Team Seacats

Lead is heavy but it flows almost like water when it’s molten!  I found this out when the old mold half (on it’s second cycle) cracked mid-pour on Saturday.  As you can see evident in my pouring stand / setup, I was concerned about this possibility and wanted to take precaution that molten lead did not end up on me.  I put in a blast shield constructed of 3/16″ plywood and an old towel in the workbench to shield me from the pour…good thing too.  As it turns out, when the mold cracked (ever so slightly), the lead went between the mold and the plywood and just pooled and cooled there.  I gave it just enough time to cool and seal the crack before I finished the pour.  The crack should not have been result of moisture in the mold because both halves spent 1.5 hours in the oven at 350 degrees.  However, this mold half was showing some hair-line cracks and that’s why I built the other half mixing in strands of fiberglass into the Rock Hard Putty.  Although it needed a little extra finishing work, I still ended up with a usable bulb.  If you recall, I also made a slot in which I could embed a piece of the same aluminum extrusion that forms the keel strut.  I was quite concerned that I wouldn’t be able to remove the aluminum piece after the pour, but it came out with surprising ease.  No tools required.

 

I still feel obligated to remind you that lead is a dangerous substance to work with.  It is toxic to the body and presents a very serious burn hazard in molten form.  If you work with this stuff, be sure to protect yourself from the shavings and dust, wash hands, and be overly cautions when it’s hot.