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cutting lead

I

Inspector Scott

Member
I recall hearing some people complain about cutting lead counterweights and many different methods
I recently cut the elevator weights for my rv7 with a sawsall with a
diablo 6"' metal cutting blade and it cut it like butter and had both weights done in 10 minutes
 
A lot of people are worried about lead poisoning. Good to be concerned.
But, I just turned 72 and am still in charge of all my facilities "I think".
That said, as a kid I mashed, drilled, cooked, burned etc etc etc lead till the cows come home. Made thousands of lead balls for rifles and pistols.
Carried lead pellets in my mouth when hunting rabbits for years during the summer.
I played with mercury with bare hands for years.
Now a days, I might put on gloves when working with it, But, Hey don't get carried away with the concerns. Don't cook it till it smokes, then reef the smoke.
Probably not good for you and isn't going to be good for your health.
If anybody should be concerned it should be me. Actually I should be dead 50 times over.
But, I don't know how you can make lead "dust" by sawing it. It is heavy and falls to the ground. Now, if you were to sand it all bets are off.
My life is/was full of adventure. Art
 
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Cutting counterweights

Why are you cutting them?
Just tap with a hammer till they fit.
Don't cut them. Chances are they will be light after the electric trim, primer, paint, fiberglass. If they are heavy, dri lightening holes. Also, add a nutplate in the aft most tooling hole, just in case you need weight.

I am with Art. Many years of competitve shooting casting all maner of lead bullets. Where is my airplane again? :D
 
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I was unsatisfied with a hack saw, and got out one of those drywall jab saws. Made quick work, no dust just small chunks of lead. Wore rubber gloves.
 
Lead is among the oldest known human poisons. The fact that some people can mess with it and not get sick is not a surprise nor is it a guarantee that everyone will be so lucky.

Do everything possible to keep it off your skin, out of your mouth, and out of your lungs. I cut lead sheet with a set of aviation snips for a non-RV airplane. No dust. It can be drilled at low RPM.
 
Where you getting MEK? All I can ever find is MEK substitute, the word substitute is in much smaller letters than MEK, bet that's what you got.
We used to spray down 727 and Super 80 wheel wells with MEK no respirator not even a mask. Also Zinc Chromate would infiltrate the shops at Braniff at Love Field Overhaul when they were painting entire airplanes. The shops were between the two hangar bays. But the old Braniff was the best airline job I ever had, run by airplane people, not accountants and lawyers.
Back before both were banned. Forget the paint stripper, it hurt just to look at it.
 
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+1 on this approach

wirejock said:
Why are you cutting them?
Just tap with a hammer till they fit.
Don't cut them. Chances are they will be light after the electric trim, primer, paint, fiberglass. If they are heavy, dri lightening holes. Also, add a nutplate in the aft most tooling hole, just in case you need weight.

I am with Art. Many years of competitve shooting casting all maner of lead bullets. Where is my airplane again? :D
Click to expand...

I wish I had know / thought about this hammering approach. I cut / filed my weights to fit beautifully….and they turned out too light. Then I had to drill out the rivets holding my nicely glassed / filled tips and add plate-nuts for an additional weight….which I ended up having to custom cast. Some mistakes are more painful than others….
 
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