Pouring a 4.5-Ton Lead Keel | Acorn to Arabella: Journey of a Wooden Boat (Episode 24)

[@AcornToArabella]

UPDATE: Thanks for all the concern about our health! Steve went and got a lead level blood test, he has had much much more exposure than anyone else, so if he is fine everyone else at the pour should be as well. His blood level is 7ug/dl The US Dept of Health and Human Services recommends adult levels be kept below 10. Symptoms aren't felt to develop until levels are 40 or higher and Chelation therapy does not usually get prescribed until it's over 50. According to the doctors we should live to fight another day and don't have to fret about any long term issues for our health.

[@tomharrell1954]

In reality it is just not that toxic. Also anything spilled does not go all over and into the soil. It stays in a splash zone and can easily be picked up.

[@VikingRul3s]

Acorn just use real air filter masks, only one of you had (you i think, hoping you had fresh carbon filters on) the others where just useless dustmasks

[@cadenjeager9683]

Acorn To Arabella What about earth's health cough cough

[@o.429]

Blood test for lead is not accurate. Most of the lead is stored at fat tissue and nerve tissue. Blood tests does not show the lead in your body. Actually we do not have any tests for lead concentration in your body. Only way to measure lead in your body can be done when you are dead. This is how we accurately test organic materials: Take all the water from the body, turn it into dust, mix it untul it gets a homogenous material, analyse it in spectroscopy lab. BTW ike fun's post is irrevelant. In water systems you apply low electric current on water system to prevent metals to dissolve and/or oxidize in water. Lead in paint is not that harmful as metallic lead or pure lead oxide; it is bound by other molecules. It will effect you at the rest of your life. Please seek technical support to clean the area and contaminated materials. Especially those wooden pieces came out of lead. Do not burn them!

[@biglammo]

10μg/dL is the CDC's guideline but there are no safe levels as listed by anyone - a microbe of lead can adversely affect the development of a child without treatment but for the most part you all seem biologically developed and are free of lead-based developmental issues. The 'safe amount of lead' was removed in 2013 when the CDC put out a report stating that 10μg/dL is a policy guideline, or something politicians can point to, in health care issues if need be. Love your doctors; they're not going to get you killed by not staying up to date on all the minute filings of governmental bodies however in the case of lead poisoning or indeed any contact with fuming heavy metals then I would ask to see a specialist that is familiar with the detox procedure, which is as simple as going to your nearest poison control center. I hope in the future if you all are boiling heavy metals you guys might enjoy the monotony of using safety gear, the champion of the 'what if' scenario and barring that, incidents do not befall you. And yes, I'm sure you guys swept up well enough and carefully enough.

[@johnjesus971]

nice work, all that lead could have kept the residents of flint hydrated for a year or two

[@mpsSalvadorian]

😂...😔 i shouldn’t laugh.

[@whammond511]

That’s a horrible thing to say!! We Flint Residents can’t find any humor in the 8000 children exposed to lead or the 12 people who died from Legionnaire’s due to the water!!

[@ironsam2381]

@@whammond511 its a joke. chill.

[@whammond511]

@@ironsam2381 Chill yourself!! You wouldn’t think it a joke if it were your child that got poisoned or your loved one that died!!

[@ironsam2381]

@@whammond511 if a loved one of mine died i wouldn't really give a shit about a joke lol id be more focused on grieving.

[@skiingcrocodile2153]

I've just come back to this video after 2+ years and it's insane to see the backbone of Arabella being created considering how much progress has been made. They grow up so fast!

[@deadclutch]

I have no idea how pouring molten lead for a boat keel landed on my suggested list, but I am glad it did. Great watch, keep it up!

[@benchasinghorizons9428]

Jay Q dito

[@popsicle33]

And I thought the opposite. Right up there with paint drying

[@ieuanhunt552]

I was watching a video on someone processing 25 pounds of range scrap to make bullets and this video was in the recommendations feed.

[@rickarmknecht8903]

It reminded me of making lead soldiers with my brothers and my dad when I was a kid.

[@ragandoil]

i saw your comment on the 17th june 2023,

[@JingleJoe]

yeah smooth jazz goes really well with A GIANT PIT OF MOLTEN METAL AND A HUGE FIRE AND A FLAME THROWER.

[@thomaselliott573]

they are morons

[@shawn7236]

They are not very smart and they are even less smarter now because of all of the fumes because these kind of fumes effect the brain..just saying

[@chrisrey9644]

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣I was thinking the same thing!🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@Metal-Possum]

Some good old fashioned Norwegian Black Metal isn't really family friendly, for some reason.

[@DBHHellhound]

I WANT TO REMOVE THE SLAG SO BAD !!!

[@charlesirby9222]

WELL BOYs...This video caught my eye because I pour lead also, only my pouring is 20 lbs. at a time making bullets for various weapons....soooo, I just had to stop in and see about this keel ! What an undertaking...I just can't express how happy you two make me seeing how hard the two of you work, 'old school' and how dedicated to the task at hand that you are. Boys, I can relate! You fellas are carrying on traditions that set the course of our Nation and made us great...KEEP ON KEEPING ON ! Well, I had to go back to the first video a couple days ago and get caught up...I don't want to miss a single episode in the future. I am retired for the last 25 years and wish that I lived close by, I'd be there everyday lending a hand. Damn! What an awesome life changing project that has and will change your lives for the future ahead....yeah, I'm kinda jealous but I had my stretch of adventure this past 67 years and had a blast...I hope you fellas have a blast also. Believe it or not...this right now is some of the best of it! Alright, be careful boys...don't hurt yourselves! . . . c h a r l i e

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks Charlie! We really appreciate the kind words and encouragement! We do realize that looking back these will be some damn good times and they currently are for the most part. It is a lot of work though and a lot of head scratching and figuring at times. Hopefully people will see us and feel inspired to chase their dreams whatever it may be. At the end of the day we know the only thing that can stop us is us and the day we slide Arabella into the water will be one of the happiest and proudest days of our lives. Those thoughts keep us trucking!

[@ChessMasterNate]

Even low levels of lead causes heart disease and other issues: www.theguardian.com/us-news/2018/mar/12/lead-exposure-premature-deaths-us It is like celebrating smoking. You still alive 2 years later?

[@BUSTRCHERRI]

I think it would have worked equally as good and much faster if each guy had a torch in their hands , stood 2 or 3 feet away from each other and kept adding lead until it reached the top then skim it off and call it done. No need to build a pig and the pipe system etc. Lead has such a low temp melting point to begin with. Could have shaved hours and hours off this job.

[@paulreside6567]

I built 60 foot sail boats in Florida for Island packet Yachts. When doing Keels we used 25lb ingots and sealed them in with fiber glass. Didn't have to worry so much about lead vapor.

[@ferky123]

@John Doe still would have to have melted them down as the lead was in different shapes.

[@thomaselliott573]

Oh! Come on! You don't get into this form of euthanasia?

[@kentfletcher8539]

Really? The biggest boat IP makes (or has ever made) is 52 feet overall...

[@utuber2940]

Paul Reside I built 600 foot pocket botes and we used discarded concrete chunks and sealed them with saran wrap!!!

[@Mister006]

With days left before launch, this pops back up. This is also what started it for me!

[@samrodian919]

I'm watching this at the end of February 2021 revisiting my first Acorn to Arabella. Here is where I came in to Arabella's journey like so many others. I've not missed an episode since and gave enjoyed every single minute of the journey so far, so thank you so much Steve and Alix for the pleasure you give to every one of your faithful subscribers.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thank you so much for such a nice comment!

[@Civmiiuydux]

I've now seen Arabella launched and sailing with Steve at the tiller, but watching this video it's hard to believe.

[@dustinkral5330]

It was this episode that made me realize what an epic adventure I was about to watch unfold!

[@reggierico]

I used to install lead keels in nuclear submarines and we did it without any foundry or molten forming. We used 3 inch lead pigs that were either 8 inches long or 16 inches long, weighing 32 and 64 lbs each, respectively. Then we would make shims, with a band saw, using these same pigs, at various widths from about 1 inch to 1/8 of an inch. On the sub, bins were welded into the keel beam that were about 2 feet wide and varying lengths. We lined the bins with 1/4 inch thick poly and started laying the pigs in a brick laying type pattern, using shims to tighten up each layer. These bins were about two feet deep, so each bin took the better part of a day to finish. We would then place a layer of poly sheeting on top, then weld a 1/2 inch steel plate to finish the structural part of the build. The top plate also had a built in tap fashioned that allowed us to pump in molten bee's wax to completely fill any voids throughout the finished bin. That was it! I'm guessing this technique or a variation of it could be used for smaller ship and boat building without having to do a pour on site.

[@AcornToArabella]

Interesting method, thanks for sharing!

[@lordgarion514]

Why do they call it a keel? The definition of keel says it's the main support structure. Lead would just bend from the weight of the ship so it can't be used as the main structure right?

[@reggierico]

The lead 'keel' is actually ballast. It keeps the boat/ship upright and reduces rolling motions. It is laid on top of the main structural keel beam to stabilize these moments or rolling motions.

[@slightlyaverageamerican9664]

First video I watched! Congratulations on the launch!!

[@chuckduzzie8529]

The vision of one man, the camaraderie of everyone involved …. a job well done. 👍💪

[@AcornToArabella]

🙌

[@MS2000LIGHTMARKERDISTRESS]

Im from Bayou La Batre AL. My great grandfather built schooners for a living because it was his passion. He built many ships and one of them in the Red Witch, she does tours in Chicago to this day. He passed away around 2004 when he fell while working on his roof (84 and working on his roof what a legend) he left his tools and a unfinished hull. I'm only 16 now but after watching your series and hearing your story I'm going to pick up in his place. I'm going to build a 60ish foot schooner off of his designs and sail that b*tch around the world.

[@AcornToArabella]

That is some super cool family history! We hope you follow in his footsteps and we hope you succeed in your endeavors! If we can help in any way let us know. Two books we can highly recommend! www.woodenboatstore.com/product/book-how-to-build-a-wooden-boat/boatbuilding www.landlpardey.com/details

[@MS2000LIGHTMARKERDISTRESS]

Acorn To Arabella Thanks for pointing me in the right direction! I will look into those books asap. Since I have two years of high school I might start by building designs in smaller scale until I can start building them full size

[@TheFireBrickCo]

Man your great grandfather would be stoked to hear this

[@charlesjenkins7535]

Wizard Man Good luck and God bless

[@oliverwatson1567]

Try building a dinghy first. Boatbuilding can take much longer than you think. I'm currently completing an apprenticeship as a shipwright, and it's quite a complex trade

[@matthorning2157]

Cool video. Really enjoyed seeing you cast something so massive. My only complaint is that this comment section is toxic. Maybe get the comments tested? I think they already gave me cancer...

[@katrinageorge6433]

Thirty years ago, my neighbor built a sailboat. I helped him work on it. He did a wood model of the keel and made the mould from concrete. For a pot we used a pair of bathtubs. IIRC, it was around 3200 pounds. There were copper pipes put in before hand for the mounting bolts.

[@PhilJonesIII]

Always great to see people following their passion like this, especially when parts are experimental. Cool work. Thanks for the inspiration. As for the music : There was no 'lead' singer.

[@matthewslater6975]

Again like i said to another comment no PUN intended :-) c'mon its like our dads old lame jokes

[@crepps]

Holy EPA, that was awesome!!

[@raybignell]

I have been casting Aluminium all of my working life. You took a huge risk but you succeeded. Well done. The quality of the lead may be suspect but at the end of the day is ballast so will be fine. The bubbling on the plywood was moisture by the way.

[@AcornToArabella]

That we did! Thanks! You are correct on the quality not mattering much, so long as it's decently hard which it is we should be good to go. We know the bubbling was moisture escaping, everyone else seems to think we got to lead hot enough to boil for a hour after the heat was removed. Not sure a wood fire is even capable of getting that hot. LOL

[@raybignell]

Its a shame that I came across the video when the casting was completed. I could have helped you no end in the design and the actual casting.

[@AcornToArabella]

How are you at casting bronze? There is a significant amount of that in our future and there is time to sort it out. Feel free to email [e-mail] if you are interested in helping us with that down the road!

[@raybignell]

Two e mails sent. Hope you find useful.

[@petenash7994]

Just to confirm it is extremely difficult to hold one's breath for 10 minutes and 26 seconds - WELL DONE GUYS!!

[@minibuilder1512]

I passed out at the 3 minute mark ...LOL

[@AcornToArabella]

LOL Thanks!

[@morpar318]

Pete Nash we all love to play with lead. Here is just a little tip. You and your crew might want to start using a respirator. $175 per respirator. Is a hell of a lot cheaper than $475,000 Plus for medical bills. Retaining to lead poisoning.

[@SuperJlonergan]

im gonna make a small bet and say they will all be fine with one keel pour outdoors in their whole life:)

[@rlikemoney]

JNaasty less than 30$ at wesco for an activated charcoal disposable respirator that is good 40 hours.

[@clickbait5714]

Came to the comments to laugh at lead poisoning jokes. Was not disappointed!

[@AcornToArabella]

Right! LOL Judging by folks reactions you would think we were messing around with plutonium or some other radio active material!

[@clickbait5714]

Acorn To Arabella I know it's laughable!

[@martyjohnsonozarkoutdoors8198]

Clickbait I have cast thousands maybe millions. Of 1/2 ton, 1 ton, and 60 lbs and 100 lbs blocks and ingots. Is crazy how the masses are so scared of lead. Thanks to the media and government agencies. Use the proper procedures and you'll be just fine. Also. If you need it to cool quickly. You can spray water on it even though its liquid. Just carefully and slowly. You don't want the water to break the surface. But never pour it in a wet mold. It will blow up. From the steam it creates.

[@kkknotcool]

Radioactive poisoning shares a lot in common with heavy metal poisoning. In that it usually doesn't kill you, but you sometimes wish it did.

[@greenidguy9292]

Acorn To Arabella I was more concerned with what you ate for lunch...high cholesterol is a killer!

[@rockwilder0]

Hard believe it's been three years since this video grabbed my attention. Been watching it every 2/week since.

[@Bobbywolf64]

After stumbling across this particular video, I went back and binge watched ALL of your videos. Amazing commitment to the project, and I can't wait to see it all unfold. You gained another subscriber.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! Glad you are enjoying following our journey!

[@captainboing]

Dude! You guys have balls of steel - I would never screw around with that much at that temperature. Glad it went well!

[@knightridergt7787]

www.myinstants.com/instant/balls-of-steel/

[@BUSTRCHERRI]

Its not that hot.

[@captainboing]

@@BUSTRCHERRI I'd watch a video of you picking it up.

[@PinkVisor]

Nice work guys, keep it up! Don't worry about the do nothings who sit at home and tell you what you can't do.

[@tomharrell1954]

Congrats I am amazed the wood worked out. Cant wait to see the keel. I don't know if you plan to do this again, but the burned material floating on the top of the lead, the dross, should be dipped off It leaves your lead pure and clean. The top of the keel will form with out the dross skin. The dross skin will not stay attached to the keel or hull. A wax candle can be dropped into the pot then stir to get all the impurities out and any hardening metals completely mixed into the lead. Antimony or what ever you use. The breathing mask are not needed, but eye shields are.

[@AcornToArabella]

Why do you say the masks were not needed? We have heard so much about lead toxicity, folks have been adamant we need to wear protective gear (gloves, respirator) even when the lead is solid and we are just moving it. We will use a router to flatten the top which we would have done regardless of skimming the dross. The dross seemed soft enough that a carbide bit should eat it right up. We will make sure we get it all off the top before we mate it with the wood keel.

[@ScottyB0AllDay]

I disagree that any PPE is unnecessary, if you have the PPE you should use it, even if you think you shouldn’t.

[@tomharrell1954]

Here goes my best shot. Lead must be in a micro size to be absorbed. If you rub it on your hands you can see it rub off and leave a residue. The residue from your hands can be ingested and you can absorb it in your stomach if you handle food like a burger or sandwich or fries. This can be toxic. just wash your hands after handling lead and you are fine. If you could breath a chunk of lead it would sit. You may choke to death, but it will not poison you. Not enough would be absorbed. You would have to call my son to cut/pull it out. Some of our veterans have lead shrapnel in them and never removed from WWII but have no lead blood levels. You can see lead lumps under the skin. To get the lead in a microscopic size into the air, the temperature of vaporization about 3180 degrees F, must be reached.. The energy to get the atoms of lead moving enough to jump from the liquid lead into the air, which is about 783 Newtons per mole per Jewel must be reached.. (This is a guess i don't feel like looking up the exact vapor point).. The lead would have to boil. At the boiling point 3180 degrees F some of the atoms of lead would vaporize into the air. Then the lead could be inhaled and become toxic over a period of time. The melting point of lead is about 630 degrees. The vaporization temp is 3180 degrees F. You can melt lead with a wood fire, but wood will not get hot enough to boil lead to form lead vapors. A much hotter way of burning has to be used. Like burning gas in an engine with leaded gas. Or like a heating furnace used for melting steel or an oxygen acetylene cutting tourch. Think about water boiling. Water water boils at 212 degrees F. At that point steam rises up from the water. The single molecules begin to jump from the liquid into the air at the temperature of vaporization. This happens with water very easily but not with the lead. Leads temperature of vaporization is 3180 degrees F. That is the best i can explain it in layman's terms with the physical chemistry of lead. Now for the practical explanation. I have molded lead bullets from my teen years. I have had blood lead levels run at least once every 10 years and more. I have never had a blood lead level. I have shot more than a million rounds. Be careful and don't get burned or splashed. The most dangerous thing you did and survived was adding those cold lead pieces to the hot lead.. If there had been one drop on moisture on one of those pieces it would sink to the bottom and explode. (colder lead is heavier than hot lead) A better technique would be to let the lead sit above the molten lead and warm up. Then put it in. Humans have the ability to learn if they want. I learned that a wooden mold can be used to mold lead. I also found a video of a professional foundry pouring a keel. Two workers had respirators and two did not. So ??? There could be impurities in the lead too. I use pure lead and mix things i know into it. But you are using scrap. So you could say its for any unknown impurities if you like and that would be valid. kzbin.info/www/bejne/h2q0iWaBbpJliLs Here is another example of a professional foundry pouring lead without respirators. Granted they are in India. Is India a third world country? They have the bomb. I don't know. kzbin.info/www/bejne/d5jIcn2wrbijbbM Here is a US foundry pouring lead without respirators. The casting is toward the end of the video. Please note that the workers are all presumed to be regular 40 hrs per week. I don't see any of them running around crazy with lead poisoning. kzbin.info/www/bejne/bHnLlZ6hmdipiq8

[@phatman808]

Your comment made my day. Useful, evidence and experience based information, knowledgeable without being a condescending jerk. What in the hell are you doing in a KZbin comments section? :p

[@johno6861]

I poured a12,000 lb keel by myself 2 years ago. I lined the mold with drywall and that went quite well. I trimmed it with a power plane but the worst was drilling the keel bolts. Keep up the good work.

[@AcornToArabella]

Drilling for keel bolts is in our future. Our lead is pretty hard and so far has machined well, hopefully the drilling goes smoothly. 12,000 pounds is a big pour! What vessel was the keel for?

[@johno6861]

Acorn To Arabella It was for the Arctic Witch, an Arctic research schooner. It was to replace an iron keel, boat suffered badly from iron rot. Unfortunately the owner ran out of money before it was finished, got into a legal battle, and it isn’t finished yet. When drilling the lead you can’t do more than 1/2” at a time, clear the bit and let it cool. You will melt the lead and seize the bit. It will happen, best way to get them out is same as pulling keel bolts, with a plate and hydraulic jack.

[@spdrcr1010]

I saw this video come up when it was fresh, been watching the whole thing grow since then. Who'd've thunk it, car guy watching boat stuff? I think what keeps me watching is that you're trying to make something that you haven't made before and you get through the challenges. I can't wait to see it on the water 👍👍

[@bikentrike]

Holy cow...........this video sure brought the trolls and internet medical experts out of the woodwork! Most of the comments were way more toxic than the pour itself. Such hysteria. I'm thinking there are folks out there that could turn a hang nail into cancer in about 10 minutes of discussion! Carry on men you're doing great!

[@Prander5x5]

The internet allows us to be more intelligent than we really are. The trick is, we believe it more than the people we are preaching too. It's self congratulation and a cheap dopamine hit.

[@Zoomer30]

Lead: The Stuff That Made Ancient Rome Nuts.

[@linnblack3661]

Damn I never thought about that wth. They made water pipes and utensils out of it they definitely were all lead poisoned

[@Jacob-yg7lz]

It also made the 80s nuts but the gas companies swept that under the rug

[@seanlanders4180]

There's a lot of evidence that a majority of older people are nuts because of it today.

[@jesseeodom2891]

Thought ot was mercury

[@seanlanders4180]

@@jesseeodom2891 no, it was lead

[@Whitpusmc]

Sigh, after reading the comment section I commend you for your dream, for your hard work and ingenuity and the willingness to put yourselves and your considerable hard efforts to be judged by many who dream much smaller and dare much less but speak much louder. Keep up the dream.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks Making videos and being judged is often harder than the actual boat building but it's all part of the character building process =) As Aristotle once said: "If you want to avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." The criticism is just proof we are saying, doing and being!

[@Whitpusmc]

Acorn To Arabella True, just sorry that’s where we’ve gotten, partly through social media but it can’t take all the blame. Keep on dreaming! I once got a chainsaw stuck in a tree, newbie mistake and it worked out OK but I’m glad it isn’t on KZbin.

[@alakani]

@@WhitpusmcYep social media is a big part. Also, notifications in general. I read recently that a lot of the brain processes responsible for empathy only run during day-dreaming. So if someone is constantly attached to their phone or TV or job, there's no time for that processing to happen, and people start to get un-empathetic and narcissistic.

[@Whitpusmc]

Alden Zenko Very interesting! Makes some sense, in school we used to daydream now kids are on their phones.....

[@gavinferguson]

Wow and now my feed sends me back to the first video I watched and made me a patron for the whole build

[@FT4Freedom]

Great job guys. I just watched the whole story. Nothing like work on a dream together. It's the process that matters. The glory is in every day of life. Live hard.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! We are doing our best to "Live Hard" you only get to do it once so why not go full bore?! =)

[@iansmith8944]

Where did u find so much lead. I can barley find enough scrap to reload

[@chuckfalls9827]

Yeah, I’m sitting here trying to resist the urge to math out how many grains are in that keel.

[@haroldlamble5163]

Car batterys.

[@-a13x-75]

Chuck Falls 63,000,000 grains

[@Frank-bc8gg]

Old boat keels are made of it, the problem is they want you to take the whole dang thing and it's a chore and a half cutting it into smeltable portions

[@jamesgoodwin2450]

O man your gonna get all the experts telling where you went wrong hahaha great job guys

[@AcornToArabella]

O they are!!! There sure are some interesting concepts getting thrown around!

[@453421abcdefg12345]

Acorn to Arabella:And all by people that never lift their bum off the computer chair ! Well done you.

[@andyharpist2938]

I am weaning myself off "Deadly Mouse Traps" and "Car Crashes from Hell " and was nearly clean, before I got here

[@thomaswilkinson3468]

😂 😂 😂

[@himdude121]

I've just recently found and caught up with your series and I'm really enjoying it. I love the learning process feel and lets try this attitude. That being said, I read a fair ways down on the comments on this video and there's a lot of things people are quite adamant about in their posts. Best way I found to deal with all the comments is to add an, "in my opinion," onto the front. You guys never claimed to be experts but I feel like you're fairly cautious about safety and take time in planing everything before just jumping in. Keep up the good work! I'll be looking forward to new videos!

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! People sure do have their thoughts and opinions and are not shy about sharing them! Thanks for the tip!

[@brandweerquest]

A incradeble journie so far. Together with the Tally Ho I saw this boot growing from this stage to the getting the boot in the water in the next few weeks. 5 years has gone by fast

[@dwaynetube]

YT just recomended this video to me yesterday and I binge watched the rest to catch up. Amazing. So impressive what you are doing! Thanks for sharing it!

[@AcornToArabella]

Haha, Nice! Glad you have enjoyed our journey so far! It's still just beginning even though we have been at it for two years =)

[@dwaynetube]

Yeah. At first I was just impressed and then I began to realize the timescale. And when you where talking to that boat builder (whose name I can shamefully not remember, although having watched that video just a few hours ago :-) ) and mentioning 9000 hours or 10 years, but having a brand new boat at 42 it realy hit home with me. I hope you get there sooner, but OTOH it will be realy interesting to watch the progression. Best wishes to you guys!

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! Yeah, it's a long journey and a big undertaking, more so than most realize. That is a big part of why we started at the very beginning with the video's. We wanted to be sure to tell the whole tale, this ain't a quick read, even if we get on the water in 3 years it will still be an odyssey. The messed up part is for us the boat is merely the beginning of the dream and over all goal. There is so much more to come!

[@robvannNS]

I lined my wooden mold with 1/8" tempered masonite painted with aluminum oil paint.. worked well. 3900lb

[@AcornToArabella]

Right on, thanks for sharing your experience! There are not too many folks out there who have cast a keel!

[@robvannNS]

Thanks should go to David Stevens of Second Peninsula Lunenburg Co NS who I was fortunate enough to spend time with years ago. He gave me the encouragement and his expert advice from a lifetime of building schooners and other wooden boats.

[@twagner6155]

I used to work with melted lead every day. We melted it to temper steel wire from about 500 to 1400 degrees. We called the things to melt the lead in kettles. I also worked at foundries and would think you could use foundry sand to cast your keel. To let the lead cool you just let it cool, you don't need to stir it or cool it with fire.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks for in the insights! All the experienced people we spoke with recommended a wooden mold. We think for newbies it has a higher chance of getting a function keel or at least a hunk of lead one can trim into a keel. The keels is 11' long, 18" deep and 16" wide, that is a lot of casting sand!

[@philmenzies2477]

You need to add more lead as it cools or you end up with huge sinkholes as it cools

[@twagner6155]

Ok

[@daveopincarne3718]

So here's some insight from a journeyman patternmaker. This could have been done a lot better and I agree that sand casting would have been the way to go if possible. Keel bolts should have been added or holes cored. A_to_A, just because that's how someone else does it doesn't mean it's the best way to proceed. I imagine the problem previous examples were avoiding (and here's the difficulty you would have encounter with sand casting) is flipping the drag. You would have had to mold it in a large enough flask upside down, and then flip it and withdraw the pattern. Alternatively, you could have molded the sand directly, but that takes some skill. Regardless, the binders in sand aren't environmentally friendly either. At a minimum, you're talking about a bunch of oil. The co2 and resin stuff other people have mentioned are for cores. They are expensive, nasty, require special equipment, and get super hard. You could have poured a refractory plaster or cement as other have suggested, but if it had any moisture you could have steam and molten lead everywhere. This is a danger with wood too, but less so. Sand is porous enough to let the steam vent until the lead starts to solidify at the mold surface, but no matter what, steam can blow back and make the surface of the casting porous. As someone mentioned, you will get shrinkage and it can occur inside the casting. The thickest area will remain molten and feed the casting as it cools. This can happen internally but I imagine you got a nice concave area on the top surface right in the middle. Adding solid metal isn't the solution however. That's called a chill and its used to initiate solidification. In specific areas. What's need is a riser - a thick sacrificial mass that sits at the top of the casting and cools last in order to feed the rest of the casting. It is cut off later. However you can't add a riser in an open mold. So yes, you could have done this better, but sand casting presents a number of problems too. Between the two, I'd opt for green sand. You obviously have the ability to make a flask and a pattern and you must have a way to lift the weight of the keel so you had the ability (but maybe not the patience) to roll a flask. Then you could have added a riser. So had I been doing this for myself, I'd have considered lost foam first and vacuum molding second. Both can be done in loose sand. Good luck

[@daveelv]

Salt and Tar turned me on to you guys, sooo glad!! Your attitudes are very refreshing, even the rough spots are "no problem that can"t be solved". Good luck, and can"t wait to get caught up on all your videos......

[@MaxxMoa67]

I only wanted to watch a video on how to get my fuel pump back on my Camaro, and ended up watching your entire pour video. You guys are perfectly insane. Don't let any one tell you differently! Great video, glad you all survived!

[@AcornToArabella]

HAHA Thanks! We regularly say we are just crazy enough to pull it off =)

[@RPDBY]

when i was a kid we used to make fire and melt old batteries in the forest and make all kids of things from led

[@haydenjay6662]

I feel like I'm getting lead poisoning just by watching this video

[@jeffburns4240]

Thats becausd you are a giant pussy

[@iamchillydogg]

Sketchy as hell. At least move all that junk out of the way so you're not tripping into a vat of molten lead.

[@alexconway4782]

Hi guys I love the setup, as part of my job I have to cast white metal and lead for bearings and fuseable plugs in steam engines, itnteresting mould using wood I would’ve used steel plate but if it works it works! As a suggestion if you do pour again paint masks that run of a compressor air supply are what I use when casting and they can just run of your backyard compressor like a normal air tool and they provide nice clean air while not breaking the bank on expansive fume masks! Great video and project though keep going lads!!!!!

[@PugglevsPanda]

Very VERY nice video, I really enjoyed watching this. This is one of those videos you just get in a trance and watch, like all the stress and hassles of life go away for a few minutes to watch these guys make this. Fine job fellas

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks!

[@gpetheri]

Thank you Kenny (South Park) for the commentary.....

[@mikestravels609]

You should have been scooping the Slag out while It was still hot use a shovel and cut some slits in it whether it's lead or steel when it's molten and cooling you Scoop the Slag out that's all the impurities

[@AcornToArabella]

We tried but it seemed like mostly lead covered wood ash, we felt like we were taking more lead than dross each scoop. We figured it would be easy enough to flatten later, once cool it crumbled right off and was easy to flatten.

[@sleestalk]

How to turn your back yard into a superfund sight in 3 three easy steps.

[@Absolutelycraziness]

sleestalk indeed lmfao! new title... "cancer in a box"

[@rob_6292]

hipster style

[@kentfletcher8539]

And what exactly are you talking about? Oh, that's right, you don't know.

[@donrinyu5837]

Absolutely beautiful!!!! I have worked with metals for 20 years, welding, casting, etc. Never done anything on this scale though. Congratulations I hope it came out perfect. Loved watching that much molten metal being cast into something useful. I am a subscriber now and definitely will follow your progress. I love old sailing ships. Runs in my blood from several hundred years ago (Sir Francis Drake, Sir John Hawkins are direct relatives)

[@AcornToArabella]

Cool history! It came out very well! Needed a little touch up here and there but nothing major and considering it was our first time casting something we are very pleased with the results! We hope you enjoy the previous videos leading up to the pour and the rest of our journey as it unfolds!

[@donrinyu5837]

Acorn To Arabella I am watching the older videos and looking forward to the rest. I hope when you are finished, and sailing that I have the opportunity to see the ship in person!

[@lanesteele240]

This thing has been in my suggestion box 100 times

[@MrRayqwik]

that was a very smart way to pour the lead.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks, we think it worked well!

[@jamesinkeys]

Yankee ingenuity on full display...Young America, still alive and well....

[@mysterymete]

Indeed. Non-Yankees would have poured it in a mold made from an old pickup bed, so the mold didn't burn up in the process. ;-)

[@AcornToArabella]

Bu then the steel would warp and we would have a whole different set of problems! =) It was some serious backyard engineering though!

[@ElectricityTaster]

You strapped a water tank to a seesaw and attached a pipe to it.

[@ITzSmores]

Technically a Yankee is a person from New York as a person from New York I should know. My mom grew up down south where the term originated but the term is not used much today

[@Anythingforfreedom]

I remember I used to chew on lead pellets for my pellet gun when I was a kid. Looking back this was the dumbest thing I've ever done. I'll probably get dementia in my 40s

[@desydukuk291]

Got to admire a person with hands in his pockets, what a tell, tells you all you need to know about them.

[@apexchaser]

Congrats on taking the big step, guys. Can't wait to see it dug up to see how it turned out.

[@combatmako]

VERY Impressive! Well done backyarders... wow ✌️❤️😁

[@iantetteroify]

Gotta love the fumes of fresh molten lead.

[@Droggelbecherbot]

people wearing particle filter masks as if it helps against fumes :'D

[@robertguinn8590]

The surface tension of molten lead is to high to really release that many fumes.

[@ALEXSMALLX]

better than nothing i suppose lol

[@russellr4229]

@@robertguinn8590 you obviously know nothing about hazardous molten metals

[@robertguinn8590]

@@russellr4229 apparently you don't either. Lead melts at 621F and doesn't begin to fume until past 900F. There's no way they got their smelter anywhere near hot enough to to fume. Also, the fuming point is the boiling point of lead. It obviously wasn't boiling in the video.

[@russellr4229]

@@robertguinn8590 you obviously look past the fact that there's a small chance that this is pure lead anyways. Tin, arsenic sublimates, lead oxide, even lead dust from this process are all possible.

[@crowznest438]

It's so much fun knowing that regular folks are still out there building interesting things. Thanks for posting.

[@jeremy499]

It's always easier to be critical from the outside looking in, but watching those guys hold that lifting bar all I could think was that I've never seen a more perfect job for a hydraulic jack and jack stands in my life

[@AcornToArabella]

True, though it was for a limited time and easy enough to do by hand and with blocks.

[@jeremy499]

Acorn To Arabella I get it, I've done lots of things just like it working on projects. "Get it done -itis", lol. Keep up the good work!

[@Mrbiffthebiff1]

It keels me that no one scraped the (dross? Slag?)

[@clearlyclever9615]

4.5 tons melted lead and smooth jazz

[@roddiemacleod4004]

Must congratulate you on the lack of health & safety. Superb stuff crack on guys.

[@UnstoppableNick69]

Molten lead is one of my passions and is nothing wrong with it as long is done safely. The only thing that no one on the video was worried about was the surface. You guys should have skimmed that crud on top so when cold the lead block would have been looking clean and shiny. Anyway good job guys.

[@Mrcaffinebean]

Wow that’s incredible. I would have screwed that up 10 different ways but you guys made it look smooth as butter!

[@sailingluckybear1045]

Great work! Thanks for sharing this video... I love to see people following their dreams!

[@TimZ007]

I love the smell of lead poisoning in the morning LOL

[@rear9259]

Imagine casting the keel for a Nimitz carrier

[@austindorf83]

I haven’t the foggiest idea on how to build a boat, nor the foggiest idea on how you’re getting that thing out of the ground, but I want to see more. Subbed!

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! Coming right up! Stay tuned for this Friday!

[@iwebz2273]

Im not sure why this is the first video im seeing of acorn to arabella but i know ill be watching more

[@AcornToArabella]

We hope you enjoy them!

[@SVSeeker]

Bravo!

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! We are much relieved! That was a lot of molten metal!

[@dozer1642]

Acorn To Arabella you are doing pretty damn good when you get a Bravo from Doug. Nice job.

[@alexandersalz5850]

for what melting some led???? low standards confirmed?

[@dozer1642]

??? ??? You are such an awesome troll.

[@mikearmstrong7830]

Why couldn't you partially fill the mold with solid lead and then fill it with molten lead?

[@cawfeedawg]

Not sure what that would get you other than uncertainty

[@scottmaschino1927]

Mike Armstrong the keel needs to be a solid piece. It isn't only a huge weight back. It also serves partially as a vibration damper. If it was poured in layers, it would have the probability of not melting together causing weak spots, or voids. With all the movement and vibration the boat will endure, it would likely let the keel break off along those weak points.

[@AcornToArabella]

Cawfee and Scott are on the money. A solid one piece ballast keel is the ideal. Imagine dropping the boat off a 20' wave into a trough, the lead wants to plummet to the ocean floor but the buoyancy of the hull "catches it" and the keel bolts take that monster load. If the lead has weak seams they could let go. Same thing if you ran aground.

[@ShortwickCreations]

4:41 Smooth Jazz to pour molten lead by.

[@jonmacdonald5345]

Brad Woodfield Played by Melvin and the Pantie Droppers!

[@eddi9824]

What’s the name of the song?

[@PaulRecchiaJr]

J A V I E R I'm also looking for the name of the song. I know I've heard it elsewhere, and assume it's an open source song, but I can't track down the name.

[@TvshkaHumma]

I just dont understand why someone would thumb this down!. it was fun to watch, wont a lead keel sink your boat immediately?.

[@AcornToArabella]

The lead is to counteract the force of the wind on the sails. Without ballast the boat would just fall over every time the wind blows. Most sailboat are around 50% ballast by weight. It seems counter intuitive but it's how they stay upright.

[@techguy3424]

Looks like these guys are just keeling time and having fun.

[@thomasarussellsr]

Adds a whole new meaning to "hot lead" for an old war veteran like me. LOL

[@AcornToArabella]

hahaha Bet it does!

[@moonw0rt]

New subscriber, fascinated by your work. Would love more narration on what you're doing and why you have to do it.

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks! Have you watched many of the videos or just the lead pour? In the others we narrate the what and why much more than with the pour. The next video will cover the setup and such for the pour, we just knew folks were anxious to see the pour so we saved the explanation for the next video. If you have watched a bunch or all the videos and still want more info we can certainly answer any questions you have. We are doing a Q+A video from time to time and if you send us a question we just might make a video of us answering it. Since we are novice boat builders we are also trying not to "teach" how to build a boat. We have been harped on pretty hard by folks who think we have no business teaching due to lack of credentials and should just share what we did and not how we did it. So we are trying to walk that line between sharing our journey and process but not teaching how to build a boat. It's a fine line! =) Glad you are enjoying following our journey!

[@moonw0rt]

Acorn To Arabella this was my first video but I'm enjoying watching others! Thanks for catching me up to speed!

[@trenzmeister]

that stuff is not good to breathe...no respirators?

[@AcornToArabella]

We had a couple folks just show up the day of and one scheduled volunteer (our medic actually) who chose not to wear a respirator. They were fully warned of the hazards!

[@SuperJlonergan]

theyll be fine...the youtube safety police in full effect on this one lolol

[@ElectricityTaster]

SEYFTEH IS NOMBAH WAN PRYOHHRETEE

[@jonmacdonald5345]

Truman Renz They don't care they probably cook Meth on the weekends beaking bad style

[@debean5670]

Any reason why you couldn't use aluminum? Is it a weight issue? Otherwise, you could have melted down a year's worth of beer cans and pork and beans containers.

[@valhallabound4912]

God help you if the EPA ever saw this !!!!!😂😂😂😂 my hats off for the try guys... love the commitment and effort!!!!!

[@AcornToArabella]

Many people have notified them, don't worry.

[@jamief7079]

This may be the most interesting video I have ever seen

[@AcornToArabella]

Thanks!

[@draculatod3559]

Really cool but probably the most dangerous work site I've ever seen

[@johngill5175]

You've never done any backyard projects or worked on a farm then. I'm very happy that your life has been so safe, for the rest of us, this is tuesday.

[@mrarby9780]

I'm waking up to ash and dust I wipe my brow and I sweat my rust I'm breathing in the chemicals

[@vertical7747]

I’m waking up to ash and dust I wipe my ass and slap my nuts

[@ettanasf]

Good lord. How big were the EPA fines?

[@jobo12345689]

This video is ridiculously satisfying to watch even though I have no idea what was actually going on.

[@AcornToArabella]

Pouring a ballast keel for a 38' sailboat we are building.

[@JoeyBolohan]

WOW that was amazing thanks for sharing all of the hard work you guys did! You guys are craftsmen! A+ workmanship

[@bradymacdonald1547]

dip yer dink into it

[@fiucikmiselfo1922]

Brady MacDonald dip yer dink into it You will need a foreskin to do that

[@thomasarussellsr]

at 4:46, I've never seen hearing protection used as a beard protector before. LOL

[@christiangeiselmann]

Thomas Russell You don't speak about the filters of the breathing mask, do you?

[@thomasarussellsr]

Oh, is that what it was? looked like ear-muffs on his side-burns. My mistake. Thanks for catching that.

[@christiangeiselmann]

Thomas Russell :-) I first thought "Hey what an observative guy, where did he see that?", but then I saw the one of them wearing a mask (similar to one I use)... but you are right, they look quite like ear muffs. Cheers!

[@AcornToArabella]

It was the respirator you saw. Sometimes though Steve does push the ear muffs down on the side of his head so he can hear and it looks like he is protecting his beard. Lol

[@tacticalultimatum]

Omfg lol 😂😂

[@Techo536]

*_Don’t breathe this_*

[@dumdum7786]

Breathing in lead smoke is no worse than breathing in any other smoke

[@Skendybendie]

MOM ITS NOT WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE uh no sir lead fumes are much worse

[@thomasboese3793]

Was watching the “Big Game”, saw the Ram 1500 ad and went online to see the extended cut… One of the recommendations to watch next was “Pouring a 4.5 ton lead keel”… As a kid I loved to build stuff, from rafts to go-carts and on the scale models end of things aircraft and trains… Still scratch building trains… I found this absolutely interesting, enough to sub and will be following along. I’m looking forward to the Arabella getting “wet” the first time. Finale thought… the more wild the dream, the bigger the passion is to follow thru to completion.

[@AcornToArabella]

Right on, we saw that add as well. The passion to follow through is the key! Anyone who knows us personally has no doubts we will get her build, they can see the fire in our eyes and they know we won't quit. Glad you are following along and we hope you enjoy our journey!

[@adangerousidiot]

Learning on the job is one thing , but effort !

[@RossWilliamsDC]

What about the keel bolts? Did you install them off camera? Very cool, I mean hot, process.

[@AcornToArabella]

We will drill for them later. We thought about putting in cores for them but the lead is soft and drills easily enough. That way we can also mate up the wood and lead keel and make sure the bolts emerge through the wood keel right where we want them. Would suck to put in cores, be off by a degree or two and end up with a keel bolt stuck under a floor timber or something.

[@shoominati23]

Borrow an electromagnetic drill press, it will make life much more easier when you do.

[@gary23jag]

Whats that magnet going to work on?

[@GTEskee]

Electricity :-)

[@SuperJlonergan]

INTERUPTED CUT I think he means what is it going to stick to....since it won’t to lead lol

[@cbraat27]

I love lead so much, I lost my genitalia in an unfortunate lead-smelting accident

[@IXIskarfaceIXI]

That's nuts.

[@itz_lexiii_]

mmmmm lead my fav snak

[@spacerag]

I don't know anything about keels or boats. I just came here to watch a shit-ton of lead get poured. Awesome video! :D

[@BLACKLIGHT_NL]

I have no idea what is going on but I'm hooked