do you cast boolits standing up or sitting down?

[boltaction308]

I am going to build a bench in my garage just for casting with a fan/vent to the outside, appropriate safety shielding etc. I have not done much casting but know the basics and have all of the equipment. I recently started shooting pistol so now have a reason to cast.

My question is when you are casting a lot of bullets, do you prefer to do it sitting down or standing up? From what I have read here on the forum it sounds like the better way to go is to dip instead of pour, so if sitting down, at what height do you have the pot?

[PS Paul]

I use a bottom pour and stand. This forces me to use my knees and bend up and down as I pour then dump boolits in catcher..... Therefore, I DO NOT get back cramps/spasms as I do when standing at one angle and in one position. When standing at a sink and cleaning clams or fish, I don't move from one spot and it isn't long before the old lower back is screaming QUIT!!

Can't sit either for very same reasons, just the space between my shoulder blades hurts, not my lower back....

[Dennis Eugene]

check this out. Dennis http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?181441-Just-a-silly-lil-video-I-made-while-castin-bullets-today&highlight=

[Cane_man]

up, on my feet

i use a Lee 4-20 bottom pour, and i had to crib it up about 8" on some short 4x4 sections so i could see the spout...

[runfiverun]

i stand too.
i set the spout at just below eye level so i have to dip or stoop a little with each pour.
the top of the pot is just high enough i have to stand on tip toe to flux it.

[Calamity Jake]

Setting

[badboyparamedic]

Setting with spout at eye level.

[wch]

I stand up, my boolits sit down!

[PS Paul]

Enjoyed the video, Dennis!

[rbuck351]

Always standing up. I don't have a lap to catch spilt hot lead or dropped sprues that way.

[L1A1Rocker]

I sit in a nice comfy office chair with casters on it.

[USMC87]

Plus one on the comfy office chair with casters, My pot is in front of me away from my lap. I swing the chair side to side to dump the mold.

[Inkman]

Sitting with spout a little below shoulder height. Scoliois keeps me from standing in one spot for very long else my back begins to hurt like heck before long. Might make a difference too that i usually cast in 3 or 4 hr sessions.

Reload on a Dillon sitting too.

Al

[Kull]

I stand, it's more comfortable for me to cast or reload standing. Sitting very long brings on the lower back pain for me.

[dmclark523]

Sitting for both casting and reloading. I took the back off an old comfy office chair and now have a wonderful padded 'stool' on wheels. It's fantastic!

Also, I seem to be a youngin' on here, which I guess is why I don't have any issues with lower back pain.... :kidding:

[country gent]

Im the opposite of some here. I have balance and mobility issues. My pot is a cast iron dutch oven on a turkey deep frier stand. I sit on a folding chair to cast I ladle lead into the molds have a stailness dog dish to catch sprues on the ground and a 5 gallon bucket beside me with a towel drapped over it for the bullets. I read in another post to use a metal paint roller tray drop on angled portion and bullets roll into the resivoir section. Going to pick one up tomorow for session thursday to try. I like to cast outside not only for the ventilation but the sunlight helps with my MS also.
Make your bench stand with adjustable legs and you can play with hieght. We did this at work for "hand" stations where people of diffrent hieghts had to do tedious work. For one person once its set and fine tuned its done. Try diffrent hieghts and see what works for you. Standing leaves less "area" to catch hot materials on and also allows you some flexability in mobility. Sitting you need to decide folding chair, office chair, stool, milk crate then find what height is needed. I load standing up still ( but have ahold of the press to steady me). Brass prep is done sitting down. Casting is done now sitting down, for quite awhile I used a old piano bench.
One other handy gaget I made is a 1/4" thick aluminum plate 6"X8" on 4 feet ( 1/4" bolts locked in place with jam nuts. This provide a safe place to set HOT moulds laddles or ingot molds with out scourching the bench. Also being raised above surface allows for faster cooling of these things if needed.I covered one bench top in aluinum flashing .060 thk and it has held up very well but the shiny surface causes some eye fatigue.

[shadowcaster]

Sitting.. +1 on the adjustable height chair with casters. It allows for a lot of movement, including backing up to get out of the way of hot lead. I also wear a welders leather apron in case a hot boolit is headed for my lap. As far as better boolits using the dip or bottom pour method, well.. that's a heated debate. I feel that both methods make great boolits based on ones needs. You will have to decide for yourself. For bottom pour my pots sit at about shoulder level for ease of operation, and for dipping at about elbow height.

Shad

[hylander]

Sitting,
Have a bad back

[boltaction308]

Thanks for all the responses and thanks Dennis for the video. I am going to have experiment, I appreciate the comments about the back pain, I get that sometimes too and Im not getting any younger.

[bobthenailer]

sitting when casting or reloading , standing when lube/sizing

[btroj]

I stand while casting.

[mold maker]

When I was much younger, everything was done standing. At 71, with all the accompanying aches and pains, I do it all seated. Just be sure you have a really Heavy leather apron to keep mistakes off lap.

[hoplite]

Bottom pour or occasional dip, depending on mold, and always standing, for a better shot at dodging the tinsel fairy. Pots are at chest level, comfortable for bottom pour, but a little too high for the best ladle work.

[skeet1]

I stand and feel safer doing so. If I should have a spill of some kind it gives me more of a chance of getting out of the way.

Ken

[labradigger1]

sitting while wearing a heavy canvas apron and saftey goggles.

[Iron Mike Golf]

Sitting. Cross-legged on the floor with an apron. Pot is elevated on a 5 gal kitty litter bucket. I plan to move to a bench soon and sit on a stool.

[wymanwinn]

the Master Caster works by itself....but when i get it started i sit on a stool for the first several cycles, then i push the green button and go off to attend to other tasks in my "Cave"...wife named the reloading room...

when hand casting with the ProMelt i sit with the pour spout in full view...or about 12" below eye level....where the Rockchucker and Belding-Mull powder thrower are in this pic...

http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y132/solvangshootist/the%20Cave/_SS32553.jpg

wyman

[nagantguy]

Standing cause that's how my bench is set up no other reason

[mtnman31]

I use a chair, but it is taller than a desk chair. My work bench is taller than a desk but lower than bar.

[PS Paul]

Having the spout on a bottom pour at eye level, like some of you do it, has ALWAYS given me the heebie jeebies! I have a corneal transplant in one eye and the other eye, my SHOOTIN' eye, is about 20-35 at best. Protecting my only good/useful eye is something I work hard to do, so sitting and eye level pouring are out of the question for my personal "safety program".

Also,I wear comfortable boots and stand on a little fatigue mat, which seems to help. I am 45 years old, so not as old as some of you, but my job has me on my feet for many hours each day, so themat helps too.

Limiting the amount of time I cast to about two hours helps with concentration. More than 3 hours is really too much to keep perfectly focused.....

[wrench]

I use a ladle, and cast standing up, but reload and size sitting on a stool. I can reload for hours, but can only cast for 2-3 hours before I start getting stiff here and there.:roll:

[Walter Laich]

sitting with spout at eye level

stand to size/lube

[joepb]

I stand also.

[Frozone]

I don't know what all the discussion is about.
The boolits I cast usually lay on their side after I cast em. They neither stand or sit.

[1Shirt]

Sitting! Old bones dontcha know!
1Shirt!

[plainsman456]

After 3 back operations and 3 knee operations I still stand.

When melting scrap i kneel but i try to keep it to about 1 or 2 hours.

When reloading i have a stool for breaks.

I just try my best to not stand in the same place or way for long stretchs

[jm423]

Standing , for smelting/ casting. (Don't think I could get a humongous settlement for pouring hot lead in my lap--LOL) Sit for all other reloading operations. 75 yr old bones tell me when to take a break from either.

[Grump]

Both, just not at the same time, but sometimes both at different times during the session. Fairly high bench, tall stool.

When sitting, I put the stool a bit back and perch a bit forward, so I can quickly stand and move if something goes amiss. Do not want to be tripping over a fallen stool. I keep my escape routes clear either way.

Most of the time, it is standing. There's a fatigue-reducing element of lean one way, lean the other, never bent or stooped in any direction for very long. Really worked well when using two moulds for two sessions a couple of years ago.

[LAH]

Standing.

[Rattus58]

I am going to build a bench in my garage just for casting with a fan/vent to the outside, appropriate safety shielding etc. I have not done much casting but know the basics and have all of the equipment. I recently started shooting pistol so now have a reason to cast.

My question is when you are casting a lot of bullets, do you prefer to do it sitting down or standing up? From what I have read here on the forum it sounds like the better way to go is to dip instead of pour, so if sitting down, at what height do you have the pot?Because I'm using a ladel, I find standing to be SAFER... for me.

[hermans]

Sitting down, have a bad back also

[Voodoocld]

I sit most of the time, sometimes i'll cast and then stand up to knock the bullets into the water.