Lead casting

[peteski]

Lead tire weights are fairly safe, as they're meant to be used outdoors, and can't dissolve or corrode, or they wouldn't stay in balance.

Sounds like lead roof flashing would be in the same category. 

[Ntrainz1]

Pure metallic lead isn't all that toxic.  Lead compounds are very toxic if they are easily vaporized, soluble in water, or can be digested.  And, if your lead isn't pure, it can other heavy metals in it, many of which are more easily absorbed and.or more toxic than lead.

Lead tire weights are fairly safe, as they're meant to be used outdoors, and can't dissolve or corrode, or they wouldn't stay in balance.

But they do fall off, get run over and crushed into dust, released to environment. (estimate 2,000 tpy)

Bob.

[nkalanaga]

Peteski:  It should, and I believe that is what the old "Heavyweights" sheet lead from T&J Rail Services was.  I still have some, and one of these days will get around to asking at some of the local roofing companies if the sell the lead flashing.

My sheet lead did eventually develop a powdery coating, which could be an oxide, or possibly a sulfide from air pollution, since we had a coal/wood stove when I bought it.  That washes off, and I wash my hands thoroughly afterwards, but once painted it doesn't seem to do anything.  The paint should also protect it from casual handling, and mine usually ends up inside the model anyway, where it won't be handled.  It's great for stuffing in N scale diesel shells mounted on Z scale mechanisms for narrow gauge.

[rschaffter]

Here are data sheets on various low temperature alloys, including density.  For reference pure lead is 11.34.

http://www.5nplus.com/en/products/low-melting-point-alloys/

Keep in mind that the dimensions of the casting may change after casting; More information on that here (smallparts.com once had a detailed chart, but they have unfortunately vanished...)

http://www.canfieldmetals.com/low_melt_alloys.htm

[peteski]

(smallparts.com once had a detailed chart, but they have unfortunately vanished...)

They unfortunately got swallowed by Amazon a while back and are but a shadow of the great former company known as Small Parts Inc.  I miss them!

[rschaffter]

They unfortunately got swallowed by Amazon a while back and are but a shadow of the great former company known as Small Parts Inc.  I miss them!

Indeed.  I thought I had an old paper catalog from them somewhere, but I haven't been able to lay hands on it.

In looking, I did find my old Clymer bicycle repair handbook; I'll give it to #1 son to peruse...

[Doc Frankenfield]

one could always go for depleted uranium ala the "Cotton Brute" , Jim Fitzgerald.....
gold is also heavier than lead, and is a great way to hide bullion.one of the engines that was stolen by my business partner's father when she died, had custom gold weights.
I was casting gold and silver at the time when I built the custom NYS&W engine. had bits of gold laying around and decided what the heck.. never thought it would get stolen!

[Chris333]

Custom gold weights. Why? Tungsten is sooo much cheaper and only a tiny fraction lighter than gold.

I got a huge bar of bismuth a while back on ebay.

[peteski]

Call me cheapskate but I would rather sell the gold and buy me some rare brass engines. 

[nkalanaga]

Gold is easier to work with than tungsten, and if you already have it, cost wouldn't be a factor.  However, if one has to BUY it, it probably isn't worth it.

[SandyEggoJake]

OK, time to declare a new law.  You've heard of Godwin's Law, yes?  (no?  look it up.)

I propose a new law (to be named later) wherein any discussion on TRW regarding metal casting of car weights inevitably leads to mention of depleted uranium.  And NSA monitoring.

 

[nkalanaga]

I doubt that the NSA is too concerned about depleted uranium.  It is actually less radioactive than raw uranium metal, and hard enough to work with that amateur reloaders probably couldn't make ammo from it.  Uranium can be very tricky to machine, and harder to cast.  It isn't the kind of stuff the average model railroader would want to play with.

[SandyEggoJake]

Quite right, nkalanaga. 

[narrowminded]

Randy, how heavy is the Bismuth alloy?
Thanks, Otto K.

Just caught this.  !60 degree Bismuth alloy is about 16% lighter than lead and about 12% heavier than brass.  It's pretty decent when looking for weight.