lead foil

[rob_van_riel]

I hear great things about using lead foil for detail work on webbing and clothing for figures. Since it all made sense in view of the characteristics of lead, I decided to get me some. This was a bit wierd..

Many old post/articles say to get it off wine bottles, but with the War on Lead(*) as advanced as it is, this is no longer an option. Hobby shops specialising in scratch building supplies sometimes sell it, but for rather crazy money (examples I've seen include 10 euro for a 10x6 cm sheet, and 8 pounds for a 15x15 cm sheet). Or you could buy in bulk, and pay about 30 euro for a 100x50 cm roll, and probably die of old age with lead left over.

Does anyone here use it? And if so where do they typically get their supply?


(*)part of the more general War on Fun

[JamesPerrin]

Depending on when the articles were written they may be just revering to the thick aluminium foil that you do get on wine bottles. I use is for bit and pieces but haven't used it for figures. Obviously lead is far softer. You could try flattening some lead solder, if you just want thin strips.

[rob_van_riel]

Depending on when the articles were written they may be just revering to the thick aluminium foil that you do get on wine bottles. I use is for bit and pieces but haven't used it for figures. Obviously lead is far softer. You could try flattening some lead solder, if you just want thin strips.

I erred on the side of hoarding with respect to my own supply (packrat with a budget ); if the frustrates me too much or the bulk gets in the way, I can always dispose of it downrange I asked this particular question out of curiosity, for general knowledge, and in the faint hope the answers might help others here.

I have, of course considered and/or experimented with alternatives. I found aluminium foil, or at least the thin stuff I could source locally, to be too flexible. When I bend something, I prefer it to stay bent, not bounce back halfway. I may yet find use for it though (this is how my home ends up cluttered with stuff that might come in handy sometime ). I've found some types of paper to be quite useful for dangling straps (attach, soak, and let gravity do the sculpting), and my favourite, cheap chocolat foil (foil's OK, but you have to get rid of all the chocolat - yummy ), for very thin stuff that needs no structural strength.

How would you go about flattening solder? I've tried rolling out putty and such by hand, but I could never get an even thickness. Lead isn't sticky, so that might be easier, but it seems the sort of thing I'd have to build a tool for (and a fairly complex one at that). Am I missing a trick?

[JamesPerrin]

I was thinking of using flat faced pliers. I used these on .5mm copper wire to make small blades aerials.

[rob_van_riel]

I was thinking of using flat faced pliers. I used these on .5mm copper wire to make small blades aerials.

It could be worth a try, but keeping constant thickness on 10cm straps (just an example) still sounds like a challenge (or would require very large pliers, with meticulouly parallel parts).

Might well be a moot point though, as I just got a mail from the company I ordered the lead from that I lucked out with the delivery schedule, and should have it today. First time I ever got same day delivery on anything, and quite by accident too

[fredk]

Don't use solder; it mostly contains roisin in the centre which you may release when you flatten it. It'll leave a runny sticky mess on your work.

Try the thicker aluminium used on food trays; ex the ones used by take-away restaurants, or pie dishes.

AFAIK lead foil hasn't been used on wine bottles for over 30 years nor on glue/toothpaste tubes for over 45 years but they are both cited as sources of thin lead in many articles. I think the writers just copy old information.

[rob_van_riel]

Try the thicker aluminium used on food trays; ex the ones used by take-away restaurants, or pie dishes.

I did. There's a whole pile of brand new, unused food trays taking up space waiting for a purpose (the huge pile was still cheap enough to be a worthy alternative to trying to get the grease off a used one for testing..)

AFAIK lead foil hasn't been used on wine bottles for over 30 years nor on glue/toothpaste tubes for over 45 years but they are both cited as sources of thin lead in many articles. I think the writers just copy old information.

Maybe they have lots of old stock. Unlikely for toothpaste, but wine can site in bottles in cellars for decades..

[iggie]

I use aluminium ducting foil; it's self adhesive but fold it over on itself and it works nicely

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/QUALITY-HEAT- ... H-Shrh1gpw

[splash]

Some bottles of malt whisky still use a lead type foil (thick and pliable) and bottles of port.