Lead Burning Explained.
Lead burning is the process of fusing two pieces of lead together without the use of solder. The process consists in melting the edges together, a drop at a time, and when done with hydrogen gas and the blow pipe is called the “autogenous process.” Lead can be fused with gasoline or illuminating gas by the use of the compound blow pipe; but, as ordinary gases give an oxidizing flame and require a flux, it is not considered a practical method.
Fig. 1.—Lead Burning Apparatus.
Lead is used extensively in lining tanks made to contain pickle dips, hot cyanide solution, storage batteries, acid tanks for manufacturing jewelry and water closet tanks, as water in many cases contains large quantities of lime and other deposits which rapidly destroy the solder used on copper linings. Tanks used for the above purposes must be lined with lead and the seams burned, as acids attack the tin in solders and destroy them. The demand for the work is rapidly increasing where it is introduced. I have demonstrated to many manufacturers that this is the cheapest method known, as it gives a permanent solution of the problem how to keep a chemical tank tight.