Re: leeboards, lead, leeway

Be VERY CAREFUL about lead dust from sawing (cutting with snips is better) and vapors from melting. Use a real vapors mask with the special filters for lead vapors. Wear protective gloves and clothing. Throw the clothing away when done. Lead poisoning is easy to get and hard to get rid of.

Any practice you get with small stuff will be helpful for your big project. Pouring 800lbs of lead was exciting! Careful planning pays off. Funny to watch heavy steel objects floating in molten lead. Any spill can be, is likely to be, maiming if not deadly.
Eric


--- Inbolger@yahoogroups.com, Dennis Mcfadden <dennis-mcfadden@...> wrote:
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>
> Similar to the bird shot solution I cut up some old lead vent flashing material into strips slightly smaller than the lee board thickness, crammed them into a rectangular hole cut through the board. backed up the hole with wax paper over plywood and poured in epoxy to fill any voids. Worked like a charm. The belt sander took care of any irregularities. The lead was cut on my bandsaw. Cuts like butter! Oh and I drove in some nails part way horizontally to lock into the epoxy.
>
> Dennis
>
>
>
> To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
> From: jtrussell2@...
> Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:52:00 -0500
> Subject: RE: [bolger] leeboards, lead, leeway
>
>
>
>
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> There are a lot of ways.
>
> I used a 20 lb bag of birdshot mixed with epoxy to fill in a cavity routed in my board. I have also melted lead and poured it into a hole in a rudder, backed by an aluminum foil covered piece of plywood. The plywood charred, but came off allright.
>
> I note that Michalak doesn't ballast his leeboards and these work. The downside is that if you brush the bottom, the board will silently float up and you will, inexplicably, be unable to point. A solution is a downhaul rigged to a "pop" cleat which will make an audible sound when the board pops up. (These cleats are available from Duckworks.)
>
> JohnT
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> From:bolger@yahoogroups.com[mailto:bolger@yahoogroups.com] On Behalf Of donnieraydavis
> Sent: Monday, February 21, 2011 3:29 PM
> To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
> Subject: [bolger] leeboards, lead, leeway
>
>
>
>
>
> I've had 2 disastrous days melting lead for my eeek leeboards.Battery lead is worthless! wheel weights are great, but there's never enough. After 2 attempts I ended up with a sandwich of lead, pennies, lead, epoxy, bondo, epoxy and sawdust in that order. Now I can't get the plywood under the the lead off. I'm disgusted! And this is just 22 lb of lead. I'm ready to trade in the leeboards and ballast for 2 outriggers with end plated fins. same weight,more room, no more lead.
>
Similar to the bird shot solution I cut up some old lead vent flashing material into strips slightly smaller than the lee board thickness, crammed them into a rectangular hole cut through the board. backed up the hole with wax paper over plywood and poured in epoxy to fill any voids. Worked like a charm. The belt sander took care of any irregularities. The  lead was cut on my bandsaw. Cuts like butter! Oh and I drove in some nails part way horizontally to lock into the epoxy.
 
Dennis
 
To: bolger@yahoogroups.com
From: jtrussell2@...
Date: Mon, 21 Feb 2011 17:52:00 -0500
Subject: RE: [bolger] leeboards, lead, leeway

 

There are a lot of ways.

 

I used a 20 lb bag of birdshot mixed with epoxy to fill in a cavity routed in my board. I have also melted lead and poured it into a hole in a rudder, backed by an aluminum foil covered piece of plywood. The plywood charred, but came off allright.

 

I note that Michalak doesn’t ballast his leeboards and these work. The downside is that if you brush the bottom, the board will silently float up and you will, inexplicably, be unable to point. A solution is a downhaul rigged to a “pop” cleat which will make an audible sound when the board pops up. (These cleats are available from Duckworks.)

 

JohnT  

 

From:bolger@yahoogroups.com [mailto:bolger@yahoogroups.com]On Behalf Ofdonnieraydavis
Sent:Monday, February 21, 2011 3:29 PM
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Subject:[bolger] leeboards, lead, leeway

 

 

I've had 2 disastrous days melting lead for my eeek leeboards.Battery lead is worthless! wheel weights are great, but there's never enough. After 2 attempts I ended up with a sandwich of lead, pennies, lead, epoxy, bondo, epoxy and sawdust in that order. Now I can't get the plywood under the the lead off. I'm disgusted! And this is just 22 lb of lead. I'm ready to trade in the leeboards and ballast for 2 outriggers with end plated fins. same weight,more room, no more lead.

There are a lot of ways.

 

I used a 20 lb bag of birdshot mixed with epoxy to fill in a cavity routed in my board. I have also melted lead and poured it into a hole in a rudder, backed by an aluminum foil covered piece of plywood. The plywood charred, but came off allright.

 

I note that Michalak doesn’t ballast his leeboards and these work. The downside is that if you brush the bottom, the board will silently float up and you will, inexplicably, be unable to point. A solution is a downhaul rigged to a “pop” cleat which will make an audible sound when the board pops up. (These cleats are available from Duckworks.)

 

JohnT  

 

From:bolger@yahoogroups.com [mailto: bolger@yahoogroups.com ]On Behalf Ofdonnieraydavis
Sent:Monday, February 21, 2011 3:29 PM
To:bolger@yahoogroups.com
Subject:[bolger] leeboards, lead, leeway

 

 

I've had 2 disastrous days melting lead for my eeek leeboards.Battery lead is worthless! wheel weights are great, but there's never enough. After 2 attempts I ended up with a sandwich of lead, pennies, lead, epoxy, bondo, epoxy and sawdust in that order. Now I can't get the plywood under the the lead off. I'm disgusted! And this is just 22 lb of lead. I'm ready to trade in the leeboards and ballast for 2 outriggers with end plated fins. same weight,more room, no more lead.

I've had 2 disastrous days melting lead for my eeek leeboards.Battery lead is worthless! wheel weights are great, but there's never enough. After 2 attempts I ended up with a sandwich of lead, pennies, lead, epoxy, bondo, epoxy and sawdust in that order. Now I can't get the plywood under the the lead off. I'm disgusted! And this is just 22 lb of lead. I'm ready to trade in the leeboards and ballast for 2 outriggers with end plated fins. same weight,more room, no more lead.