Almost-A-SCAMP Progress Report #5A . . . . .

[Charles Brennan]

While I've built numerous things FOR a sailboat, I've never built a SAILBOAT before, so I keep taking baby steps and dipping a toe into the water.
They sell an auxiliary kit for the SCAMP that includes a center board foil in two pieces and a two-piece rudder foil, both already pre-formed; supposed to save a lot of time and effort.
The partial build I purchased had centerboard foils, but no rudder foils.
The SCAMP has 2½ lb of lead in the rudder and 22 lb of lead in the (off-)centerboard and when I looked up lead prices, the only thing more horrendous than the lead prices, was the shipping costs. 
Rummaged around in my SCUBA gear and realized all the extra lead dive weights I've picked up over the years (and why you NEVER hang out under the dive ladder on a dive boat!)    not even counting the plastic covered ones, was wayyyy more weight than I needed. 
So I just figured I'd smelt my own weights! What could go wrong? 
My wife seemed to have numerous ideas of all the things that could go wrong and implored me to reconsider, even offering to buy some lead for me, but I decided to give it a shot anyway.
Got a cheap cast iron skillet at a thrift shop and a slotted spoon, (ditto) and dug out the turkey frier, borrowed a grate from the BBQ and saved some tuna fish cans.
Used a fan to blow lead fumes away from me, donned my best vapor mask and welding gloves and figured I was good to go.

That is actually three pounds there, but I figured that between dross and slippage and stuff sticking to the frying pan, it would probably end up being 2½ lb; turned out it was exactly the needed weight.
You cannot view this attachment.

Took no time at all for stuff to start melting.
You cannot view this attachment.

Did an experimental lift of the pan and discovered that the leather welding gloves were not up to those temps and gave myself a minor blister and carefully set it back down.
You cannot view this attachment.

So I got out my heavy-duty barbecue mitts and started the pour only to discover that the mitts which work fine for barbecuing, are not quite useless for smelting.
That's why there's a little splashed lead next to the tuna can and why I now have a fairly impressive blister.   
After the gloves, I had hedged my bets by using vise grip pliers on the pan handle, but I needed both hands to handle the pan with lead in it and while the hand holding the vise grips was fine, the hand guiding the handle . . . .  not so much.
You cannot view this attachment.
After things cooled down, I experimented with putting the 11 lb (for each half of the centerboard) in the pan and manipulating it.
It was far too cumbersome and clunky to be usable (or safe!); I would have probably needed something with a 2 foot handle for the necessary leverage, so I decided to take my wife up on her generous offer

But hey!    I got me a cool rudder weight! 
Used the same I/R laser thermometer I use to check my trailer hubs, to determine when it was safe to remove the lead from the tuna can.
You cannot view this attachment.

Top.
You cannot view this attachment.

Bottom.
You cannot view this attachment.

Normally on SCAMP builds, the lead is poured into two tuna cans since the rudder kit is in two pieces and can use a slimmer piece of lead to be routed into the wood on each side.
I have a different problem: my rudder is in three thicknesses, although this makes it a little easier for me.
I can simply cut a hole for the lead weight in the center piece of plywood and then use the cut-out center piece to mark out router lines for the other two pieces of plywood.
You cannot view this attachment.

Next chore is to shape the rudder into a foil.
You cannot view this attachment.

Since they had a full sized foil section outline on the plans, I traced it onto a piece of clear plastic and used spray adhesive to to attach it to some spare paneling and cut out and used the paneling to make an aluminum half-template foil gauge.
You cannot view this attachment.

Back to the centerboard weights:
I managed to go online and find some 12" X 12" X 3/8" lead weights that were 12 pounds and ordered them, figuring I'd cut one inch off the plate and end up with exactly 11 pounds per side.
Because of the foil tapering, another Great Plan collapsed under the crushing weight of Reality,  and I had to cut up the lead plates.
The rudder kit was already pre-marked, a little on the shy side since the original designed centerboard weight of 16 lb was found not to be enough in practice and was increased to 22 lb, so I had expected the outline to be a little short.
Scribed a line on the lead plate and cut it.
You cannot view this attachment. 

Then made another cut and the 2nd piece was still 1 lb shy, so used the remainder to make two more pieces to achieve exactly 11 lb.
You cannot view this attachment.

Checked thickness by holding a piece of lead plate flush with the bottom, for an idea of how much material I would have to rout out.
You cannot view this attachment.

Put on another piece to see that I would only have to go half-way through the plywood and had plenty of room, even with the taper in the wood.
You cannot view this attachment.

Both sides cut out.
You cannot view this attachment.

And router outlines marked with a Sharpie laundry marking pen.
Notice the difference between the original pencil lines and the sharpie lines and why you should never trust a previous builder's work.
One side was 10 mm different from the other side.
Hah!! I get to say it again!! DPO!! 
You cannot view this attachment.

My boat-building confidence is increasing by leaps and bounds, although I expect rudder foil shaping is probably going to temper my enthusiasm, somewhat.

Charles Brennan

[Spot]

Nicely journaled CB!

My lead melting set-up is very similar, the cast iron pot I use is small enough diameter to sit down a little closer to the flame on the turkey fryer. It also has a wooden handle and a loop opposite the handle that I can grab with a pliers to help the pours. I put a couple firebricks over the top of the pot while the lead is melting.

I have a vintage lead melting pot too, with a long detachable handle,  but it is too small to use on the turkey fryer base as-is...if I steal your idea about the grate and make it drop in a bit lower I'd be in business.

[rfrance0718]

Nicely done. Weighted boards make some sense, lots of ways to get there, some harder than others. This design obviously allows one off builds by amateur builders. Still lots of ways to muck it up, but your work looks great!

[Norm L.]

Thanks for taking us along on a project that I've never seen here before.

You tried the safety path. Before my mother bought the house in Charlotte she lived in an apartment. I got to meet her next-door neighbor. He was a black powder shooter. On his kitchen stove he melted the lead for his own reloading. He had bags of black powder in a closet! This was before crazy neighbors made crack.
He did take me to a firing range at let me shoot an old buffalo gun, maybe something like 455. It hurt.

[Riley Smith]

Tactical mistake! Next time use an aluminum pot. It's lighter, transfers heat quicker, and the handle will stay cooler than one piece of solid cast iron. You can bend in a pouring spout without much trouble.That way, you can use one sacrificial glove to wrap the handle and then hold with another glove. Or use some pliers on the rim.The melting point of lead is 650F or so and I can imagine you did get a blister! Us welders always say it didn't take long to look at THAT when we get a blister😆The aluminum melts at over 1000F, so you've got a good bit of safety margin. Good job though!

[Timm R Oday25]

Charles ... wouldn't it have been far easier, faster and safer if you would have just used soft weights ?
I mean you could just pour the lead pellets into to cutout and glass over them ...
I'm kidding .. I also have several hundred pounds of hard weights in a bucket in the garage ...

[Charles Brennan]

Timm,  I only have about 12 pounds of soft lead weight packs for my BCD pockets, versus 30 pounds of hard lead weight-belt weights.  12 lb sounds like a lot of weight, but I like to lay on the ocean floor when I am after lobsters.  For diving in the local springs, I don't even use them at all.   I had seriously considered cutting up my weight bags and if I had had 22 pounds worth, I would have indeed done that.  Just figured I would never have much use for the old-style weights.

However, as an inveterate re-purposer, I now have a BUNCH of epoxy weights to hold things down! 

Charles Brennan

[Timm R Oday25]

Charles .. we repurpose a lot in our house .. I'm trying very hard not to save anything .. just in case I might need it someday ...I'm following your build ,thank you for taking the time to post it .

[Captain Kidd]

I've collected about 100 lbs of old wheel weights. My plan was to make 25 lb weights for ballast for the CIY. Then the designer informed me that lead weights are not your friend in a capsize. Ummmm? Makes sense. So now I'm planning on water ballast bags. A little expensive for good ones but a wise expense as I see it.

Now what to do with 100 lbs of lead???