Where to find lead sheets cheap

H

HT2005

Member
I've been reading the thread on vibration with the chinese engine kits and people are saying that lead sheets are the way to go in solving this problem. I would like to buy some lead sheet, but everywhere I look it is expensive. I've looked on mcmaster and a few other sites. Does anyone here have any spare lead sheet or know where I can find some cheap?
 
Hi HT, I looked around and really didn't see any chains that carry it. Do you know any one in roofing or demolition? Could call a demo co. Always amazes me how folks love to facilitate and help the building of these lil beautys. There is always dumpster diving at construction sites.
 
Dumpster diving or ask any roofing co. to save you some. Scrap price is from .12 to .91 cent a pound.

I looked at the stick on type available at the tire shop, too thick. I know there are some available at golf shops....don't know what size they are.
 
Thanks guys for the info, but I don't know anyone in demolition or roofing.... and I'm not going to go dumpster diving. I guess if I want something specific that will be clean I will have to pay the price online. Shipping is quick too. Oh well, small price to pay for smooth riding.
 
Joe, I was just below and had a thought. What if one just melted lead free Solder sold for sweating copper on to an aluminum cooking pan. Then simply scraped it up in a sheet?

I might try this and will report back. Would be cheap. Dunno if it would be as good as lead. ..and the whole tree huggin bunny loven thing
 
Great idea Dan and Bikeguy Joe! I guess I need to be flexible and creative with this. Just before responding here I saw the mentioning of chimney vent lead in the Engine Vibration thread. Maybe I could try the lead solder and pan idea; I need to buy more solder anyway.
 
could make a wood (cheap and easy) "cookie cutter" mold and put in a cast iron pan (always a few @ Goodwill) and cook in a home oven. With a pre-coat of cooking grease it would pop right out and be ready to wrap. Just a thought. Seems workable though.
 
If I do that I can buy lead cheap in bullion or small blocks and make it custom size. I think I even might have a cookie cutter or two in the kitchen.
 
Very cool HT. I just looked it up; "Lead melts at about 621 degrees F (327C)" SOURCE:Jigs, Molds, Sinkers and Bucktails

Thanks for bringing up the question and thread. Ya never know who you are helping when thinking and typing out loud.

Where can lead be bought in blocks?
 
How about a couple large fishing sinkers, just pound them to the desired thickness and trim to shape..
 
Guys,

Skip the lead and use a high durometer rubber...120 or more. Durometer is a compression, deflection value. 120 will not feel like rubber as you would typically expect, it's hard.

Why rubber?

Lead doesn't have a memory. In other words it will deform, and you will have a loose motor. You will tighten the bolts/nuts and the lead will deform again. You will tighten the bolts/nuts..etc.

A high durometer rubber will not permanently deform.

Don't "play" with lead in your kitchen! Bad idea!!!

Jim
 
Thanks Jim. Makes sense. Discourse is a good thing.

Still going to try Joe's lead thought. Just from personal experience, solid is better then allowing vibration to magnify. Is all an experiment anyway.
 
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I don't know where to find lead blocks(small). I imagine off ebay or internet store or supply place. I could also buy large ingots, which would probably be cheap. But......Creative Engineering brought up a good point. I never really thought of how lead would constantly deform under pressure of mounts. Ironically, I came to lead after buying sorbothane(50 durometer visco-elastic polymer). I found out about sorbothane because a guy on ebay was selling it for these engine kits. After installing it on my bike the pressure from the mount cracked it and it fell apart. That sorbothane was a gimmic! So, after that the guy closed his business(it lasted a few weeks) and I tightened my mounts so tight that I broke the mount. I had some strong steel strips lying around so I cut and drilled a new mount. It was so strong that I bent the bike frame! So, now I don't really have bad vibration, but I'm just trying to improve my ride by making it more comfortable. I think I'll look into high durometer rubber because Creative Engineering implies that it attempts to maintain its shape; it should also offer more support than medium durometer.
 
Lead is easy to work with even if you only have a propane torch.

I want to warn you all about a couple of things- Lead can be absorbed in a few different ways, so BE CAREFUL!!! Do not heat/melt it in a confined area, at least by and open garge door or better yet, outside. Do not breath the fumes that come off of hot lead. Always wear gloves.

The "Mad as a hatter" saying comes from the fact that the old hatters used a lead buck to shape the hot wet felt when making hats...the constant heat/water/lead cause enough lead to leach into a hatter's skin that they literaly, slowly went mad.
 
5.00 U.S. will get you a piece big enough to make a set of mount "pads".


PM me if interested.
 
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uh, yeah, I'd use a torch outside instead of the oven. Just make your wooden "cookie cutter" and melt the lead with a torch.
 
I'm buying lead sheet from Bikeguy Joe. I'll see how that works out. If it's not enough I'll just use a torch and melt some line sinkers, lead blocks, or whatever.
 
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