Fixin' to make another set of Suitcase weights, my way!

[KennyP]

A while back elsewhere, I was melting and cleaning some lead. I got some 1-1/2" X1/8" strap iron this morning to make the inside parts. I'll be able to make another set of 40 lb. each weights. Just for info's sake, I'll have 3 sets that will fit into a 9" wide X 11" tall X 7" deep area and weight in at about 240 lbs. Not bad!

Anywho, I bent up the parts I needed. Made 2 sets of these:


I use a Harbor Freight bender for this:



Located the parts in the mold and added some cattle panel wire for strength.




Now to get the turkey fryer going and melt the lead into them.

 

[MFDAC]

That's pretty cool, hopefully when you go to melt all that lead it won't feel like 143F outside! I used to make lead weights for racecars and racing karts but that was a little easier than this setup. Creative work, Kenny!

DAC

 

[Ryan313]

I like it so far!

 

[KennyP]

I got out yesterday and melted lead. Have to clamp the parts in so they don't float?


Melting lead.


Got it full.


Cooling it down.


Got both of them done. I'll get the second one out of the mold today and paint them.

 

[MacWorld]

Those are clean bent shapes, I like that! Eventually I'll make myself a Hossfeld clone, I'm just waiting for a friend to bend me the 4 main arms, the rest is quite simple to make. Will be a great tool I am pretty sure.

 

[Ryan313]

Where do you find lead for them? How heavy are they?

 

[Shorty]

Looks good Kenny. I nabbed up 2 elevator weights from an old elevator that we dismantled. Still noodling how to mount them yet.

 

[KennyP]

Where do you find lead for them? How heavy are they?

Mine come out to 40 +/_ pounds. I got the lead from old house remodels.

I got them painted today.

 

[chieffan]

Looking good. Do you put anything in the lead while melting to keep the tin, etc blended with the lead? I have made a lot of bullets over the years and did a bunch for black powder (pellet form now days) early this spring and used bees wax to keep the tin blended in with the lead. If not the tin will float off the top and the lead gets to hard but probably wouldn't make any difference for your weights.

 

[KennyP]

Looking good. Do you put anything in the lead while melting to keep the tin, etc blended with the lead? I have made a lot of bullets over the years and did a bunch for black powder (pellet form now days) early this spring and used bees wax to keep the tin blended in with the lead. If not the tin will float off the top and the lead gets to hard but probably wouldn't make any difference for your weights.

I don't do anything but melt the lead!

 

[MFDAC]

Those look like they are factory made! Nice work!

DAC

 

[Texas Horses Hogs and Deeres]

Wow Kenny, those turned out very nice!

Since I'm doing a lot of home repairs, I'll start watching for old weights so I can make me some!

 

[chieffan]

I think Kenny is talking about the old lead pipe in old homes. Window weights are cast iron.

 

[KennyP]

I think Kenny is talking about the old lead pipe in old homes. Window weights are cast iron.

Yep. Got a bunch of the window weights too! But the biggest ones are 7 lbs. Takes a bunch of them to add up!

 

[Sawdust]

Yep. Got a bunch of the window weights too! But the biggest ones are 7 lbs. Takes a bunch of them to add up!

Those turned out nice Kenny. This makes me sorry I sold my lead years ago. I had about 180lbs of it like you from old homes. This was before I got the tractor fever. I wonder how this would work with concrete probably a bit lighter than lead.

 

[MFDAC]

I can't remember right off hand what it weighs, but I use concrete test cylinders for winter weight in pickups. Built a wooden framework to hold them. Pretty much any precast concrete company should have hundreds of them to just give away. Darn it, I just went out to get one and it raining pretty hard now! Anyway, now I can't find my scale! They measure 6" diameter by 12". Pretty darn heavy but an awkward shape to use for much.

DAC

 

[KennyP]

Concrete is a whole lot lighter. DAC, that would weight 140 lbs if it were lead!

 

[chieffan]

Lead is definitely heavier than concrete. I cleaned up a batch and cast some bullet for my black Powder rifle. Have large coffee cans full of clean lead on hand. Will never shoot that much for sure.

 

[MFDAC]

I didn't mean that concrete was heavier, obviously it's not. Jim mentioned concrete and I thought these would at least add considerable weight. I still need to find my scale to satisfy my curiosity though! Finding lead cheap or free can be pretty tough.

DAC

 

[Shotgun Wedding]

Wow Kenny, those look awesome!!!