BYYB Forums

Now it starts! I have made the first real move on the building project, I bought a load of scrap lead for the ballast and hauled it to my summerhouse. I started with the lead because I happened to find a nice lot with a reasonable price and I thought I have to grab it.



There is 440kg of lead in these drums. Most of it is folded sheets, probably some x-ray shields, but there is also a lot of cable skins that have a paper wrapper inside and an awful tar-soaked fabric on the outside.




I spent a couple of hours cleaning the stuff on Monday night and I need another go at it before I´m done.
While sifting through the piles I am planning the casting procedure and the mould. I hope we won´t get any snow before I am there. Casting the ballast before the Winter rather than after it would be good.

OK now, I am watching this with bated breath!!!  Or bait breath as the case may be.  Keep them photos and narritives coming please Tomo.

You might try just melting that lead down and skimming all the crap off the top when it's liquid. Everything floats on a pot of melted lead

I was thinking of just melting it, too. But the crap is some kind of tar and I think it will burn when heated. Might be an extra hazard on top of the usual ones involved in casting lead.

And I have no idea what the stuff would do to the integrity of the casting. Better safe than sorry.

You can clean the lead (please protect yourself, it's nasty) first, which makes the pour go quicker and neater. On small castings, I usually just melt the lead and skim off the "slag" during the pour. This ballast, though not very big, is big enough (actually long enough) to warrant a clean pour. Strip the wiring of it's sheathings and other fairly easy things to clean. You want this keel to have enough strength to be self supporting (not distort under it's own weight). Casting with much debris in the mix weakens it and can cause air pockets of burned up junk. Your questions about the ballast drawing were correct, check your email tonight for the updated drawing (I sent the wrong ballast casting drawing).

For God's sake, be careful.

Playing with molten metal is kind of fun, but has it's dangers. Stand up wind, it's not something you want to breath a lot of. Use handles and tongs to move things, it's hot, like burn the skin off your hide hot. Make sure the mold is bone dry, really dry. Just one drop of water can ruin your day with raining molten metal.

Fortunately, Timo has some experience in this regard, I'm not too worried about him.

Craig When I saw this drawing I thought of you. Start gathering lead. this looks like your cup of tea .Bud

. . .

A bigger version is in the Gallery . . .

I cast my own muzzle loader bullets, can only imagine this project will be on a much greater scale. Be diligent about your safety, have uniformly even heat control and things should go well. Post pictures of your progress.

Greg