Author Topic: Lead Pipe (Read 1238 times)

h-m · « **on:** February 20, 2005, 06:50:57 AM »

Hello All,
I have a question on Lead Pipe for cast bullets. I found some old lead pipe for nothing and i plan to use this for alloying some bullets with for my Blackpowder Cartridge shooting needs. The joints seem to be different than the rest of the pipe. Can any of you tell me what the joints might be? I wonder if the joints were made of 50/50 tin/lead? I just know they seem to be different and i don't know any old plumbers anymore that may have used this and would know.
Can any of you guys tell me if the joint material for these has a higher concentration of tin than the pipe does?
thanks all

jgalar · « **Reply #1 on:** February 20, 2005, 05:33:06 PM »

From what I have heard the pipe is fairly pure lead. The soldered sections will have tin.

wild willy · « **Reply #2 on:** February 21, 2005, 02:15:47 AM »

h-m I hope somebody anwsers.I'd like to know also. the couplers are not pure lead I've been cutting them off and pitching them

Leftoverdj · « **Reply #3 on:** February 21, 2005, 06:31:29 AM »

Joints would be solder, probably 50/50.

My guess would be that the couplers are a lead/tin alloy to make them stronger than straight lead. I'd throw them into a bucket until I was doing a melt and dump them in. If they did not melt readily, I'd fish them back out. 5-10 pounds to a hundred pounds of WW would be most unlikely to hurt anything and would probably help.

I think it was Dean Grinnell who said, "If it's vaguely plumbous, I'm gonna make bullets out of it."

Graybeard · « **Reply #4 on:** February 21, 2005, 07:09:56 PM »

Ya know, I've heard about lead pipe most of my whole life. I.E., a lead pipe cinch, etc. But I've never actually seen a lead pipe. Down here in the south (home of the cast iron soil pipe industry) all plumbing was done with cast iron pipe with pure lead to seal the joints. What part of the country was lead pipe actually used in? Anyone know?

BCB · « **Reply #5 on:** February 21, 2005, 10:57:14 PM »

Graybeard,

Got plenty of it in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Certainly not used anymore, I don't think! It can take a bit of freezing and not break. Maybe that is why it is used in the colder climates? BCB

Bug · « **Reply #6 on:** February 22, 2005, 01:37:54 AM »

h-m,
I wouldn't be too quick to pitch those joints. They are likely made of "wiping solder", which is a varying mixture of lead & tin; usually around a 50/50 mix. They would be an easy source of tin, to make your bullets fill out better. Just mix up a small batch & try it.

Bill,
The place I have seen lead pipe used the most has been in the drains of places like high school & college chemistry labs, photo developing shops, industrial labs, etc. It was used extensively. for chemical-type drains, before PVC came into vogue. I do have a dim, childhood memory of some plumbers working at my grandparents house, and setting/sealing the joints of cast iron pipe with lead.

Lead pot · « **Reply #7 on:** February 22, 2005, 05:05:18 AM »

GB I hope they dont use that pipe down your way as a combination drain and potable line

Potable lead water lines are commonly found up here in houses build in the early 1900's and before. Being a plumber it still is common to find it in houses and under ground used for water services and the first connection on a water main (goose neck). Heck I still dug up wooded water mains 15 years ago.
H-M-- those joints are a solder. Most likely 40/60 or 50/50. What we call a wiped lead joint. They are quite thick but under neath you will find a brass spigot that will float up just skim it off. The pipe is pure virgin lead so if you want to keep it pure just cut off the joint but save it for a later mix. treat it like you would 40 tin/60 lead mix. But if the pipe is DWV (drain pipe) it will have a thinner joint with just solder.
GB is right about the cast pipe with lead joints. But the pipe is a ductile pipe with an oakum seal that is for potable use then a lead joint was used just to hold the oakum in place. Now a neopreem seal is used in place of the lead joint.

Kurt

Greybeard · « **Reply #8 on:** February 22, 2005, 05:54:57 AM »

Sure didn't realize the lead was using for drinking water. I had assumed it was a drain line only. Sure glad I didn't drink water from one. No doubt I have enough of it in me from the old lead based paints and bullet casting.

Lead pot · « **Reply #9 on:** February 22, 2005, 11:54:29 AM »

Bill When water runs through the lead pipe in a short time it is coated with lime and the water has minimal contact with the pipe walls unless the pipe gets hit or bent were the lime lets loose.
Chances are your house is piped with copper tubing and if it was installed 15-20 years ago it was soldered with a tin-lead solder, most likely 50-50 solder
and if the plumber did a good job soldering it will have a small solder ring inside of the fitting. And if he is not sure of his soldering there will be a long glob of solder in the pipe.
My guess the bigest percentage of houses in towns that have iron pipe leading into the house have a short lead pipe connected to the corporation on the main under the street that leads to the Buffalo box at the curb. And if you have galvanized pipe coming into you house there is a good chance it will have a lead goose neck at the Buffalo box connected to the pipe.
Man no wonder we are all short of memory

Kurt

dakotashooter2 · « **Reply #10 on:** February 23, 2005, 05:57:22 AM »

There is still a fair amout of lead water lines in my community. Most of the houses built before the 40's seem to have lead lines to the main. Nearly all the condemnations/demolitions I am involved with have lead lines.

Locoweed · « **Reply #11 on:** February 23, 2005, 04:05:05 PM »

Graybeard, you ain't paying attention. Out in the country a mile or so west of Jacksonville, AL, there is an old school being converted into a church and they had the parking lot blocked off with a long piece of large diameter lead pipe between two folding chairs all this past summer. Now, according to your profile, your phone number is Jacksonvillve so you have been living nearer the truth that you think.

h-m · « **Reply #12 on:** February 23, 2005, 04:59:40 PM »

Thanks guys for all your replies. I have found the stuff in the drain pipes with the oakum in it is about pure lead- that stuff makes great bullets and alloys. I get all of that that i can as not many people around here like cleaning it, 'cause it stinks when you melt it the first time. I have been saving the joints seperate so i think i will just leave them and use them for alloying in the future. Apparently in ND we must have alot of old houses with lead waterpipes run throughout the house, 'cause the guy i buy lead from, seems to always have a good supply of pipe.

thanks for all your help.
Micheal

Kurt · « **Reply #13 on:** February 27, 2005, 09:35:23 PM »

Bout twenty years back when we first moved into this house I wiggled the water line and cracked it.

So had to dig up fifty or so feet out to the main line. Over six feet deep it was. THen the backhoe dude I had hired broke the tile sewer drain. What a mess. But theres a good ending. I ended up with a good long chunk of 3/4 lead pipe and got safer plastic pipe. It was much harder than pure lead judging by he finger nail scratch test. Also it was much harder to bend a flatened strip of it than roof jack stuff that was about the same thickness. Another thing was the ingots I made from the pipe had a slight amber sheen and the pure lead has more of a bluegrey color after sitting outside for a few weeks. It sure did shoot good though.

quigleysharps4570 · « **Reply #14 on:** February 28, 2005, 01:11:14 AM »

The lead pipe I've been getting ahold of and casting lately has been running SAECO 5 on hardness. A little softer than WW's.

DPRinks · « **Reply #15 on:** March 02, 2005, 05:57:32 PM »

Two other sources of lead are ;
Underground electrical cables, even as small as #12 branch circuits in some government buildings and up to very large feeder and distribution cables, especially those installed underground.
The outer jacket is lead, it was replaced by UF direct burial cable in the '60's.
Don