What is this? (again)

[Jerry Olexa]

In my never ending search for new "old" iron, I end up with some unknowns...Attached example are 2 bars..I cleaned up the rust but do not know what these are? Can you help? 407232407233407234Thanks in advance.

[Paul F Franklin]

They are bars of solder. Kester still makes it. Are you sure it was rust? 40/60 is the tin/lead ratio.

[Bill Houghton]

Very helpful for architectural sheet metal - think flashing over windows. Not cheap, but they show up at yard sales from time to time, where I grab them every time I find them.

A lot of people nowadays use caulk and pop rivets, but, if you're using galvanized steel for flashing, nothing I know of beats soldering.

If you were closer, I'd be whining like a little puppy dog, hoping you'd pass them along to me, but halfway across the nation makes no sense. If they're not useful to you, look for a local tradesworker who respects the old techniques, or donate them to your local Habitat ReStore, where I betcha they'll last half an hour before getting scooped up.

[Jerry Olexa]

Thanks Bill and Paul.....It was more dirt than rust I cleaned off..Came off easily with soft wire wheel and cloth...Thank you both...

[Jim Koepke]

Thanks Bill and Paul.....It was more dirt than rust I cleaned off..Came off easily with soft wire wheel and cloth...Thank you both...

Hopefully you were wearing a dust mask and did this in a well ventilated area.

jtk

[David Eisenhauer]

Jerry? Jerry? Hello Jerry. Please tell us you used the dust mask and had good ventilation. Oh Lordy - someone please go over to Jerry's and check to see if he is still vertical.

[Jim Koepke]

Jerry? Jerry? Hello Jerry. Please tell us you used the dust mask and had good ventilation. Oh Lordy - someone please go over to Jerry's and check to see if he is still vertical.

Lead can accumulate in the body. It can cause health issues and is something of which people who hunt for rusty gold should be aware.

jtk

[steven c newman]

Includes restore old cars....as they soldered the metal panels together....

[Bill Houghton]

Includes restore old cars....as they soldered the metal panels together....
And, before Bondo, lead was the material of choice to fill the parts of the dents that you couldn't pound out. Thus, the 1940s/50s term "lead sled," for cars that had been dinged enough that the fenders and body panels were liberally filled with lead to hide the dings. People used to talk about cars that tilted to one side because there was so much lead on that side; I suspect that's a legend, but...

I'm not sure the panels were actually soldered together, in the sense of a mechanical bond, but the lead was pretty common to serve as a caulk at panel joints. But I don't know; before my time.

[Tom Vanzant]

60/40 solder bars make adjusting lead/tin ratios for casting lead bullets easier.

[Noah Magnuson]

Jerry? Jerry? Hello Jerry. Please tell us you used the dust mask and had good ventilation. Oh Lordy - someone please go over to Jerry's and check to see if he is still vertical.


Lead can accumulate in the body. It can cause health issues and is something of which people who hunt for rusty gold should be aware.

jtk

While this is important to be aware of, a one-off cleaning of solder ingots isn't something to get someone all anxious over. I think the cautionary advice is necessary though. I just don't want anyone fretting that they have done themselves in.

[Joe Bailey]

Thus, the 1940s/50s term "lead sled," for cars that had been dinged enough that the fenders and body panels were liberally filled with lead to hide the dings.

Allow me to set the record straight: "Lead Sled" is NOT a derisive term for a beat up car that has been patched with lead. (on the other hand "bondo buggy" IS such a term.)
A "Lead Sled" is a typically post-war car whose body lines have been heavily modified/customized using large amounts of lead to smooth the sheet metal transtions.
Among the more popular operations: "chopped top" -- removing sections of the roof pillar to lower the top; "channeled" -- lowering the body over the frame; "frenched" -- recessing headlights, tailights, etc.
In addition, these cars often have all trim and emblems removed, often have arrays of louvers punched in trunk or deck lids, etc.

[steven c newman]

There IS a video out on youtube, somewhere...showing how they were using the solder ON an assembly line....filling seems. Wasn't just the Rat-Rodders doing it.

Plumbers would also stuff cast iron pipe connections with Oakum, and pour melted lead on top of the oakum to seal the soil pipe joints.

[Jim Koepke]

While this is important to be aware of, a one-off cleaning of solder ingots isn't something to get someone all anxious over. I think the cautionary advice is necessary though. I just don't want anyone fretting that they have done themselves in.

Folks who like to bring home rusty gold need to be aware of dangers inherent in the hobby. With a little research on metals and other materials one can not only avoid the pitfalls but also might find the reward of buying boxes of brass hardware for well below the scrap value.

My brother does this fairly often. One of his best deals was finding a sterling silver ware set mixed in with a box of mixed table ware. It was priced to move. He paid less than $100 for what turned out to be a couple hundred ounces of silver.


[edited]
Plumbers would also stuff cast iron pipe connections with Oakum, and pour melted lead on top of the oakum to seal the soil pipe joints.

It wasn't too long ago when lead solder was used to connect copper pipes together.

jtk

[Jerry Olexa]

WOW!!! I was dumb....Must confess I cleaned them in my basement workshop with a wire wheel...tsk tsk No breathing protection or my air cleaner was not running..At least I wore eye protection...Thanks for the advice...I didn't know...I'm still standing

[Tom Vanzant]

Jim, your brother might have sold the set of sterling as a set or by the piece, or salvage the silver...at $15+/ounce, not a bad ROI.

[Paul F Franklin]

Jerry, I doubt a one-off exposure will do you in, but if you haven't already, do a thorough cleaning of the area and clean up all the dust you can for disposal, so there is no chance of further breathing or ingestion of the lead contaminated dust.

[Malcolm McLeod]

Allow me to set the record straight: "Lead Sled" is NOT a derisive term for a beat up car that has been patched with lead. (on the other hand "bondo buggy" IS such a term.)
A "Lead Sled" is a typically post-war car whose body lines have been heavily modified/customized using large amounts of lead to smooth the sheet metal transtions.
Among the more popular operations: "chopped top" -- removing sections of the roof pillar to lower the top; "channeled" -- lowering the body over the frame; "frenched" -- recessing headlights, tailights, etc.
In addition, these cars often have all trim and emblems removed, often have arrays of louvers punched in trunk or deck lids, etc.

Several aircraft also shared the nickname "Lead Sled". My favorite was the F-105 (proof that with enough horsepower, a brick WILL fly).:D - - nothing at all to do with lead/tin solder!