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Chat Area => General Discussion Area => Topic started by: horsecow on 01 May 2013, 19:58:47

Title: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 01 May 2013, 19:58:47
Anyone on here know anything or have any experience of welding lead? I know it can be done as I've seen the finished product many times for roofs etc. I was wondering what gasses are used and would it be very hard to do?? I've never done any welding in my life at all although I've used burning gear quite a bit in demolition works etc so I presume the gas set-up is similar?
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: Andy B on 01 May 2013, 20:08:43
Is 'welding' lead not soldering  ??? ??? ???

I can't say that I've ever seen the end result, but I'd guess that the melting point of lead is too low to be using any sort of flame without ending up with a pool of molten lead  :-\ :-\ :-\ Solder is was more or less just lead.
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: RobG on 01 May 2013, 20:10:43
http://www.wikihow.com/Weld-Lead
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: Varche on 01 May 2013, 20:13:05
Only ever worked with lead once. 1982. Ripped all the lead pipe out of our house and "did" a wiped lead joint. Lead to copper. Huge success. !!

When we were children we made our own fishing lead weights out of church roof lead. Our next door neighbour got some splatter stuck to his eye lid!!!
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: RobG on 01 May 2013, 20:13:50
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=7DbamTXhA7c
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 01 May 2013, 20:14:13
Ah- ha. Cheers Rob, I knew there was def a flame involved but was also thinking that lead would have a very low melting point. I wonder what type of gas would be best to use for this? Someone told me that oxy-acetylene is used but I think this might be very hot?
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: RobG on 01 May 2013, 20:20:51
Ah- ha. Cheers Rob, I knew there was def a flame involved but was also thinking that lead would have a very low melting point. I wonder what type of gas would be best to use for this? Someone told me that oxy-acetylene is used but I think this might be very hot?
Set the gas pressures on both regulators to 0.14-0.2 bar
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 01 May 2013, 20:23:12
That youtube clip makes it look quite easy and I'm really interested in trying this. There is good money to be made in making lead trays aprons etc because there are very few people doing it where I am so might have to give it a go. Thanks guys
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: mantahatch on 02 May 2013, 07:41:54
My Brother is a plumber, has been all his life. He does lead welding including all the roof stuff on valleys and chimneys etc. He uses a porta pak oxy acetylene, is small but still quite a handful to get up on the scaffolding.
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: Marks DTM Calib on 02 May 2013, 08:00:06
I tried it once and it was not to difficult to do.

It is frustrating though as its quite a slow process (unless you want to blow holes in the work piece).

Reality is that most joints can be soldered which is much faster and can be just as strong
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: martin42 on 02 May 2013, 20:34:08
i used to do a lot of lead welding,long time ago,need a small gas torch,with no1 or no2 sized nozzels,its may look easy to do,but there is an art to it tho,need any help drop me a pm  :y
soldering is totally different to lead welding and also wiping a joint,worked with lead for a long time on roofs and plumbing,still got all my lead tools in garage and welding equipment except the gas bottles
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 02 May 2013, 20:38:12
Cheers lads, I gathered there would be a certain knack to it but I'd like to give it a try so might look into getting the gear together for it. I imagine I could pick it up fairly handy as I'm good with my hands and it'd be another string to my bow :y
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: martin42 on 02 May 2013, 20:42:29
lol,gas bottles wont be cheap,vertical welding lead now thats another story,you should be able to buy a book on lead burning,and have a good read up on it,what lead are you thinking of welding, code3,4,5 or 6? 3 is thinnest and 6 is thickest,maybe try so lead bashing aswell,thats even harder to do ;D ;D
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 02 May 2013, 20:48:32
Its mostly code 4 I've used although have also used 5 and 6 as well. By lead bashing to you mean beating into shapes as I'm pretty handy at that already.
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: martin42 on 02 May 2013, 20:50:07
yep lead dressing,shaping lead for flashings and lead roofs etc  :y
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 02 May 2013, 20:54:41
Yeah I've done loads of that and while its not the easiest thing in the world to do all you need is a little patience really and its much better to be gentle with it  ;D  But again there is a certain knack to it as well. Any idea roughly how much I'd be looking at for gas bottles??
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: martin42 on 02 May 2013, 20:56:16
got no idea,but i know the last time enquired about it it was about £200 for oxyocetylen bottles,try ringing local b.o.c dealer for a price  :y
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 02 May 2013, 21:21:21
I was told that  I would have to get a special permit/licence before I could get the gas. Any idea about this?
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: martin42 on 02 May 2013, 21:24:15
not sure,but i would have thought you would have to let council know you have that sort of gas on your premises,never used to need a licence when i did it many years ago,but things might have changed in that time tho
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: horsecow on 02 May 2013, 21:32:12
Thanks anyway Martin, I guess I'll have to investigate it all before I start anything. As I said its something I def want to try so must look into it all and try to get something started.
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: Kevin Wood on 03 May 2013, 08:09:45
not sure,but i would have thought you would have to let council know you have that sort of gas on your premises,never used to need a licence when i did it many years ago,but things might have changed in that time tho

.. and your insurance company. ;)
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: aaronjb on 03 May 2013, 09:21:14
not sure,but i would have thought you would have to let council know you have that sort of gas on your premises,never used to need a licence when i did it many years ago,but things might have changed in that time tho

.. and your insurance company. ;)

.. who will then run a mile from you ;D

Might be an idea to inform the fire brigade, too? I know you're supposed to if you have a pit in your garage, for example (in case they fall in when performing a building search, I imagine!)
Title: Re: Welding lead?
Post by: henryd on 03 May 2013, 09:36:55
not sure,but i would have thought you would have to let council know you have that sort of gas on your premises,never used to need a licence when i did it many years ago,but things might have changed in that time tho

.. and your insurance company. ;)

And of course be very careful,unlike the roofers doing the repairs here :-X

http://www.thisiscornwall.co.uk/Falmouth-Beach-Hotel-contents-sold-auction/story-18686084-detail/story.html#axzz2S9JGP3gz