I thought this subject had been discussed before, but could not find it. Just thought I would offer what seems like a way to make short work of cutting lead. I do not know if it is an original thought.

Put a wood blade with big teeth - can be an old blade - in a reciprocating saw, hold the lead in a vise and slice away. Use eye protection, of course. It will vibrate like a son of a gun, but it goes pretty fast. I used a high quality (white color) blade and that blade probably will have a longer life than a cheap one, but it seems like the size of the teeth is what matters. Should be able to make a lot of cuts using the same blade.

It is a joy to make fast cuts, though I stop and recover often when my unhappy arms tell me they have vibrated enough for a while. The good thing is it cuts nicely rather than making a lot of heat and binding like with a metal cutting blade.

Scott

To remove lead I used Forstner Bits, if you don’t know what they are Google it and you will see them; they make a neat hole.
What you CAN NOT do with these bits, it is to drill a hole by hand, you mist have a column drill so the bit stays straight.
I put my small column drill on a table, clamp it, I secured the lead in a sturdy position and I proceeded to drill the hole very very slowly with an up-down motion and cleaning the lead shaving often. In 20 minutes using a 3/4" bit I removed 1/2 pound of lead.

Again, NO HAND DRILLING, very very slow up-down motion to prevent the bit to get stacked in the lead.

Val

AS with most non-ferrous metals, use a bar of soap to lubricate the drill bit and you should have no problem with the bit sticking. It pays to clear the bit frequently also.

Soap also works well with taps in non-ferrous metals.

After use, you should clean and lubricate your bit or die with oil to prevent rust...


Tom