Repairing bent / pinched lead came

by Erin Lounsbury
(Spring Lake, Michigan)

I have a lot of older came that I have stored away and would like to use now. Although I have several H & U shaped came pieces 6' or more, they are crimped and bent in some places. They haven't been stretched yet and wasn't sure if stretching would help or would it make them worse. Should I straighten the channels first by hand? Would I be wasting my time trying to fix the came?

I have seen many questions about how to use lead came but couldn't find other issues that answered the above questions, so my apologies if I am making you repeat.

Answer

I'd stretch first, then rum a fid down the channels to straighten them up. You might find that you'll have to cut out the damaged bits, but some of the lead should still be useable.

If the lead is oxidized, run a piece of bronze wool down both faces to remove the oxidation. Bronze wool works much better than steel wool. Ace Hardware usually carries it or can order it for you.