From pig to panel
Came is a patient material. Drawn too fast it pits; drawn too cold it splits at the heart of the H. Everything here is set up to keep the work slow enough to stay honest.
Every batch begins by logging the source — virgin pig, reclaimed sheet, or sections removed from the panel being restored. Reclaimed lead is filed, sampled, and checked for tin and antimony. A conservator can request an alloy matched to the original within a stated tolerance, and I'll note the published reference I'm matching against.
Molten lead is ladled into a slug mold sized for the mill's throat. The slugs cool overnight on a slate bench. No quenching — the cooling curve matters for how cleanly the came will later take a stretch.
The mill is a flywheel-driven lead mill from the early 1950s, rebuilt twice. Dies are swapped for each profile; for uncommon profiles I cut new dies from tool steel on a lathe across the yard. A good stick is drawn in a single continuous pass, trimmed, and set on the straightening bench still warm.
Came is pulled, rolled, and hand-straightened against a six-foot hardwood bench. Each stick is measured, tagged with its profile code and mill date, and bundled in twenties. Tapered sticks and radial runs get position labels tied to the studio's cartoon.
Came ships flat in wooden crates lined with kraft. Zinc and brass get their own crates — they don't ride well next to lead. A mill record goes in the crate and a copy stays in the shop ledger.
The workshop runs wet, ventilated, and monitored. Shipments arrive sealed; I recommend conservators observe their own studio protocols on receipt. A materials summary accompanies every order so your health-and-safety file stays complete.