lead mould modification

[gfkelly1969]

bought a mould for making my own leads because I work in construction and can pick up lots of scrap lead pieces thrown on the ground
one of the problems I had with the lead was trying to hold the mould together while I was pouring the hot lead as there was no handles on the mould,I tried using tongs and vise grips but always ended up with hot fingers so one day I deiced on modifying the mould to make it safer

here is how I did it and what I used
drill
drill bit
tap and dye set
1 hinge small to fit the end of the mould
2 long bolts I got mine from a washing machine
4 or 6 short gutter bolts
old sweeping brush handle

first I marked the hinge on the end of mould and drilled the marks in about half a inch but had to be careful incase I drilled out in to the mould
I used a drill smaller then the gutter bolts so I was able to tread the hole
I had to drill the hinge holes a bit bigger for the gutter bolts
then I bolted the hinge to mould
then I drilled two holes on the other side for the handles and treaded them
then I cut the brush handle short of the length of the long bolts and drilled through
the timber just off centre
then I but the bolt in the brush handle and bolted the handle to mould
I had to then shave off a small bit of the timber handle so that the mould closed flushed

now I can make leads quicker and safer

not all moulds are made the same so might not work as well with your mould sit down and do a bit of thinking before you do any drilling or you might make a mess of your mould
if you try this dont give out to me if it go`s wrong

[corbyeire]

nice work - good photos

[MAC]

Excellent Job. Moulds stay hot for a very long time, even after removing the lead. Wear welders or builders gloves for protection from the heat. I use these gloves and can handle the moulds about 1 minute after being poured.

I use a hand clamp and 2 pieces of wood to hold the mould together. I will cast 2 - 4 moulds at a time.

Kev

[herefishyfishy]

i usually use two little blocks that i have in my garden to hold it closed if your tha handy with tools always works for me.

[keitzer30]

i use welders gloves and a clamp like mac works fine .

[mann]

Good job,

I must try sort mine out... as you said it will be a lot quicker,

[gfkelly1969]

hi mann
yes a lot quicker to make a few leads,if you are doing your moulds and you have any questions about what i did let me know

[viking]

nice job the only thing is if ya screw up the mould is useless ! , i think ill stick to using a clamp and some gloves though!

[gfkelly1969]

nice job the only thing is if ya screw up the mould is useless ! , i think ill stick to using a clamp and some gloves though!

I did a lot of thinking about where to drill and how far to drill in before i did any drilling,if you are not sure about what to do you could bring it to any local metal work shop and i am sure they would do it for a few euro,show them the photos,maybe they can make a better job of it then I did,it makes the job of lead making very easy and safer for me since i did it

[Surfrod]

I use a table vice.
However, before that I used a small G clamp.

[masterkeane]

G clamps are ideal

[alanmcc64]

Carried out a similar modification to my breakaway mould. However, instead of tapping out the holes for coach bolts, i used self tapping screws.

[gfkelly1969]

Carried out a similar modification to my breakaway mould. However, instead of tapping out the holes for coach bolts, i used self tapping screws.

very good idea as well,do you find it quicker now making leads

[alanmcc64]

A lot quicker, not to mention safer. For pouring the lead i use a small pot bought while on holiday in Greece which the locals use for brewing Greek coffee. Holds enough lead for around 8 x 5oz leads at a time and has a very precise pouring spout.

[Big Dave]

Hi all
Anyone know were i can get some lead off cuts or scrap lead in Cork or Galway. Would buy it if it was not too expensive