Yes, yuou can still buy sheet lead......pretty pricey........it sells
for over a buck a pound at scrap prices and it does not take much to
make apound of it. hate to see what it would cost new. Lead when
exposed to air and water makes an oxide filom which is pretty darn
tough. Normally its shiney silver, and it becomes dark with this oxide
coating on it. It should not hurt the fish any.......The leeching
problem with lead is mainly associated with water temps that are high,
such as in hot water lines, not cold water lines.

Copper also will not hurt the fish, as is commonly believed, up to a
certain point that is.........PH has a lot to do with copper and
problems with fish......As long as your PH is at a certain level
copper is safe, over that range and its toxic.......just to iffy to
take a chance with. I don't remember if it needs high or low ph to
become toxic, but for me its too expensive to use anyhow.

On Fri, 15 Apr 2005 10:05:07 GMT, "Snooze" wrote:

==="newsgroup_reader" wrote in message
...
===I have a circa 1940 gardening book with instructions for creating a pool
===from sheet lead.
===
=== The abutting sheets are to be crimped at 90 degrees, one with 2 inches
=== overhang, the other with 1 inch. The longer is folded over the shorter,
=== then both are bent over and soldered along the seam. The pieces are joined
=== together in that manner into larger sections representing bottom and
=== sides, which are crimped together and soldered.
===
=== Can sheet-lead still be purchased? Would the lead surface oxidize over
=== time, as in pipes? The book says this will not harm fish, so I assume
=== either they're are lying, they never tried it, or some sort of patina
=== develops to prevent lead leaching into the water.
===
=== The book says copper can be substituted for lead, but from what I've read
=== this would also unhealthy for the creatures living in it.
===
=== What are your thoughts?
===
===I've added rec.ponds to this, there are plenty of knowledgable people there
===who probably know far more then I. I can't imagine that a pond made out of
===lead sheets would be safe. Keep in mind that most building codes, atleast
===those in america, ban the use of lead based solder in residential plumbing.
===
===An entire pond made out of lead or copper is going to build up a fairly high
===level of heavy metals in the water. I suppose you could build the pond shape
===out of lead/copper, then line it with a pond liner.
===
===-S
===


==============================================
Put some color in your cheeks...garden naked!