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Author Topic: Lead Ballast  (Read 11188 times)

RickF

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #25 on: April 15, 2007, 04:19:56 pm »

The above replies made me wonder if I was mistaken about lead shot/fishing weights being banned, so I had a quick Google.

The current regulations appear to be:

In England, Scotland and Wales, you must not use lead shot when shooting with a shotgun over a foreshore area or over listed Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs). The foreshore, also called the intertidal zone, is the area of shore that lies between the average high tide line and the average low tide line. In addition, you must not use lead shot to shoot any swans, ducks, geese, coots, moorhens, golden plover or common snipe. No restrictions apply to Northern Ireland.

Lead fishing weights weighing less than 1 ounce are not allowed.

Rick


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J.beazley

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #26 on: April 15, 2007, 04:24:19 pm »

cheers for clearing that up Rick now we all know where we stand  ;D

bought a mini blow torch with a free refill so will attempt melting later this evening, going to use a bake bean can that ive cut down should give me the right shape i need :)

Jay
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bigH

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #27 on: April 15, 2007, 07:36:43 pm »

   I get my lead in simple slabs that divers use to balance their levels in the water.   You can get them in different sizes and weights and also shot of different gauges as well try your local diving shop or chandlers.   One word of warning, when melting lead, have a small  (pea sized) lump of candle wax and place it in the melting lead this will give off a black smoke, use a taper to set this smoke alight, you will then have no toxic fumes to worry about....  bigH
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westcoaster

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #28 on: April 15, 2007, 09:35:07 pm »

Try your friendly local roofing contractor. Most of these guys have piles of old lead flashing they've removed from roofs they are repairing. My experience has been if you explain what you are up to and ask nicely they will let you have some for free. It is easy to hammer it flat and cut to suitable sizes
Best wishes
Douglas
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RickF

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #29 on: April 15, 2007, 11:28:13 pm »

Jay,

Don't stand - keep your head down. Unless you're sailing near the "intertidal zone" or a site of special scientific interest. If you're in Northern ireland, all bets are off!

Rick
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tigertiger

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #30 on: April 16, 2007, 03:46:06 am »

TT said

 Helps if the woodis wet when ya do it.


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


Thanks for the safety warning, I have ammended my post.
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MikeK

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #31 on: April 16, 2007, 08:30:36 am »

That candle trick sounds a neat precaution bigH, where did it originate ?? Sounds like something that might be passed down by craftsmen from another age.

MikeK
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Tug

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #32 on: April 16, 2007, 10:21:51 am »

Mitec,

The candle used to be a small lump of beeswax which helps the other metals [tin and such] flux into the lead,(make solder)

without this only the lead shines all the dross floats on top.  Tug
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MCAT

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #33 on: April 16, 2007, 04:22:25 pm »

You can also  if there is one near by go to the scuba/diving shop they should sell shot for dive belts
this is in containers from small to large starting at about £5  not sure on the weight sorry  but shouldn't take much to complete ballasting .

just make tacky with resin pop it in let it set .
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bigH

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #34 on: April 16, 2007, 07:34:43 pm »

   Hi Mikek,  the tip about the candle came from the local blacksmith that had a shop in the middle of the village where I lived as a child.   I say a candle but I believe it was a lump of tallow that he used.  He used to teach us kids how to handle various jobs using local materials, he was a wonderful model maker as well, ( Aaaahh, sweet days of yore, now it's sweet days of bore instead )  I can however still make a wheel...  bigH
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MikeK

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #35 on: April 17, 2007, 08:48:42 am »

   Hi Mikek,  the tip about the candle came from the local blacksmith that had a shop in the middle of the village where I lived as a child.   I say a candle but I believe it was a lump of tallow that he used.  He used to teach us kids how to handle various jobs using local materials, he was a wonderful model maker as well, ( Aaaahh, sweet days of yore, now it's sweet days of bore instead )  I can however still make a wheel...  bigH

Thought it had a ring of bygone days. Any chance of you making a 185x65 H alloy ?? My spare is looking a bit tatty  ;D ;D
Only joking - I'm jealous really

MikeK
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Doc

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #36 on: April 17, 2007, 04:49:51 pm »

At the risk of starting something I really don't want to get into...
Burning the toxic gases coming from molten lead does not neutralize anything!  It just changes the 'state' of the toxic gas and in some cases makes it even more toxic by adding the toxic gases from what ever it was you burned.  Anything burning gives off toxic gases, even wood.  Just -how- toxic it is is a different story.  Adding something to toxic gases to make them more 'acceptable' is fairly common, but it doesn't change the toxicity.
I've worked around that 'stuff' for a lot of years and believed some of the stories were just that, stories.  Unfortunately, I've had it proved to me that it's not always that simple.  It depends on the temperature of the 'burn', which is quite high, and not very easy to do.  Wish it were...
 - 'Doc
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bigH

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #37 on: April 17, 2007, 06:33:45 pm »

   Ah well! Thats another urban myth down the chute, thanks Doc.   I have no doubt that what you say is correct about the toxicity its just something that I was taught as a kid in 1935 and have always done it.   It is good of you to correct this though, I would hate someone to be hurt by my advice.   bigH
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MikeK

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #38 on: April 17, 2007, 06:36:55 pm »

Don't despair bigH you have still got your wheelrighting to fall back on  ;D ;D if that is the right (!) expression


MikeK
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J.beazley

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #39 on: April 17, 2007, 06:53:24 pm »

Melted lead all done now and its the right shape aswell ;D

DONT TRY THIS AT HOME!!! middle of the garden, gas stove with cut down bake bean can on top with the lead in and the use of my blowtorch soon had the stuff melting, i know what you mean about the fumes :o good job i had my sprayers mask on to help me breathe ::) left it to cool for ages before even attempting to touch it but all is good.

On the plus side i think i shall just buy lead shot from ripmax from now on and mix it up with epoxy much safer and easier.
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Tug

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #40 on: April 18, 2007, 05:03:53 pm »

"i shall just buy lead shot from ripmax from now on "

Just think you have saved many pounds by doing it yourself, and you did it yourself.
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norry

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #41 on: April 22, 2007, 10:15:01 am »

                 ...Hi Guys...

I use Square Fishing Weights held in place with Velcro...So they cant roll about...

I managed to buy a load of them at a Car Boot Sale for a couple of quid...

...Regards...Norry...

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catengineman

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #42 on: April 23, 2007, 02:46:35 pm »

I have smelted old tallow leads down and made triangular shapes these will lay together quite nicely and with the shape they seem to be very versatile.

Richard,
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Shipmate60

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #43 on: April 23, 2007, 03:09:40 pm »

The best lead ballast is in the form of Gel Cell batteries.

Bob
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DickyD

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #44 on: April 23, 2007, 05:06:02 pm »

I use scrap lead flashing layed in the bilges and pressed into the shape of the hull. Is this not complicated enough.

Richard ;)
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kendalboatsman

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #45 on: April 23, 2007, 10:31:25 pm »

The best lead ballast is in the form of Gel Cell batteries.

Bob

Hi Bob,

Got to agree with you on that. My Springer has two 6v 4ah and two 6v 1.2ah SLA batteries for ballast and it only just sits on the waterline.

Clive :)
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Capt Jack

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #46 on: April 26, 2007, 11:18:11 pm »

Got my lead in half kilo balls from a guy who supplies fishing tackle shops, £10 for the 10 kilos.
Peice of angle iron,beat the ends over and a blowtorch, and thats it, pretty much the same as catengineman, well it was his engineroon workshop!!!!!!!!!!
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kenthompson

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #47 on: May 21, 2007, 11:36:12 pm »

Hi all, there is still the old  church roof, but  remember GOD pays back in all sorts of ways...Ken
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sinjon

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Re: Lead Ballast
« Reply #48 on: May 22, 2007, 07:40:05 am »

Just remembered I have a bag of lead weights, they are balloon anchors - came along with the balloons at an open day.
Actually I don't want them, but unless you live down the road from me.......

Colin
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