[ATM] Tapping lead? Forget it!

[artbianconi@blast.net]

I have smelted, cast and swaged more lead bullets than I care to count. And 
when I didn't fire enough rounds in competition to justify the equipment needed 
to hand load, I started doing it for others.

It's a messy pastime, working with lead, and the material is dangerous to work 
with, lead poisoning being the most apparent risk.

There's absolutely no need for alloying, melting, tapping. Besides, even if you 
succeeded in altering it's properties some, lead is still very soft compared to steel 
or brass. Even when alloyed, it will strip with even the most modest torque.

Simply purchase the appropriate PAL threaded inserts from McMaster-Carr. Drill 
the appropriate hole in the part and either press fit (if it's knurled) or screw in (if 
it's external threaded) It's faster, cheaper, safer and more reliable.

Do NOT attempt to hold a lead part with Home-Depot type "T" Nuts. Those are  
made for light loads in wood, are limited in thread sizes and the tapered spines 
won't hold. They are actually many times larger in diameter than PAL inserts. 
They need to be as they can only be used in compression assemblies.  


Art Bianconi

> On Fri, 9 Jul 2004 mdholm@telerama.com wrote:
> 
> > I am curious, Jerry.  How did you drill and tap that lead
> > counterweight?  I tought lead was difficult to do that
> > with because of being so soft.
> >
> > Mark Holm
> > mdholm@telerama.com
> 
> There are ways to harden lead, bullet casters do this. 
> Mostly they are alloying the lead with antimony and/or tin. 
> Wheelweights (scrounge for free from places that do tire
> work) or linotype metal are plenty hard already.  



_______________________________________________
ATM mailing list http://www.atmlist.net/