Met the tinsel fairy today!

[retread]

I use aged planer shavings to flux my melt. After planning material that has been stored dry for some time, I plane it and put the shavings in open plastic pails for using as flux material. I usually leave them in the heated shop for several weeks before using them. Have done this for several years with no incident. Today I added some to the melt in my pot and started to spoon the edges of the pot to clean it off a bit. Some of the shaving got submersed as they often do but this time the reaction was a bit violent. lead was flying everywhere. Fortunately I did not get but a few small pieces on my neck and shirt. Could have been a lot worse. I think I will let the shaving char and dry a bit before any spooning is done in the future.

[btroj]

She visited me Saturday a couple times. Had a tiny bit of damp lead in a bucket of range scrap. This was stuff I collected months ago and it sat in my garage.

No burns on me but the drive way needs some cleaning....

[kbstenberg]

good to hear everything came out OK. Its a lot better when she just bumps you. Rather that runs you over. Kevin

[btroj]

Good point. She just passed by my place, didn't come for the weekend......

[**oneshot**]

Glad your OK! I keep all my sawdust in sealed containers and let it char before stirring for just that reason.

[Bzcraig]

Glad there were no Dr visits. Often when I mix my sawdust in I get a boiling sound and feel on my spoon but never the tinsel fairy. Maybe I will stop pushing my luck and let it burn before stirring well. What surprises me is the sawdust has been in a cardboard box on my garage floor for at least six months. Humidity is almost non existent (20% avg summer day) and we only get on avg 12" of rain/yr. So for all practical purposes it is moisture in the sawdust.

[MOcaster]

Please, no one start any more threads that have tinsel fariy in the title. It makes me cringe and gives me nightmares. Thanks. But really, retread, I'm glad you are okay to cast another day. Hey, that rhymes. I like it!

[dbosman]

What's the flash point of wood resin or wood oil for the species you are using?
It needn't be water in the shavings.

[retread]

I believe that was either fir or hemlock from the look of it. As far as the flash point I couldn't tell you. I thought of the same thing but I also live on the coast and the weather has been foggy and damp of late. It probably absorbed some moisture when I had the doors or windows open. In any case it will be charred or dried before using submerged.
Even thought of putting it in my food drier and then in foodsaver bags, just to be on the safe side (wife should appreciate that).

[Bzcraig]

I believe that was either fir or hemlock from the look of it. As far as the flash point I couldn't tell you. I thought of the same thing but I also live on the coast and the weather has been foggy and damp of late. It probably absorbed some moisture when I had the doors or windows open. In any case it will be charred or dried before using submerged.
Even thought of putting it in my food drier and then in foodsaver bags, just to be on the safe side (wife should appreciate that).

Headin to Newport for a 10 day getaway the first of next month.

[hickfu]

Glad to hear you are ok and it wasnt real bad!! I always keep my torch handy and before I will put a spoon into the mix I have that torch out burning that sawdust.... It dont get stirred until the flames go out.

Doc

[gray wolf]

I always keep my torch handy and before I will put a spoon into the mix I have that torch out burning that sawdust.... It dont get stirred until the flames go out.

Doc



Me to

[ACrowe25]

Glad to hear you are ok and it wasnt real bad!! I always keep my torch handy and before I will put a spoon into the mix I have that torch out burning that sawdust.... It dont get stirred until the flames go out.

Doc

Great idea, thanks!

[youngda9]

Yes, leet everything char completely before spooning into the melt.

[41 mag fan]

Glad there were no Dr visits. Often when I mix my sawdust in I get a boiling sound and feel on my spoon but never the tinsel fairy. Maybe I will stop pushing my luck and let it burn before stirring well. What surprises me is the sawdust has been in a cardboard box on my garage floor for at least six months. Humidity is almost non existent (20% avg summer day) and we only get on avg 12" of rain/yr. So for all practical purposes it is moisture in the sawdust.

Cardboard will attract moisture thru absorbtion. I read that somewhere years ago and it just stuck with me. I don't know if its true or not, but it's just a little tidbit that might be true and could cause a visit.

[41 mag fan]

Glad there were no Dr visits. Often when I mix my sawdust in I get a boiling sound and feel on my spoon but never the tinsel fairy. Maybe I will stop pushing my luck and let it burn before stirring well. What surprises me is the sawdust has been in a cardboard box on my garage floor for at least six months. Humidity is almost non existent (20% avg summer day) and we only get on avg 12" of rain/yr. So for all practical purposes it is moisture in the sawdust.

Cardboard will attract moisture thru absorbtion. I read that somewhere years ago and it just stuck with me. I don't know if its true or not, but it's just a little tidbit that might be true and could cause a visit.

[jonp]

Cardboard will attract moisture thru absorbtion. I read that somewhere years ago and it just stuck with me. I don't know if its true or not, but it's just a little tidbit that might be true and could cause a visit.
I work a dedicated run at a cardboard mill. I'll ask the experts

[gunlovingsob]

My favorite thing is to look at my garage door and walls to see the highest spots stuck to the walls!

[rondog]

Cardboard will attract moisture thru absorbtion. I read that somewhere years ago and it just stuck with me. I don't know if its true or not, but it's just a little tidbit that might be true and could cause a visit.

True. Cardboard box on a concrete floor WILL wick moisture out of the concrete. I stopped putting boxes on concrete floors many years ago for that reason. Nothing to do with smelting, just picking up boxes of stuff and the bottom falling out.

[Bad Water Bill]

Other critters may decide to call your sawdust home.

All of those creatures do contain lots of moisture.

Let that pretty smelling stuff turn a very BLACK powder before trying to stir it in.

[44man]

Found my pot had stinkbugs in it. I let them char good but Carol wanted to know why the garage stunk so bad. :bigsmyl2:

[wistlepig1]

Wood shavings are like fish, best served black'ined.:bigsmyl2:

[bangerjim]

I discovered something odd recently. I have been using totally dry grape vine runners to stir my casting pot with. When I stick them in, the lead boils and bubbles like a witch's pot! It is from the smoke escaping from the stem burning it looks like.

So.......pushing un-burned sawdust below the surface could be inviting your lil buddy! Even if the dust is totally dry.

Just a thought.

I have tried to create situations where lead will erupt by dropping wet cast boolits in, but they only burp a bit and nothing serious.

You guys mus hold yer mouths jes right, as the old fishermen used to say! [smilie=p:

Never met the fairy, even though I have extended the invite several times!

bangerjim

[Bad Water Bill]

If you took a cutting off of one of my vines ANYTIME in the early spring I am sure we could arrange a visit.

Any pruned vine RUNS sap for many days before it slows to a drip-drip-drip.:sad:

[myg30]

I keep the saw dust pretty dry so when I add it to the pot im good to go...... BUT, I grabbed a thin cut off pine stick to stir the pot with and FORGOT that it might not be so dry ! Well the second it went into the mix the boiling scared the heck out of me and pulled it out fast with out any splatter of lead. SO lesson learned if im going to stir with a stick I make sure to sit it on top of the pot to dry or on the hot plate to dry before I use it. The stick gets charred and adds a little to the mix and reminds me if im smelling the pine then im breathing in lead too ! My SS spoon I use fer scooping out the remains.
Be safe and use your PPE ! [personal protective equipment] Always !!

Mike

[Bad Water Bill]

I had a supply of dowel rods stashed on top of the intake on the furnace for years.

Yes even after many years those wooden pieces of oak still had enough moisture left to start things to hiss and bubble.

No they did not stay in the pot more than about 5 seconds. Then me and the rod beat feet out of there. :oops:

[1Shirt]

Tinsel fair meetings are live and learn realities of casting! If you haven't met the little critter, you haven't cast long enough!
1Shirt!

[High Lord Gomer]

... if im smelling the pine then im breathing in lead too ! ...

Is that really a concern? I do keep a farnblowing the smoke away from me but I thought that merely meting lead did not cause any of it to vaporize or otherwise become airborne.

[dondiego]

You would need to get your lead way hotter than an electric casting pot could get it in order to vaporize lead atoms. If not, we would all be contaminated. The dust and junk that you scrape off after fluxing could be toxic if ingested. Wash your hands. The dust coming from your case tumbler/vibrator has more lead contamination. Wash your hands.

[bangerjim]

You would need to get your lead way hotter than an electric casting pot could get it in order to vaporize lead atoms. If not, we would all be contaminated. The dust and junk that you scrape off after fluxing could be toxic if ingested. Wash your hands. The dust coming from your case tumbler/vibrator has more lead contamination. Wash your hands.

Thank you Dondiego! Finally someone else brings up the serious crapola that is in the dust from a dry tumbler. That dust is far more toxic than any "lead fumes" from the pot. I have read here some cheapskates are even using spend walnut media as a flux! OMG!

Dross is the most serious hazard we deal with.....other than hot lead burns. Just be sure and wash yer hands!

bangerjim

[BAGTIC]

Those who live where the roads are salted in the winter should be especially careful. Salt is especially hygroscopic and it is easy to introduce salty WW into the pot without first noticing it.

[Shiloh]

She visited me Saturday a couple times. Had a tiny bit of damp lead in a bucket of range scrap. This was stuff I collected months ago and it sat in my garage.

No burns on me but the drive way needs some cleaning....

Kind of exhilarating isn't it. You know, that quick little adrenaline rush as lead flies around seeming like slow motion. WHen actually you barely have time to move fast enough.

Shiloh

[Foto Joe]

Yesterday it was supposed to rain all day (and it did) so in the morning I decided to fire up the casting pot for one more run before we migrate south next week. I flux with Gulf Wax so I've never had an issue with sawdust although I've tried it a few times but what I have noticed is my ladle gathers moisture. I've gotten used to VERY slowly and at arms length easing that ladle into the melt the first time and yesterday my caution paid off. Apparently the high humidity had condensed on the ladle a little more than usual and it gave a good enough sizzle to get my attention. No tinsel fairy visit but if I'd have plunked that thing into the melt I'd have been picking lead out of my hair and off my glasses I'm sure.

[Dales66Ford]

Had it happen to me twice, both times were "puckering". Messed up a concrete pad by the garage and ruined a pair of pants and boots from the large amounts of lead spatter.