Mailing List Archive

Mailing List: techdiver

Message Display

Jim Cobb wrote:
> 
> I want to make some V weights and was wondering what technique you guy
> use. What I was thinking of doing was getting some clay to make the
> mockup, then using the mockup to make a mold using plaster or sand. I
> have a 50,000 BTU cajun cooker, would this be hot enough to melt the
> lead? Should the lead pot be of cast iron?
> 
> Does anyone know who sells these things before I hurt myself or burn the
> house down??

Clay sounds like a good idea for the mockup if you let it harden in
place.  Probably easier than what I did.  I made my mockup by making a
plaster cast of the space between my tanks.  I just lined the tanks with
a plastic garbage bag and cut cardboard pieces to square off the ends of
the mockup.  Clay sounds a lot less messy.

Don't know what a cajun cooker is.  For about $30 you can get an
electric lead melter at any sporting goods store (at least sporting
goods stores in Alaska) as fishermen use them to make cannonball weights
for salmon and halibut fishing.  I bet the stores like Cabellas must
sell them.  It's just a large cast iron ladle with an electric coil
built in.  You'd need a pretty big one to melt enough lead for a
v-weight.  If you pour hot lead over cold lead it won't stick together
so you need to cast your v-weight all at once or it will fall apart on
you.

If you really want to get cheap, you can even get free lead if you go to
a tire store and ask for old tire weights to melt down.

-Kent-
--
Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'.
Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.

Navigate by Author: [Previous] [Next] [Author Search Index]
Navigate by Subject: [Previous] [Next] [Subject Search Index]

[Send Reply] [Send Message with New Topic]

[Search Selection] [Mailing List Home] [Home]