Derby Talk

For cubs without access to tools I router out a rectangular slot in the bottom of their cars to hold weights. A jig bolted to the router table makes quick work out of it. I cast the weights out of lead using a plumbing torch and a 1" x 3" aluminum lid for the crucible. Then, at the meeting we just trim the weight with a pair of tin snips and use a few screws in the pre drilled holes. Cub's then take some clear nail polish to cover up the lead.

Thats a great idea for cubs with out tools.

I heard recently of someone that was melting lead and pouring it into the cars at the race during check-in. This was inside the building! He used some type of electric ladle, but when that wasn't melting fast enough, he got his torch out.

I'd be too worried about someone getting burned, setting a fire, not to mention exposing people to the toxic fumes. You've got to wonder what people are thinking at times.

Lead comes in enough shapes and sizes at the tackle shop, there is no reason to melt it. I find that the round 2 oz sinkers fit perfect inside of a hole drilled with a 1-3/8" Forstner bit. The 1 oz sinkers fit inside a 1-1/8" bit. You don't even need a Forstner bit either. A hole saw works just as good, you just need to chisel out the wood after you've drilled.

Yeah, no shortage of shapes and weights at a good tackle shop. We didn't melt anything. Just drilled and dropped in some lead.

We use melted lead at our workshop. Kids drill holes for the lead but then it's an adult who carries the car outside in a fenced area, who is wearing welding gloves and a welding apron that fills the holes with led. By the time he gets back it's cool enough to hand to the kid's parent.

We use a melting pot similar to Lee's Production Pot (actually, that may be the one we use):
http://www.leeprecision.com/html/catalog/melters.html" target="_blank

We melt recycled wheel weights in it, so it's probably some alloy of tin and lead. Our kits come with a slot routed in the bottom for molten weight, so no drilling/routing is needed for most designs. We also have an adult using the melting pot in a fenced-off area, and the kids don't get the cars back until they're cool enough to touch.

We were pretty low tech at my place before we switched to using tungsten for weight.

PICTURE THIS:
My son and I melted some of my old surf casting weights in a tuna can on our camping stove out on the driveway.
We must've looked pretty weird out there to the casual onlooker - like a couple of mad scientists with our masks and goggles

Your way sure beats an hour of chiseling and dremmel-izing which always made me nervous in the hands of my boy.

I know that many don't see the need to melt lead, but for some designs it really does work well, and it helps you to avoid having to handle it much if at all.

I took a 1/2" thick oak board and drilled several 1" holes in it, I melted several old tire weights and poured them into my molds this gave us plenty of weights for the scout cars, we just let them drill a 1" hole in their car and glue the weights in. This worked great for us and there was no worry of toxic fumes for the boys.

I cast directly into the body this year. I pre-drilled the block then melted down old fishing weights and car battery cells. Went perfectly.

Turbo_Python wrote:I pre-drilled the block then melted down [...] car battery cells.

Any specific precautions or advice to offer when salvaging lead (Pb) from a car battery?