Princess 26

[Greg Luckett]

Where are good places to find the pots and burners to melt the lead?  I expect to need to buy lead as finding scrap is not going to happen around here.  Shipping cost must be high too, based on the weight, so perhaps driving to where it is sold with the truck would be better.  I have all of Charlie Jones pictures of when he did Pilgrim's lead keel, and that helps a lot with understanding the task.

 

Howard, did you do the lead melting and pouring yet? I cannot remember.

[Howard]

I purchased my scrap lead as wheel weights. I got them from a guy who made lead bullets, but he was making so many of those he could no longer find enough scrap, so was having to buy lead alloy ingots and had no use for a big tub of the wheel weights. I melted those down using an old dutch oven and an LP gas burner.

Scrap lead may be hard to find and it may be expensive. I still think a good source might be an existing lead keel off an old derelict laying around in a yard somewhere.

 

I have poured the tip for the CB, but have not poured the keel. My plan for the keel is to go with Graham's suggestion of using an old LP gas tank with the bottom cut out. Actually, will take two of them. I have the keel plug built, but that is pretty far down the road as far as pouring it. That by itself is going to be a pretty big job. I learned a lot about what to do and what not to do pouring the tip for the CB.

[PAR]

Clean lead is costly, but you can buy 25 and 50 pound bags of lead shot, at a gun supply store, though expect $2 a pound or more. Dirty lead is easier to find and typically about half a buck a pound, but you have to clean it. Lead sheathed wiring works, but you'll be hand weary, once you've stripped them clean. Old boat ballasts can be fairly cheap, especially if heavily packed with 'glass and putty. You can break off the 'glass or even melt it down and scoop off the floating debris. Automotive wheel weights are usually zinc now, though many commercial truck sizes still use lead weights. Another not well know source is nuclear medicine service companies. They'll have thousands of pounds of old lead shielding laying around. Alos roofers can be your friend in the lead department too. Lastly, a buddy of mine scored a lot of lead from the local water company, that was replacing old lead pipe parts.

[Hirilonde]

The rule of thumb for auxiliary engines in a displacement sailboat is 4 hp / ton (SAE).  I used a 9.9 in my 7,000 lb (cruishing weight) Pearson Renegade.  A tad more would have been nice into a sea, but not necessary for enjoyable cruising.  I can't imagine more than 6 is necessary for a P26, an 8 would power through most weather at near if not hull speed.

I have always used 1.4 x √lwl for hull speed.  This link uses 1.34:
http://www.cncphotoalbum.com/technical/hullspeed/hullspeed.htm

[rexaco]

In the four stroke engine department, a 6hp weighing around 60lb would certainly be more desirable to handle at my age than the 80+lbs that the 8 - 10hp's weigh. Two strokes in the 8 - 10hp range weigh about the same as the 5 - 6hp four strokes but there are environmental issues and regulations with two strokes. An attractive alternative is the new propane models coming out. Tohatsu is offering a 5hp available this April and Lehr has been at it for a few years with a lineup now ranging from 2.5 - 25hp.

[Don Silsbe]

I used a second hand stainless steel pot that had two handles.  I built a small wood fire to melt it.  I used some concrete blocks to keep the pot steady, above the flame.

[Drew]

Howard, I found old sash window weights at a yard where they dump old building material. They worked out very nicely. To melt them I used an iron camp oven pot sitting on top of one of those big burners that you can take camping (it has three concentric rings and two taps). Attached to a 20lb LPG bottle it made short work of melting the lead. I then used welding gloves and face protection to pour the lead into the mold. I hope this helps in some way.

[PAR]

Finding old lead sash weights is a pretty rare thing. They've been using cast iron as a replacement for a long time now.

[Tony M]

So, I am curious. Did Howard finish his boat?

Edited January 23, 2021 by Tony M
typo