be that guy, I've thought of doing that and my first thought was if it flakes off and the fish eat it or it settles on coral would that be worse than the effect of having a solid piece of lead that is exposed to the water?
I.

Some of the paint does wear off however I'm attributing that to being set down, picked up, slid over, banged into each other, etc while out of the water. I must admit that it hadn't occurred to me that it might be hazardous to sea life. The paint is rather thin and I don't see how any lead could be adhered to a flake of paint but perhaps that might be a reason why there are so many unpainted, uncoated lead weights on Cozumel. Something to look into....

Personally, whenever I handle an uncoated lead weight I wash my hands immediately. Add the fact that gloves are not allowed it is nearly impossible to not be exposed to direct contact with lead while putting the weights on pockets on on a belt.

 

[Nathan Doty]

From a hunting/shooting/reloading standpoint lead isn't that bad. Don't go around sucking on it, don't poke it into your eyes or jam it up your nose, but just being around it isnt going to kill you. You can handle it all day every day and you'll be fine. It can't absorb through your skin. Just wash your hands when you're done for the day and before you eat or drink.

Heck, get shot with it and they won't even pull the bullet out of your body and you still won't get lead poisoning. Fumes are bad, ingesting is bad. Ive known 1 person that worked at indoor ranges that got lead poisoning, but it took years of constantly breathing it. Beyond that don't worry too much.

 

[Frank Dieber]

Nice job on your diy weights. It’s a really awesome thing to be able to make your own gear when you can. This W W Meixner guy sounds like a hand job.