Lead Tire Weights & PVC for ballast

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

I heard about using tire weights in PVC for some extra weight, does anyone have photos of theirs if you've made them?? And what would be a good weight per piece, 75lbs???

MrBlean · Posted: Sep 30, 2003 12:28 am Post subject:

Run a search - your questions have already been answered.

jvanick · Posted: Sep 30, 2003 4:19 am Post subject:

One note that hasn't been answered in the search...

Don't make them more than 50-60 pounds... I made a few that are over 100 pounds that I'm in the process of making smaller because they're a real pain to take in and out of the boat when you're trailering.

-J

MrBlean · Posted: Sep 30, 2003 4:32 am Post subject: Lead weights

jvanick - good point and easily overlooked - until you come to load and un-load 'em for the first time! There are those on this site who wil say fit and forget. However, I'm not keen on the possibility of a bunch of lead weights bouncin' around on my boat floor/hull when trailering.

flsurflover · Outlaw Joined: 16 Jul 2003 Posts: 131 City: Melbourne, FL

Photos of PVC? It looks like PVC. I suggest using 4" PVC with end caps, not 3". Don't make each tube over 3 feet in length. If you pack a 3' section of 4" Schedule 40 PVC with sand and unmelted tire weights, you will get 60-65 pounds. Unless you are Mr. Atlas, you do not want to be heaving multiple tubes in and out of your boat that weigh more than that. I've heard you can use a propane torch to melt small amounts of the weights into more compact chunks but I haven't tried that.

After having made 240lbs of tubes for bow weight and one trip out to the lake, loading them up in the truck, unloading them from the truck, loading them into the bow, unloading them from the bow, loading them back in the truck, and finally unloading them at home... get the picture? Pain the arse. A poor man's solution, do what you gotta do. But I will be buying a second battery, fat sac for the bow, and a self-priming Simer pump to fill and empty it very soon.

If you live on the lake and don't have to trailer the boat so you can leave the tubes in the boat, then the tire weight tubes would be a good, cheap solution. MrBlean is right, I found lots of info on this using the Search tool for PVC, tire weights, ballast, lead, etc.

jvanick · Posted: Sep 30, 2003 5:20 am Post subject:

I'll put some pics up later of both my weights as well as my melting techniques...

I've had no problem melting lead and a 16" or so length of 3" pvc ends up being almost 55 pounds...

much easier to move around and handle than a 3 foot length.

Just go get yourself a turkey fryer, a pot of some sort, some foil tape and away you go.

fish out the clips from the melted lead with a slotted salad spoon and use some welding mitts to pour the led into the pipes wrapped with foil tape.

Just don't breath the fumes when you're pouring and you'll be all set.

-j

ontrider · Ladies Man Joined: 30 Jul 2003 Posts: 16491 City: Russia

thanks guys, i did search before and found some info but wanted to see a finished product (yeah i know what pvc looks like Rolling Eyes

but I wanted a visual on the weights to get a feel for how many are needed too) and to get an idea of size of it vs. the weight because my boat isn't that big.

Also, thanks for the tips on the weight of them, I wasn't sure what was a good weight to be lugging around. I only trailer my boat once a year so the weights will probably be staying put most of the season. But yeah, I want to be able to lift them into the boat in the first place Smile