Setup casting place

[jayjay1]

Hey guys!

I want to build me a new casting place in my garage.
I´ve searched a picture thread inhere, but obviously I couldn´t find the right words for the forums search.
Can someone please show me a thread about this theme?

What I want to know is, if you stand or sit while casting, and how high your desks/tables are!?

Thank you for any advice!
:D

[Pb2au]

I stand. My thoughts are that in the unlikely event of a spill, I won't have a lap full of lead. There are certain parts of my anatomy in the lap area that I am particularly fond of. I do know that some here cast sitting, and do so quite successfully. It is a personal preference type thing. I work a lot standing, so I am used to being on my feet for hours.
My casting bench is about 3 and a half feet high, ish,. I tried to find a happy medium for a comfortable working height. Keep in mind, it is easy enough to build a platform to raise your casting pot up, bearing in mind that it is secured firmly.
i hope this helps.

[Cherokee]

Pic of my casting area. Bench is 39" high and riser is 7" high. Base of riser has a piece of tile on it so that I can set a hot mold on the tile if using 2 molds. I cast standing, tried settig once and did not like it, YMMV.
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee102/DCS44256/Reloading/Casting02.jpg

Another pic showing my collection box
http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee102/DCS44256/Reloading/Casting03.jpg

[GP100man]

I cast sitting, mind you I preheat & flux while standing , that`s the most probability of a dramatic mis hap, while refilling/fluxing . When the pot comes to temp I feel confident & in controll enuff of the bottom pour pot to sit, but stand if I ladle pour.

My bench is the std. 36" from the floor & different pots I adjust what I have to to get a good line of site .

Keep this in mind , casting is dirty & can be dangerous, good ventilation & an uncluttered work area is a must !

GP

[Dusty Bannister]

I cast while standing. The pot nozzle (Lee Bottom Pour) is about the same height as the top of my forearms when held horizontal. High enough to see what I am doing, but not so high I have to lift my arms to cast. The cast bullet padded area for cooling bullets is about 10 inches lower. Not by design, just how things worked out. Dusty

http://castboolits.gunloads.com/archive/index.php/t-51700.html

Old thread for your review.

[blikseme300]

I stand when adding alloy, fluxing or anything not related to actual casting. This is in my opinion the danger activities. When casting I sit on a wooden bar stool with the area between the spout and the mold rest directly in line of sight. Good visibility of the pour into the mold and no strain on the back.

[Wayne Smith]

Since I ladle pour I cast standing. I can't imagine doing that sitting!

[bangerjim]

I sit......on a padded swing seat outdoors! In AZ.

see my thread about "casting lead at 105F" on here.

banger

[trixter]

I smelt my range lead out side on a standard (plastic top, folding legs) table. This I do while standing. (the turkey fryer and bottom half of propane tank get it to just the right height to rest the ingot molds on the edge of the tank to pour them with my $-tree soup ladle. I set up my pot (RCBS) on an old kitchen table in my work room and cast while sitting.

[beezapilot]

I built this cart from dump salvage. The furnace is bolted to the top of the cart, with my tools, gloves, apron, a supply of lead.. so all I have to do is roll it outside into the breeze and plug it in. No walking back and forth all as it travels with everything I need.
http://castboolits.gunloads.com/showthread.php?238475-Cast-Cart

I cast from a bar stool with long pants and an apron on.

[Alferd Packer]

Don't forget- yes,wheels make it easier to move. Both a blessing and a curse.
Ten or twenty lbs of molten lead gets bumped into-could get interesting really fast.
Big dog comes in wagging his rear end and tries to get between you and the melt,, or kids show up-they don't know right away-one chasing the other. I prefer as immovable and stable a support as possible.
I load up the pot and go have coffee till its ready.
Don't want to consider the above, even though I am kid free and lost my old furry friend, I still am outside or with the garage door open or up.
Just sayin -consider the possibilities-and I know many who have none of the above so my words are not needed. But if this prevents even one lead spill-good for you!
End of story.

[Huskerguy]

I do all of my lead work standing. I like to have the view from the top and not straight in if I were sitting. I also keep things kind of spread out on the bench area so standing makes it easier to move around and away from the pot when I need to.

[beezapilot]

Those are LOCKING casters.

[jayjay1]

Thanks a lot guys.

Since now I prefered standing the whole time, because I just began casting seven months ago and there was this little voice in my head which said "molten metall - dang!!!"
But with some experience I hopefully don´t do the wrong things in the future and have some space to do the right things better. :roll:

I´m with you to say, that it is surely safe to sit when casting.
The only danger, in my opinion, is if the pot runs empty because the bottom plug doesn´t close for some reason or if it´s raining when you are casting outside....
But I will do something to regulate the lead flood by building a little drip pan, where the pot stands in and am moving inside too.

And I understand your meaning for feeling safer when standing for stirring, fluxing and adding some metall.
But honestly, I made the experience and can tell you, there is no chance to escape exploding lead - no one can run faster than those drops fly.

The best point, in my opinion, is the better view into the pot when standing and on the bottom plug while casting in the sitting position.

[David2011]

I like to sit when casting. When smelting I have a chair nearby but not within a ladle's reach of the pot. My casting bench has a galvanized steel garage floor drip pan on it and all casting is carried out within it. They're not expensive and lead won't stick to the galvanizing. The lip would contain any spill should the Pro-Melt have a catastrophic failure.

That said, I also gear up with long pants, leather shoes or boots and socks, a long sleeve shirt, welder's gloves, a cheap Harbor Freight leather welder's apron, wrap around close fitting safety glasses and a cotton baseball cap. There are no pets or children in the area of molten metal.

David

[10mmShooter]

I stand, I'm 6 feet even and I made all my reloading and casting brenches at 40 1/2 inches, its comfortable for me. Heres a pic

109046

[alamogunr]

I cast standing up. Always have. Since my reloading/casting activities share space with other shop activities, I cast on top of my table saw. I made an auxiliary cover from 1/4" tempered hardboard(Masonite) and sit a large ammo can on top to raise the pot to a point I can see the pour spout w/o having to bend over too much. I'm 6'2" and bending over can get painful.

In one of the referenced threads above there is a riser built from common lumber and open underneath for placing a mold. I might try that and make it big enough for my hot plate. I like to set the mold back on the hot plate so it doesn't get cold if I need a break. I don't know how the riser would react to a hot plate underneath the wood top. Might need a heat resistant top.

[500MAG]

I sit on a rolling stool in case I need to push back quickly. Also, if you use a lee bottom pour, I recommend you have a tray underneath in case the spout gets stuck open.

[fredj338]

I stand while casting, I don't want to be immobile in a splash event. I rarely cast for more than an hour, so standing works for me. I use a standard height Craftsman steel bench with a raised platform Like Cherokee for my Lee & another raised area for my Magma & on the end is my Star. Its' a little crowded but it works.

[LouisianaPatriot]

I'm not comfortable sitting down while casting, I'm too fidgity. I used to cast in my shop and noticed that everytime I would have a casting session I would get a sinus infection. I moved my equipment outside to cast and haven't had a problem since. Be careful with those fumes in enclosed areas.

[dakotashooter2]

My Avatar shows my setup. It's actually an old medical cabinet/sink. It has a stainless steel top and the sink comes in handy when I want to water drop boolits. I cast standing.

[David2011]

Picture of my casting area:

109577


David