Lead Respirator

[terryt]

Hi:

Do any of you us a Lead Respirator when casting boolits? If so what kind and where can it be purschased?

How well does it work?

Thanks,

Terryt

[snuffy]

FORGETABOUTIT! There's no need for a respirator. If you're talkin lead fumes, there are none generated at normal boolit casting temp. And the mythical "lead dust" doesn't exist either.

No I don't---won't wear one!

[nicholst55]

Agreed; there's no need to wear a respirator when casting. Don't eat the lead; wash you hands after casting; no smoking, eating, drinking or snuff dipping while casting. You'll be fine.

There's probably more residual lead around where your brass tumbler sits than where you cast.

[.357MAN]

I do use one. It helps me a lot, but this may be just me. Most people think it's too annoying to wear, or it's not needed, some think both. For me it's peace of mind, and for the smell. Mine is the ( 3M Tekk Protection Professional Multi-Purpose Respirator ) It has a P100 rating which filters something like 99.7% which includes lead and oils, I found it at The Home Depot for 40$. Yeah it's a lot of money, but unless you cast outside you should use one with a P100 rating that also filters lead.

.357MAN

[ku4hx]

FORGETABOUTIT! There's no need for a respirator. If you're talkin lead fumes, there are none generated at normal boolit casting temp. And the mythical "lead dust" doesn't exist either.

No I don't---won't wear one!

+1 Waste of time and money for the boolit caster. Pure lead boils at something like 3100F and common boolit alloy won't be far from that. Breathing lead fumes at casting temp is analogous to breathing cold butter fumes. Not going to happen.

[Charlie Two Tracks]

I have a small bathroom exhaust fan above my casting pot. I use sawdust for flux and I don't want that smoke all over the garage. When I smelt, that is something different. I smelt outdoors and stay upwind of the smoke. It's not the lead I'm concerned with but all the other junk that is on the WW. I smelt in the cold months so that I'm sure that my neighbors have their windows shut. I wouldn't like it if they were burning something that smelled and it got in my house. I am more concerned with the yard fertilizers and weed chemicals I have than the lead I have. To each his own. If it makes you more at easy, wear one. I do recommend wearing the proper safety gear when smelting and casting. 700-800 degree lead will burn you fast and deep. These are just my opinions though. Go out and have some fun!

[44man]

Not needed!
I have cast for over 60 years and am no crazier then day one! :D

[jsizemore]

Terry, I use one of the 3M Tek filters when smelting. I try to stay out of the smoke generated but I always get some. In side my nose felt like I was boxing again. The filter is for the other stuff, not the lead. Lead oxide doesn't even begin to vaporize until better then 830*F. For casting boolits I don't wear one with the temp kept to less then 700*F and the melt fluxed, the oxides are reduced back to the melt. A cover of saw dust or kitty litter will keep the oxygen away from the melt and keeping the temp below 750*F will slow or halt oxide formation.

[sqlbullet]

Casting? No.

Refining yes, quite often. But, when I refine, I am burning off paint, paper, adhesive and who knows what else. Add in the smoke from the sawdust and motor oil and that is stuff I don't want to breath.

[Suo Gan]

Casting? No.

Refining yes, quite often. But, when I refine, I am burning off paint, paper, adhesive and who knows what else. Add in the smoke from the sawdust and motor oil and that is stuff I don't want to breath.

Yes, exactly! Not when casting, but when rendering outdoors, that is a nasty job. A lot of the buckets have fine dust when you dump them I am sure contain fine lead particles. I don't have it on all the time when rendering just when the goin gets tough!

[leadman]

To those that say there is no lead leaving the pot have you ever tested your casting area for lead residue???

I have with the lead test kits available at Home Depot and elsewhere.

Lead definetely leaves the pot at less then 700'.

My blood lead level had risen so I bought 3 lead test kits and checked my casting area. Even though I had a 20" box fan ventilating the area from behind me I was still pretty much surrounded by lead. I then built my "casting closet" that I posted about previously. Basically a 3 sided bench with the 20" box fan pulling fumes away from me. My pot and shotmaker were incorporated.
I fixed up a piece of aluminum plate to wear on my chest that tested negative for lead. The wood was new and tested negative for lead. I started the pots and cast for quite awhile.
I then tested the aluminum plate. It was negative. The wood surrounding the 20" box fan and the upper sides of the cabinet tested positive for lead. The pot temperatures were not above 750' for this session.

The test kits are in the paint department of Home Depot and IIRC last time I looked were just over $10.

[TCLouis]

If I were guessing I would bet that any contamination from casting is from lead oxide or some such "dust" that gets blown about during casting/smelting.

I am much more worried about the dross than I am the lead in the pot.

[grullaguy]

If I were guessing I would bet that any contamination from casting is from lead oxide or some such "dust" that gets blown about during casting/smelting.

I am much more worried about the dross than I am the lead in the pot.

When the light is just right I see a lot of airborne particles when I am sorting out the jackets for recycling.

[mpmarty]

No need for any kind of protection from non-existent air born lead.

[Bwana]

I don't use anything while casting; but, when dealing with molybdenum disulfide I plug up my nose and try not to breathe the moly as it will irritate the nasal passages and can't be good for the lungs either. I also find the dust from the tumblers irritating but doesn't last as long.

[Colorado4wheel]

I wear something when I smelt. Mostly for smoke. I hate getting **** in my nose. Besides that I don't worry about it. I cast in my garage with the doors and windows open.

[white eagle]

like most here I tough there was no need for any respirator
the lead levels in my blood have dropped significantly since using one
judge for for yourself
have your blood tested without then again with a respirator
bet most that say they never use anything or say there is no need
have never had the levels in their blood checked

[fredj338]

When I cast on my Magma, I wear a N95 mask when I run the cooling fan. There are small lead particles that accumulate form knocking the spru open 1000s of times. I clean the bench area only once a year, so to prevent breathing theses small particles when the fan is on, I wear a particle mask.

[trooperdan]

No respirator while casting but yes when I am dry tumbling! I think tumbling media is the source for much lead contamination.

[drhall762]

MSC.com carries the masks also.

[snuffy]

Have your blood tested without then again with a respirator.
Bet most that say they never use anything or say there is no need
have never had the levels in their blood checked.
__________________

Have you?¿

Well, in my case you'd be wrong. The last test was in August, it was 7.0. Considering how much I cast, load lead boolits, tumble brass, and shoot, that's not bad at all. For adults anything under 40 is not to worry about.

[Doble Troble]

Shoot much, cast a fair amount, both for about a decade now. Casting and loading is done in my basement shop with one window with a box fan pulling out and the Lee Production pot on the bench about 3' away. Smelting is done outside. Blood lead is and has been = 6 mcg/dL for years. No respirator (I'd buy jacketed before I'd wear one of those).

[10x]

There is more danger from lead from spent primers than there is from casting...

[Echo]

I have cast for over 60 years and am no crazier then day one! :D

Your point being?:bigsmyl2:

[trooperdan]

I think 10x was following up on my comment about wearing a respirator when I empty my tumbler when I am dry tumbling. The point being there is more lead danger from primer residue than boolit casting.

[terryt]

HI All;

Thank you for the information.

Treeyt

[Beagler]

FORGETABOUTIT! There's no need for a respirator. If you're talkin lead fumes, there are none generated at normal boolit casting temp. And the mythical "lead dust" doesn't exist either.

No I don't---won't wear one!

I'm a maint/mechanic for Deka battery. I work in and around 16,000 pound lead pots everyday "Lead Dust" does exist is in the form of the Yellow to Red powdered Oxide. The same thing they use to paste lead grids. When its dry and powdered it will kick up in a breeze. When the pots are chipped out they are required to where respirators. The proof is stuck to the filters, and the people who don't where the respirators the proof is in there blood lead levels. My blood lead level is currently 22ppm and would be alot higher if I didn't where a respirator.

As long as you keep you boolit casting pot clean and free of the colored stuff you should be fine I don't where a respirator while casting at home.