Lead tape to add weight to a steam loco

[craigolio1]

Hey all. I’m working in a steam loco project and was looking for a way to hide any additional weight that I can, and i stumbled across this product:



Its lead tape meant for adding weight to tennis racquets and the like. 

I was able to place in the top of the boiler:

A

Behind the smoke box front:



A little on the top of the motor:



Some more on top of the boiler hidden from view.



And on the roof and rear wall if the cab:



In total I was able to add 6.46 grams which is just under a quarter Oz, and you cant see any of it!



I had never heard of this stuff before and can think of lots of places for it.

Craig.

[kiwi_al]

That is so cool! I guess tomorrow after work I'm going to try and get some

[mmagliaro]

Looks like a handy product.  Online it seems to go for about $6 for a 6 foot x 1/4" wide strip.
I'm just guessing, but it looks to be 1/32" thick?  Is that about right?
You can get a 12" x 24" sheet of 1/32" (which is about 96 feet of 1/4" wide strips)  from rotometals.com for $17.

I can appreciate the convenience of it already being in a 1/4" strip, but just  be aware that if
you need to use a lot more, it is a lot cheaper by the sheet.  They also have it in 1/64", 1/16" and other thicknesses,
and it is really easy to cut with an Xacto and a straight edge.   It took me about 5 years, but I did go through
one sheet of it and am on my second.

[craigolio1]

Looks like a handy product.  Online it seems to go for about $6 for a 6 foot x 1/4" wide strip.
I'm just guessing, but it looks to be 1/32" thick?  Is that about right?
You can get a 12" x 24" sheet of 1/32" (which is about 96 feet of 1/4" wide strips)  from rotometals.com for $17.

I can appreciate the convenience of it already being in a 1/4" strip, but just  be aware that if
you need to use a lot more, it is a lot cheaper by the sheet.  They also have it in 1/64", 1/16" and other thicknesses,
and it is really easy to cut with an Xacto and a straight edge.   It took me about 5 years, but I did go through
one sheet of it and am on my second.

Wow awesome info. Thank you. I didn’t spend too much time searching. Found this one on amazon and it seemed perfect, but i can really see the value in a full sheet. 1/32” seems about right, and I’m glad it was thin because it allowed me to build up, but additional thicknesses would be useful too.

Craig.

[wvgca]

there is also lead shot, like what they use in shotgun shells ... each shell should have 3/4 to 1 oz of the stuff, recommended size is 7 1/2 birdshot or there abouts ...   can be gotten loose and unlubed from someone that reloads shotgun shells ..

[thomasjmdavis]

What is the actual weight of the stuff? The package says .25 grams per inch.  Which would mean the entire 72 inch package would only weigh 18 grams, or about 2/3 of an ounce. Is it maybe more like 2.5 grams per inch?

[Chris333]

A lot of times it isn't 100% lead so you could be loosing out, but it does look convenient. I bought a pretty large roll of sheet lead. Well I guess not that large, but very heavy 

[garethashenden]

there is also lead shot, like what they use in shotgun shells ... each shell should have 3/4 to 1 oz of the stuff, recommended size is 7 1/2 birdshot or there abouts ...   can be gotten loose and unlubed from someone that reloads shotgun shells ..

If you use this, affix it with super glue. Don't use white glue, it creates a reaction and expands slowly. Everything looks fine for a while, but then a year later you model has been pushed apart by the lead expanding.

[wvgca]

If you use this, affix it with super glue. Don't use white glue, it creates a reaction and expands slowly. Everything looks fine for a while, but then a year later you model has been pushed apart by the lead expanding.

actually the lead itself doesn't expand, but the oxides of lead do ... that's why it's coated in shotgun shells for a long life ... any glue used to affix lead [uncoated] should not be water soluble or water permeable .. ordinary [Elmers], white glue can be softened with water, and is water soluble ..

[u18b]

actually the lead itself doesn't expand, but the oxides of lead do ... that's why it's coated in shotgun shells for a long life ... any glue used to affix lead [uncoated] should not be water soluble or water permeable .. ordinary [Elmers], white glue can be softened with water, and is water soluble ..

I’m not a big fan of lead because of this oxidation.   If you use it, be sure and paint it to seal it and keep the air away.years later, that lead oxide powder is terrible (and toxic).

[wvgca]

I’m not a big fan of lead because of this oxidation.   If you use it, be sure and paint it to seal it and keep the air away.years later, that lead oxide powder is terrible (and toxic).

yes, depending on where you get it from, its usually NOT coated or sealed somehow ... if it looks whitish it's safer to toss it out and get new stuff, and then coat or paint it, seal it from moisture somehow ..

[craigolio1]

What is the actual weight of the stuff? The package says .25 grams per inch.  Which would mean the entire 72 inch package would only weigh 18 grams, or about 2/3 of an ounce. Is it maybe more like 2.5 grams per inch?

Not sure. I’ll cut an inch of it and measure.

[mmagliaro]

If it is really pure lead (or close to it), and it is 1/32" thick, I calculate that one inch should weigh 2.28g.

[Rossford Yard]

I would never, never, never use lead tape to weight tennis racquets to weight my rolling stock.....that is all wrong!    I use lead tape to weight golf clubs instead.

[craigolio1]

1” x 1/4” weighs .22g.

Craig