what with the lead ingot?

[colorado14ers]

why is ther a lead ingot at my friends house This is the 3rd ive found and my friend has foun 2 also. what were they going to do with them?

 

[EagleDown]

why is ther a lead ingot at my friends house This is the 3rd ive found and my friend has foun 2 also. what were they going to do with them?

What were they going to do with them?? Now that would be a hard question to answer!!

Throughout history, lead has had many uses; Type for printing presses, lead fishing weights, an Alloy of Pewter, Lead seals, Toys, Coins, and the list goes on.

From the general shape of your ingots, they appear to be 10 pound "pigs". (Common term.) And appear to be professionally cast.

Personally, I'd love to find 5 "pigs" like that. I have several people who would buy them in a heartbeat. I'm sure I'd have no problem getting $2 to $5 per pound for them. That is a GREAT FIND you have there!!

Congratulations and HH

EagleDown

 

[colorado14ers]

why is ther a lead ingot at my friends house This is the 3rd ive found and my friend has foun 2 also. what were they going to do with them?

What were they going to do with them?? Now that would be a hard question to answer!!

Throughout history, lead has had many uses; Type for printing presses, lead fishing weights, an Alloy of Pewter, Lead seals, Toys, Coins, and the list goes on.

From the general shape of your ingots, they appear to be 10 pound "pigs". (Common term.) And appear to be professionally cast.

Personally, I'd love to find 5 "pigs" like that. I have several people who would buy them in a heartbeat. I'm sure I'd have no problem getting $2 to $5 per pound for them. That is a GREAT FIND you have there!!

Congratulations and HH

EagleDown

hmmmmm, that much you say? I thought they were crap and was going to throw them away! now im not!!! Sorry i forgot to post the size, its pretty small, like 4x1. maybe somthing like 2-3 pounds but thanks for all the info !!!!!

 

[bill-USA]

Are you SURE they're lead and not silver?

 

[colorado14ers]

Are you SURE they're lead and not silver?

im sure they are too soft and dent very easly.....but, one day i might find a silver one

 

[EagleDown]

From the size and location where you say you found them, they could have been lost by a plumber, during the construction of a house.

Up until the advent, (and for a short while afterwards,) of synthetic plastics for plumbing, lead was used throughout the U.S. for sealing the joints of cast-iron sewer pipes. Any good plumber had an ample supply on hand, along with his coal oil fired "plumbers pot" for melting the lead. And of course, a long handled ladle for pouring the lead in the joints.

EagleDown

 

[Rogerm069]

In older houses they used lead weights in the windows to make it easier to raise them.
Just my two cents

 

[Deepdiger60]

Do the people in Naples do a lot of fishing ? sinkers i have 2 sinker molds 4oz and 6oz maybe Dd60

 

[colorado14ers]

Do the people in Naples do a lot of fishing ? sinkers i have 2 sinker molds 4oz and 6oz maybe Dd60

, its just weird that they were scatered and how could you lose a 2 pound ingot of lead

 

[Diggin-N-Dumps]

Do the people in Naples do a lot of fishing ? sinkers i have 2 sinker molds 4oz and 6oz maybe Dd60

, its just weird that they were scatered and how could you lose a 22 pound ingot of lead

That is strange..cool finds...you should spray paint them Gold and set them up on the beach for the Tourists

Joking of Course!!!

 

[MaineRelic]

For pouring joints in cast Iron bell and spigot drainage piping it was common for plumbers to have 5 and 10 pound ignots with them at all times !! MaineRelic

 

[wwwtimmcp]

musketballs ? sealing copper/tin roofs, lead soldiers, lead had alot more uses years ago.

 

[Woodland Detectors]

Do the people in Naples do a lot of fishing ? sinkers i have 2 sinker molds 4oz and 6oz maybe Dd60

Nice find indeed.
Yes, there is a lot of fishing in Naples Jim. And bottom fishing is one of the way they catch the Red and Black Grouper there. Maybe a Commercial fisherman melted them into sinkers net weights ?

 

[colorado14ers]

wpphoo! went back outside and found another one!!! yay!

 

[fathead]

My step dad has pulled hundreds of those out of older wooden sailboats. They were used for ballast, especially in shallow draft boats with wooden keels. That is just one more possibility. The last time he sold any as scrap, he got offers from 30 to 65 cents a lb. If someone can get $5 a lb., let me know and I will drive 1500 lbs. to the buyer and stack it wherever they want it, including their attic. It doesn't look like a window weight to me.

Nice finds.

-Fathead

 

[Tuberale]

I'd guess small ingot more likely plumbing-related than hot-lead type for typesetting. Had one as a doorstop at The Oregonian, where I used to work: weight closer to 120 pounds than 2. Much different shape, too. About a meter long, maybe 12 cm wide, and around 15 cm high. Couldn't hardly lift it.

 

[EagleDown]

I'd guess small ingot more likely plumbing-related than hot-lead type for typesetting. Had one as a doorstop at The Oregonian, where I used to work: weight closer to 120 pounds than 2. Much different shape, too. About a meter long, maybe 12 cm wide, and around 15 cm high. Couldn't hardly lift it.

I would also say probably plumbing. Especially since he reposted with the size. The smaller pieces would melt down faster than larger ones.

I put my mouth in gear before I engaged my brain, in reference to the value. Sorry about that.

Since California banned the sale of lead weights and lures, there is a demand for lead by persons who make their own tackle. It's almost impossible to even find the lead wheel weights used for balancing tires. What hasn't been scrapped has been bought out.

But, I'm reasonably sure that I could get $2 a pound for any lead.

Next time, I'll think about it before I post.

EagleDown

 

[Frank1960]

check with local recycle place and see what lead is going for a pound DON'T just throw it out recycle even a little money is better than none at all

 

[fathead]

I'd guess small ingot more likely plumbing-related than hot-lead type for typesetting. Had one as a doorstop at The Oregonian, where I used to work: weight closer to 120 pounds than 2. Much different shape, too. About a meter long, maybe 12 cm wide, and around 15 cm high. Couldn't hardly lift it.

I would also say probably plumbing. Especially since he reposted with the size. The smaller pieces would melt down faster than larger ones.

I put my mouth in gear before I engaged my brain, in reference to the value. Sorry about that.

Since California banned the sale of lead weights and lures, there is a demand for lead by persons who make their own tackle. It's almost impossible to even find the lead wheel weights used for balancing tires. What hasn't been scrapped has been bought out.

But, I'm reasonably sure that I could get $2 a pound for any lead.

Next time, I'll think about it before I post.

EagleDown

That makes a lot more sense. You probably could because lead is much better suited to the purpose than any of the ecofriendly solutions that they have come up with. If it didn't cost so much to ship, there is probably a decent black market demand out there.

-Fathead

 

[steelheadwill]

Have found several of these myself, different shapes & sizes also disc shape, these are probably ballast, as they were all found seaside.
one Answer to earlier question, ' How do you lose a lead weight?'
my answer: set it down on the mud after finding it.
Pic below of embossed 5 lb'er Good Day, Herbie.