Is it possible or easy to drill through lead?

Question

I have a 'Lead' sundial which was a gift from an aunt that lives in N.Z (what that has to do with the question i have no idea!) but anyway, i want to hang it up on my fence at the back of my house.

Ive put it 'down' on a stand but you cant see it unless you walk straight up to it. So i need to put 2 s***w holes in it and then hang it up. Is this easy to do? The metal is really soft and bends quite easily.

Answer 1

should be no problem at all.....

use a HSS drill bit and start with a small pilot hole and then drill using a bit that is the size that you need.

a self tapping s***w should also be ok to s***w into lead when the hole has been drilled.

Answer 2

You Hang that, and the weight of the Lead will cause the HOLES to tear....Lead is soft and pliable and it MIGHT be smarter to mount it flat OR mount it in Wood, then hang it.

Or Fiberglass...or other hanging material....

Try a Crafts Store for inspiration....  Something like Hobby Lobby....

Personally, I'd take 3 pieces of Oak or Cherry....rabbit them.

Place the sundial on top, mark it,  then router out about 1/8 to 1/4 inch of material to LEVEL the top of the sundial, THEN I would glue it in with adhesive.....

You might want to forget the router part unless you have a circle jig....No jig....no routing....

Then I'd make a Band of wood framing and rabbit that on the edge too....

Now THAT would look cool with some nice staining...Good hardwoods and good stain can make LEAD look nice....

Of course, I think YOUR Sundial was designed to be impregnated into your sidewalk if it's what I think it is....

Answer 3

Easy.

I've drilled lead a lot.

A cheap bit for drilling metal will do just fine.

It will not create dust by the way. The lead will spiral out like curly fries if you drill a low speed.

If you drill at high speed, it still will be ok.

Cleanup good after you are done, for lead is dangerous to the young that might find it and put it in their mouths.

Wash your hands good when you are finished

Answer 4

you dont even need to drill it ...its so soft that if you lay it on a piece of wood you can knock two holes straight in ..use a nail ...hang it with galvanised nails ...they wont show rust stains ..and knock two nails in underneath ..say at 5 and 7 o clock to support the weight

Answer 5

This will drill easily with a metal drill bit. Make sure the drill bit is for metal and not for masonary or wood.

Answer 6

There are drill bits which are specifically designed to drill through metals and they are widely available.  

The only caution I would give is to be careful about the dust that would result from drilling in the sundial.  Lead can do some serious medical damage. so  I recommend placing the sundial on a disposable piece of cloth or plastic sheeting and throwing away the cloth or sheet after you finish drilling.

The sundial is probably pretty heavy and lead is very soft, so I recommend drilling the holes at a slight angle with the opening closer to the ground relative to the bottom of the hole, versus straight in.  This will reduce the odds that the screws will pull out of the holes.

Answer 7

lead is a soft metal and is easy to drill so no probes there good luck

Answer 8

Use a metal drill and before drilling, make a mark with a punch and small hammer before starting to drill. This will stop the drill sliding away from the position in which you  want the hole drilled. If using an electric drill, use it on a slow setting.