Re: ATM Best Counterweight Material

["Philip J. Tramdack" <tramdack@TCNJ.EDU>]

Not to belabor the obvious, but I have been twice pleasantly surprised
to find how easy it is to get lead in quantity from scrap dealers here
in Jersey. Both times the guy just laughed when I asked him how much he
wanted (for 30 lb of lead pipe). Lead is easy to work with. I melt it
over a charcoal fire in a pit in the back yard, using an old dutch oven
as a crucible. I make forms by nailing together ordinary plywood. For
instance, for 3" weights, I cut 3" holes in the plywood, nail on a piece
of backing, and drive a dowel in the center of each. After the lead
cools, it's easy to drill out the dowel (much easier than drilling the
lead). The largest I have made is a weight about 20 lb, which was about
4" in diameter. Just remeber to wear long sleeves, pants, and shoes, and
EYE PROTECTION. Also, all parts of the form must be DRY or the lead will
sputter. PJT

Frank Di Marzio wrote:
> 
> >Iridium is even denser.
> >Around 1420.
> >Platinum may be the way to go, if you are on a budget though.
> 
> If you've got a largish telescope and need fairly big counterweights, the
> cheapest (and quite effective) material is discarded engine flywheels. You
> can cut and chip off the gear ring, remove any surface rust (and perhaps
> even repaint them) leaving a nice "counterweight". Brake and clutch places
> are usually happy to give them to you for nothing as long as you are
> prepared to haul it out of their garages.
> 
> Apparently these flywheels can also be used as bar weights for a bench press.
> 
> Cheers,
> Frank

-- 
Philip J. Tramdack
Associate Dean for the Library
Roscoe L. West Library
The College of New Jersey
Box 7718
Ewing  NJ 08628-0718
vox 609-771-2343
fax 609-637-5177