I recall either starting (or posting to) a topic on lead weights recently, but (darn these incessant birthdays!) can’t recall which, where or when. Anyhow, I picked up a lead roof boot flashing at Home Depot, found it would easily cut with scissors and did a few things that might help others interested in this car weighting material. USING DISPOSABLE RUBBER GLOVES: 1) I cut horizontal strips off the flashing sheet, as close as possible to the pipe base. 2) I then cut triangles of the remaining base material to that the pipe was as round at the bottom as could be. 3) I next cut the length of the pipe and pressed it out into another sheet. 4) I used a flat piece of wood and a dead blow mallet to flatten all cut pieces. (don’t use the mallet by itself on the lead- it usually has a slight curve on the head which makes more work for you). 5) I then used an ink roller (or a rolling pin OTHER than Mom’s kitchen baking tools) to flatten the strips even more (not to reduce thickness, just the shape). This process produced approximately 123.25 square inches of sheet lead at 1/32" thickness- plenty for several car weighting projects. The boot cost under $20.00 at Home Depot. Yeah, I know it might seem like a lot of money for weight which can other wise be obtained for less, but lead fishing weights at WalMart are about $5.00 a bag in variously-weighted barrel or tear-drop shapes and they are not suitable for all weighting tasks as they are. The lead sheet pieces can be easily cut to any shape needed and re-worked if necessary to another shape. I washed all tools after use- as a precaution. Also, try to avoid touching your face (like to scratch an itch) when working with lead, just to be safe. Any scraps too small to be of immediate use (those tiny triangles I was left with after cutting, for example) can always find a purpose later- save them! Hope this helps! And by the way, to other veterans out there- from me to all of you: Thank you for your service then-and your citizenship
You could also use used tire weights
When I was growing up lead casting sets were popular. There was a little electric heater with a pot with a pouring spout that sat on top.
Various molds were available such a military figures, Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, etc. I would paint them and when tired of them melt them down and make others.
The good news is I’ve been told I’m strictly as abnormal as every one else.
Bob
Thank you, USAF '67-'71.
Masons who build chimneys often have a bucket of scrap lead around. Some of the pieces have a little size to them and others are small. Even the small ones can be heavy enough to add needed weight to a car. They are usually willing to part with it for little or no payment.
Like your ideas on flattening and handling it. Improper handling can lead to some long term problems as a friend of mine, not a modeler, found out.
Have fun,
Richard
Lead,handled and used properly,will cause you no harm.
And I also Thank You! We all could have used that, when we got out though. U.S.Army, 1966-1968,DAV Vietnam Vet.
Cheers, [D]
Frank
Thank you, and to all of the rest of you, Veterans of Foriegn Wars or otherwise, thank you as well! Happy RR’ing, whatever scale, shatever road, be it fiction or prototype! Happy Veterans Day!
SSG Duane Noffz, 1404th Transportation Company, Arizona Army National Guard
Operation Iraqi Freedom, 2009-2010
Sheet lead can be purchased from Rotometals.com in most any size and thickness.
Richard
I get my sheet lead at the local lumber yard (Varney & Smith). It cost somewhere between $10 and $20 for several pounds, I don’t remember exactly. It comes as a plain flat sheet, no flattening required. After cutting it to car weight size, I flatten it with my carpenter style bench vise. I don’t put lead in my mouth, and I don’t have small children in the house, but other than that, no special anti-lead-poisoning charms are employed.