The Shop > Metal Stuff

Lead...

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AdeV:
Poking about in the "back yard" (more of a side yard really), I happened across all the old 1920's lead-covered wiring that we pulled out of the house, some 15 years ago... it's been buried under some "stuff" all that time...

I've probably got about 50ft of the stuff, I'm wondering, is it worth melting the lead off it for use about the workshop, or should I just weigh it in as the scrap that it is? It seems to be very flexible, so I'm wondering just how much lead is actually on it.

Powder Keg:
Lead hammers are very handy around the shop.

andreas:
You can also use some as a cathode, if you intend to anodize aluminum parts  ::)

cheers
Andreas

andyf:
It's 40 years since I ripped out some lead-covered cable, Ade. As I recall, the lead sheathing was pretty thin.

Lead is currently around £1,500 per tonne on the commodities market. That's around £1.50 per Kg, but you won't get anything like that price at the scrappie.  Stick the cable on the bathroom scales, discount the weight by (I'm guessing) 50% for the cores and mineral insulation, work out the price at the 75p (I'm guessing again) you might get from the scrappie, deduct fuel costs for the return trip to his yard and see how much beer you might buy with what's left over  :beer: .

Of course, the copper cores must be considered, too. Weight for weight, copper is worth about 3.5 times as much as lead.

Andy

Dean W:
Melt off the lead to use for shop stuff, like the hammer mentioned, or for a soft beater pad that can be handy for shaping
thin metal.  Then send the copper to the scrapper.

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