Has anyone heard of this before?

[Mike Waterhouse 1Participant @mikewaterhouse1]

I’ve managed to find a supplier for some number 3 lead shot for use in my latest project. Whilst making enquiries from another supplier I was told that the shot would have to be washed before installation, strange I thought, would fairy liquid do, and why? He had no idea but could only say that he had been told by another modeller that this was required………..so my questions to you knowledgeable chaps are have you heard of this before? Why is it necessary? What solution should the lead be washed in?

Looking forward to the replies and thanks for your help in advance.

Regards

Mike.

[Mike Waterhouse 1Participant @mikewaterhouse1]

Lead shot

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Mike, I imagine they may be lightly oiled or waxed to prevent oxidisation or something.

 

Perhaps a degreaser (car stuff, Gunk or something) followed by hot soapy water will do the trick.

 

If they are oily/waxy and you want to hold them in place with resin for instance, they must be clean or they wont stick together, or will contaminate the glue.

 

Sounds good to me !

 

Ashley

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

well, sorry to say, ashley……

 

but I’ve been using gunsmiths grade lead shot for years for ballasting boats,( 30 in fact ..my first was a Rau X1 in 1981 and that was before I knew that resin can react with ABS) have always encased it in resin mixed into and poured onto the lead shot in the bottom of many hulls, and have never ever washed it yet…never had a reaction and it would need a pneumatic drill to get it out it sticks so well………..probably someone just being over fussy and fastidious before using it, Mike.

 

that’s the only thing I can think of.

 

it’s also the only way I have ever recommended people to ballast their boats with as well, and have never recommended they wash the stuff before using……..

 

neil.

[ashley needhamParticipant @ashleyneedham69188]

Neil. Fair comment. I have never used lead shot before and as per Mikes post assumed that they may have been coated with something…

 

IN WHICH CASE a quick wash would do no harm.

 

If, as an experienced user of the stuff you say that they dont need washing, then that`s that.

 

Ashley

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

It just seams a bit of “folk law”, ashley.that someone has conjoured up, when they had nowt better to do than spend time washing a load o’ lead balls!!!

 

I only wish I had the bottle to make my own by dropping moulton lead down a brass tube into a cold water bucket..it’d save me a fortune…………..shooting shot these days is astronomical in price compaired with what it used to be……started off at £5.00 a kilo bottle……it’s now up to well over £90.00 for a minimum 5 kilo bottle…but most places ( usually the USA) don’t take less than 50 kilo orders……takes a lot o’ boats to use that….more than in my lifetime, lol

[Mike Waterhouse 1Participant @mikewaterhouse1]

Well thanks guys for your interest………The story so far……I’ve rubbed a load of the shot onto kitchen roll paper and it didn’t leave a greasy mark so no washing needed. I though it was a bit strange when I heard about the washing bit.

I had a bit of a job finding a supplier but was put in touch with a firm called “Henry Krank” telephone number 01132 569 163/ 01132 565 167 They’re in Pudsey West Yorkshire LS28 9AY……….They have various sized lead shot, I got number 3 priced at £45.60 for 7Kilo tubs plus £4.00 postage (the postage is the same if you order 2 tubs). I ordered it around 3pm one day and it was here the next at 9.30am. I call that good service and an affordable price. I do hope this helps anyone in the same situation. Their web site is http://WWW.henrykrank.com or [email protected]…….They are dealers in antique arms, armour & accessories.

Now whilst on the subject of lead……does anyone know how to calculate weight to size for making lead bulbs to go on the bottom of a keel……do you cast it too big then file it to size and shape?

Thanks for your help and advice once again

Mike.

 

 

 

[neil hpParticipant @neilhp]

thanks for the info and the link,. Mike…………thats one heck of a saving on what I’ve been able to find in recent years.

 

cheers, neil.

[Steve Gregory 1Participant @stevegregory1]

Incidentally, talking of the use of lead as ballast in model boats. Did you know or realise that some Councils are very sensative when it comes to finding out that model boats contain “lead”, especially when a pool or lake is shared by wild birds [ducks/swans etc]. “in the event of a model boat sinking and the wild birds getting at the ballast as the boat breaks up” is what I was advised.

So we now have to demonstrate to our park rangers that we use “zinc ballast weights” , like those used for car tyre ballancing.

 

It may be worth thinking about when it comes to sailing on Council owned pools/lakes, or private areas of water where RSPB have any influence.

 

Funny really, as they jump up and down at us for using lead as ballast, but dont say a word to anyone who feeds bread to the birds, then throws the plastic bread wrapper in the water as well!!

[Colin BishopModerator @colinbishop34627]

Bread is actually not very nutritious to birds and probably should be banned anyway!

 

The standard advice should be not to feed the birds at all.

 

Colin

[Paul FreshneyParticipant @paulfreshney24971]

Another supplier is:

 

http://www.leadshotballast.co.uk

 

Paul Freshney – Editor

[Steve ToppParticipant @stevetopp]

Hi my first post so I hope it useful. If anyone wanted a smaller amount of lead ballast you could use lead air gun pellets. An average 0.177 pellet weighs in around 8 grains and there are 500 in a tin so that’s around 0.57lb tin. If you do go for pellets watch out for the prices as they can vary between £3.50 to £11 a tin. As for washing we used to wash them simply to separate the swarfe out and the washer of choice was washing up liquid.

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