red-lead putty
Noun: A type of sealing compound or cement with a consistency similar to putty. It is specifically manufactured by combining white lead and red lead (lead oxides) with boiled linseed oil. Its primary historical use was as a luting agent to create airtight and watertight seals on threaded pipe fittings and joints, particularly in plumbing and gas lines.
This term refers specifically to the prepared sealing material. It is a technical compound name. * The plumber applied red-lead putty to the threads before screwing the pipe joints together to ensure a perfect seal. * Due to health concerns, the use of red-lead putty containing toxic lead has been largely discontinued in modern plumbing.
- Historical/Technical Context: The phrase is now primarily encountered in historical texts, old trade manuals, or discussions about traditional plumbing and pipefitting techniques. Its usage highlights the material composition (red lead) and its application method (like putty).
- Restorers working on the historic building had to research traditional materials like red-lead putty.
- Pipe joint compound: A modern, general term for substances used to seal pipe threads, which have largely replaced red-lead putty.
- Thread sealant: A synonym for pipe joint compound.
- Luting agent: A technical term for any material used to seal gaps between joined parts.
- Plumber's putty: A related but different soft sealing compound, typically used for setting sinks and drains, not containing lead and not designed for threaded pipe joints under pressure.
- Lead-based pipe sealant
- (Historical) pipe thread cement
This is a highly specific technical term with a single, clear meaning referring to a particular manufactured product. It does not have idioms or phrasal verbs associated with it. Its meaning is directly tied to its composition and historical application.
-
a cement resembling putty; made by mixing white and red lead in boiled linseed oil; used as luting on pipe fittings
