Quote:
Originally posted by Adam R
.... Lead is bad stuff!
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Lead is our friend
Quick way to do your own weights. Take a scrap piece of lumber, hardwood is better. Use the same drill bit that you'll use to drill the hole for the weight and drill into the scrap the length that you want the weight. Pour lead into the scrap. Once it becomes solid, turn the scrap over and tap on it, the lead slugs will drop out.
Want a weight with a hole in the middle? Take two pieces of scrap wood and clamp together. Use the drill press to drill a hole dead center of the two boards. Stop about 1/2 inch from the other side of the scraps. Take a drill bit the size of your thru-wire and drill the rest of the way through. Clamp together and take a STRAIGHT piece of wire and insert in the hole so that the wire is all the way through the mold. A little WD40 on the wire will help to release it. Now pour lead. Pull wire out, and unclamp the scraps. Weight with hole in the middle.
The wood will last for maybe 20 pours before the flash on the sides of the weights gets too much. Will not work for doing large amounts of weights (get a blank do it mold and machine it for that), but fine for most garage builders. If you are just doing plug weights, tire weights can be melted down for lead.
To echo what Adam said, lead can be nasty. Do all pouring either outside or in a well ventalated place. A repirator is a good idea too. Wash your hands immediately after handling the lead.
Jigman