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Author Topic: Lead Ballast  (Read 11190 times)

J.beazley

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Lead Ballast
« on: April 14, 2007, 11:19:42 pm »

Need some help???
Been to the local hardware outlets (B&Q, wicks, homebase, plumbase and the likes) but can any of them offer me some lead sheet i think not!
Ballasting my Ryhope tug and already done the ballast her with battery's thing. She needs a little lead in the stern to bring her down to her marks.  ::)

Ive got some lead weights from the local fish tackle shop but there all round or egg shaped, how hot do i have to get these shots before they melt into the shape i need???

Jay
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ajg141

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #1 on: April 14, 2007, 11:28:49 pm »

I got a reel of the stuff from a local builder's merchants but have to say it cost an arm and a leg. If you do go down this route be careful - it can easily give you a hernia when you try to lift it. It's lasted years though.

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RickF

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #2 on: April 14, 2007, 11:31:45 pm »

Jay,

Have you tried your local tyre dealer? Apparently they throw away/sell all the balance weights they remove - they cannot reuse them. Haven't tried them myself as I still have a pile of lead flashing in the garage.

Rick
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banjo

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #3 on: April 14, 2007, 11:56:52 pm »

Hi,
The next time you are up in Basingstoke I can give you some sheet lead, ex FLASHING STRIP.

PM me for contact details
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J.beazley

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #4 on: April 15, 2007, 12:00:00 am »

im in basingstoke 2moro picking up my nipper from my mums literally 2 secs from the lake in eastdrop

tried the building site across the road and the local tyre place and they both said the same thing, they both weigh all the lead in as the price of it at the moment is rather good ::)

Jay
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Captain Anonymous

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #5 on: April 15, 2007, 12:21:54 am »

I use an old pan and a camping stove, but remember to put on the lid, this retains the heat, it should melt in minutes,
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Martin (Admin)

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #6 on: April 15, 2007, 01:57:32 am »

Look in Yellow pages for a Gun shop  - Lead shop  is more versatile than sheet.

Martin.
(SHOT - oops  :-[ - thanks TT )
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tigertiger

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #7 on: April 15, 2007, 05:17:04 am »

Look in Yellow pages for a Gun shop - Lead shop is more versatile than sheet.

Martin.


Lead shot methinks he meant to say. ;D

This can be melted easily or set in resin.
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sinjon

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #8 on: April 15, 2007, 06:12:27 am »

What do you do with a pan full of molten lead?

Colin
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Colin

banjo

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Re: Lead Ballast Lead Shot
« Reply #9 on: April 15, 2007, 06:32:26 am »

Westbournes do lead shot, 2.5kg packs which are ideal for mixing and epoxying into place; for the finishing touch a piece of lead flashing, neatly bound as a small flat packet in gaffer tape works wonders.
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tigertiger

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #10 on: April 15, 2007, 06:55:39 am »

What do you do with a pan full of molten lead?

Colin

Put it in a mould.

This can be a simple wooden box/tray..

Or you can make plaster of paris moulds,

Or sand.
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sinjon

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #11 on: April 15, 2007, 08:46:00 am »

Thanks tigertiger,
I had a feeling that just pouring it into the bottom of the hull was a bit of a non starter.
I have some old lead flashing, but I was going to cut it into 1/2'' strips (tinsnips) and just press it into shape in the hull, it sounds simple, but often the simple things lead to further complications, can you see any problems with this method? not to keen on molten lead!

Colin
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barriew

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #12 on: April 15, 2007, 09:04:04 am »

Wickes sell lead flashing - cost me nearly £20 for the smallest roll, but should last out all the boats I am likely to build ;D
It's not so easy to buy shot from a gun shop - tried that. They said that few people bother to fill their own cartridges these days as ready made ones are so cheap. They offered to strip some cartridges for me to get me the shot which I actually needed for Billings Nordkap as there was no way to get sheet into the bows.

Barrie
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RickF

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #13 on: April 15, 2007, 09:13:14 am »

Just as an aside and without going too far OT, are cartridges still filled with lead shot? I thought the tree-huggers had got it banned, along with lead fishing weights.

Rick
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DickyD

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #14 on: April 15, 2007, 09:18:17 am »

Thanks tigertiger,
I had a feeling that just pouring it into the bottom of the hull was a bit of a non starter.
I have some old lead flashing, but I was going to cut it into 1/2'' strips (tinsnips) and just press it into shape in the hull, it sounds simple, but often the simple things lead to further complications, can you see any problems with this method? not to keen on molten lead!

Colin
This is a simple way to do it .
I have done it in two of my boats.
When you have your lead where you want it apply a spot of epoxy resin to each end to prevent it moving.
If you dont use to much resin, if you need to remove the lead at a later date this is easily done.

Richard ;)
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J.beazley

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #15 on: April 15, 2007, 09:24:41 am »

At the moment i have all the lead balls stuck together with a tiny amount of epoxy just to stop them rolling in the hull.

Dont know about gun lead being banned but my local fishing shop had more lead weights then i would in a lifetime.
the only problem with fishing weights is they dont sell them small enough ie smallest shot is 1/4oz which has a diameter of around 15mm.

Made up a little wooden box to mould some lead into the desired shape just gotta bypass a old pan past SWMBO without her seeing should be fun ;D

Jay
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FullLeatherJacket

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #16 on: April 15, 2007, 10:35:54 am »

Jay
From the days when I used to make floats for my carp-fishing mates I remember that split-shot are very small. They're the tiny little weights which you crimp onto the leader line (the thin bit with the hook on it) to hold it down in the water. I think what you're looking at are "ledgers", which are much bigger and hold the whole hook and bait onto the bottom of the pond or river. BTW If you think boat-modelling is expensive you should see what these guys will spend just to get an edge on the fish! My apologies to any "carpies" in advance if I've got any of the terminology wrong, but I think you'll know what I'm talking about, even if I don't.............. ;)
FLJ
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Roger in France

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #17 on: April 15, 2007, 11:03:21 am »

For those of you who melt lead at home, a warning. Lead is highly toxic and the fumes given off when it melts are very easily ingested. If you spend more than a very, very brief time melting down the lead please make sure your work space is very well ventilated, better still use a camping stove outdoors.

Roger in France.
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kendalboatsman

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #18 on: April 15, 2007, 11:32:53 am »

My Local independent plumbers merchant used to sell lead flashing on a roll and he sold it by the metre. Mind you haven't been back in for 3 years.

Thought Wickes would have sold that.
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FullLeatherJacket

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #19 on: April 15, 2007, 12:13:17 pm »

Thought Wickes would have sold that.

Yep! They certainly do! Are you sitting comfortably? A roll 240mm x 3M is £38; 300mm x 3M is £48 and 450mm x 3M is a pension-busting £60!

Why not buy two and share them with friends? Depleted uranium would probably be cheaper, including the airfare to Iraq to collect it.

Suit yourselves. I'll stick to mugging anglers............... 8)
FLJ
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rats

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #20 on: April 15, 2007, 12:53:22 pm »

Bought some large fishing weights once with the intention of melting them down it was only after I was stood with the pan on full heat on a camping stove for 10 mins, without any sign of them melting, that I realised that maybe their not made of lead !  Bought a roll of lead flashing from builders merchants in the end and attached it to the boat with bathroom mastic- gives a strong grip but can be removed if necessary
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kendalboatsman

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #21 on: April 15, 2007, 03:25:52 pm »

Thought Wickes would have sold that.

Yep! They certainly do! Are you sitting comfortably? A roll 240mm x 3M is £38; 300mm x 3M is £48 and 450mm x 3M is a pension-busting £60!

Why not buy two and share them with friends? Depleted uranium would probably be cheaper, including the airfare to Iraq to collect it.

Suit yourselves. I'll stick to mugging anglers............... 8)
FLJ

Guess that is why my local merchant sells it by the metre then! ;D
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DickyD

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #22 on: April 15, 2007, 03:38:51 pm »

Most local plumbers merchants sell lead by the metre, or faling that have a word with your local plumber they always have scrap lead.

Richard ;)
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barriew

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #23 on: April 15, 2007, 03:44:14 pm »

Thought Wickes would have sold that.
Yep! They certainly do! Are you sitting comfortably? A roll 240mm x 3M is £38; 300mm x 3M is £48 and 450mm x 3M is a pension-busting £60!
I only bought mine last year - can't remember the size, but it was the smallest available and just under £20. Anyone interested at £1 per inch ;D

Barrie
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Tug

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #24 on: April 15, 2007, 04:14:23 pm »

TT said

"Put it in a mould.

This can be a simple wooden box/tray. Helps if the woodis wet when ya do it.

Or you can make plaster of paris moulds,

Or sand."

UNDER NO CIRCUMSTANCES MUST YOU LET WATER (or damp) COME ANY-WHERE MOLTEN LEAD, THE WATER CHANGES IMEDIATLY TO STEAM AT WHO-SO-EVER PRESSURE EXPLODING MOLTEN LEAD FOR MILES

Lead melts around 750 degrees F'

I use sardine tins and melt the lead into those, a standard? tin holds 3 1/2 lbs I paint this yellow and the boat has a box in wood strip also painted yellow ballasting is simply putting coloured tins in respective boxes, one weight set fits all boats,

Hope I am not too late, I am not the only one to try this  :-[

As an aside...wheel weights contain a lot of antimony which raises the melting temp to around 900' F, and printers type is even harder and melts over the 1000' F,  (a former user of lead projectiles competitively. non combat)
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