I have only poured babbit with a metal crucible, can't say about graphite, anyway lead melts so much lower than near anything else, like brass. The idea on the bolt to put steady pressure on the sow block sounds good to me. Seen the same thing used on old tractor wheels which are rusted to the axle. Several applications of heat can get the metal moving too, to get things un-stuck. The heating and cooling alone can work wonders. I saw one smith had his 50lb Little Giant on a bolted plank pad, on top of 4 inch rubber blocks he got from some factory, kept the vibration down. A foot of concrete is good but still need a buffer in there for the shock. On the bigger hammers they recommended upwards of four feet of concrete under them. I put in a pic of my 25lb. hammer, if you note the steel strap around the lower sow block. Technically my frame is broken, from who knows what kind of torture it went thru. But I figure for the light smithing and bladesmithing I will do, the repair that has already stood up, it will be good. I found from the previous owner, his father bought it at auction in 1951, it sat in their shop unused for over 55 years. I was looking all over, and discovered this one just 4 miles down the road from me.
