• Fast ShippingOrders packed and shipped quickly
  • Custom SizingNeed a different size? We make it
  • Trusted by 150+ ResellersStocked by utility supply houses
  • Quality Guarantee100% satisfaction guaranteed
  • Designed in the USABuilt for American splice crews

Trusted by utility crews & resellers

  • LADWP
  • entergy
  • Line Star
  • Total Safety
  • PG&E
  • Campbell

Lead Wiping Pads, Catch Pads & Cable Splicing Supplies

LeadCloths makes the wiping pads, catch pads, wool felt inserts and melting pots that power-utility and telecom cable splicers use for wiped lead joints, lead sleeve splices and lead sheath repair on PILC cable. Every pad is quadruple-stitched bed-ticking cotton, a ready-made alternative to folding your own moleskin wiping cloth. We recommend rubbing a stearine candle onto the wipe before use.

Shop wiping pads & catch pads

View all
Cable splicer in cotton work gloves pressing a striped LeadCloths wiping pad onto a hot wiped lead joint

Pour, wipe, catch.

Ladle the molten lead onto the sleeve and hold a catch pad underneath. Its wool felt insert soaks up the heat so the run-off is caught cleanly, and the pad is reused job after job until it wears out.

Shop catch pads

A smooth, sealed wipe

The 3x3 flat wiping pad is the splicers' favorite: about 0.3" thick woven bed ticking with just enough give to mold hot lead into a tight, evenly tapered wiped joint.

Shop the 3x3 flat pad
Lead cable splicing kit: wiping pads, catch pads with wool felt inserts, cast iron melting pot and ladle

Everything an apprentice needs

Wiping pads in the sizes crews reach for most, catch pads with felt inserts and a cast iron melting pot. Learn splash and pot wipes with the same gear the journeymen use.

Shop the starter kit

Built for the vault

From open trenches to tight manholes, LeadCloths pads hold up to the heat of real lead sleeve splices. Need a size we don't list? We make custom sizes for crews and resellers.

Request custom sizing

Lead wiping FAQ

What is a lead wiping pad used for?

A lead wiping pad is held in a gloved hand to shape hot lead into a smooth wiped joint on lead-sheathed cable. Cable splicers use it to wipe lead sleeve splices and repair lead sheath on PILC (paper-insulated lead-covered) power and telecom cable. The lead goes on the cable; the pad molds it.

Which wiping pad size should I buy?

The 3x3 inch flat pad is our most popular. Curved pads (2x2 to 4x4) fit around smaller cable, flat pads (3x3 to 5x5) work most sleeves, and the 8x8 utility pad handles the biggest splices. We also make custom sizes.

What is a catch pad, and why does it have a felt insert?

A catch pad is held under the joint to catch excess molten lead run-off while you pour and wipe. It has a pocket for a wool felt insert that absorbs heat, and it can be reused until it wears out. Replacement felt inserts are sold separately.

What are LeadCloths pads made of?

Woven bed-ticking cotton, quadruple stitched. Our pads are about 0.3 inch thick with just a little give, firm enough to move hot lead without folding over.

How do I prepare a wiping pad before use?

We recommend rubbing a stearine candle onto the wipe before use. It helps the pad glide over the hot lead and shape a smooth, even wipe.

How long do wiping pads and catch pads last?

Both are reusable. A broken-in pad often becomes a splicer's favorite tool and lasts many joints. Replace a pad when it is worn through, and swap catch pad felt inserts as they wear.

Do you offer wholesale pricing or custom sizes?

Yes. All products are priced for wholesale, licensed resellers can request a tax-exempt invoice, and we make custom sizes. Email dwayne@leadcloths.com.

California residents: Cancer and reproductive harm – See www.P65Warnings.ca.gov for more information.