[modeleng] Re: Alumin(i)um and lead

Good point Charles

The melting point of pure lead is 327C and of pure Al 660C. I reckon the Al 
alloy of the pan will melt a good bit lower (and the Pb may be a bit lower 
but it'll need to be a bit above freezing point) but I think I've a couple 
of hundred degrees to spare but you are just right I need to be careful. 
Terry had dancing lessons from some molten metal a while back I think.

I seemed to spend a fair bit of my youth casting lead. I was always trying 
to get time in the metalwork shop at my school. The teacher was building his 
own boat and we cast a load of ballast for it. I helped as payment for the 
shop time. I always wondered how he explained the need for so much casting 
equipment to the bean counters. I know where the lead came from which was a 
good deal more valuable in those days (and indeed much of the Al which the 
casting equipment was supposed to be used for) but I think the story is too 
far OT.

I heard someone used old carbide tips as ballast. Apparently the SG is very 
high but I'd have thought you'd loose out on packing inefficiencies. Boeing 
use depleted uranium or at least did until one of their jets totalled a 
block of flats in the Netherlands raising the heavy metal content of the 
countryside quite a bit.

>From: "Charles & Dorothy Brumbelow" <cbrumbelow@xxxxxxxxxxx>
>Reply-To: modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
>To: <modeleng@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
>Subject: [modeleng] Re: Alumin(i)um was RE: Re: O/T Disposable Propane 
>bottles
>Date: Sat, 26 Feb 2005 10:51:09 -0600
>
>Actually, I would prefer a cast iron pot or ladle for melting lead, Tim.  
>Or
>even a plain steel one.  The relative temperatures of lead and aluminum
>(inuminum) at their melting points are close enough to give me pause
>concerning strength loss in the Al pot at that high a temperature.


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