Age and experience = Wisdom NOT

[Patrick L]

I am so embarrassed to tell this, but if it saves one of you a serious injury it will be worth it. Sometimes young, inexperienced people make mistakes. At least they can say the didn't know better. Us old guys get complacent, because we're so sure we do know better, and Fate will reach out and bite you in the butt just to remind you!

After 49 years on this earth, almost 30 of them casting, melting, and smelting, surely I knew of all the pertinent safety precautions to take, and I followed them. So what in God's name possessed me to think I could get away with wearing shorts the other day while alloying up a big batch of metal? I even debated it in my head before I started. Nah, I'll be fine. The hell I will. Splish splash, I have three nice dime sized red spots on my leg now. Could have been much worse, but never should have happened.

Remember, be careful!

[Tatume]

I'm glad you're not injured more seriously.

[Rustyleee]

I'm glad you're not injured more seriously.

It will never happen to me.

[Blackwater]

Well, Patrick, it CAN get worse than that. I once blew up a Super Blackhawk by loading while tired and WAY past the time I should have. Just too sleepy. Started loading at 1:00 a.m. and finished at just after 3:00 a.m. Used some 231, and from force of habit, dumped my hopper of 231 back into a near empty can of 2400, thereby setting myself up for the NEXT loading session to blow up the pistol. It was almost exactly a double charge.

Yep. Age and experience DO help with a lot, but it's not a guarantee by ANY means! I'd reloaded a whole semi truckload by then. It's a lesson one can NEVER forget!

There. Make you feel better?

[bedbugbilly]

I don't care how old a person is or how long they've been doing it . . . accidents DO happen. I've been casting a little over 50 years and have at times, like you, said .. . . well, it's hot . . . I'll be fine with a short sleeved shirt on, etc. In the end, it's a bad idea because that's when things seem to happen. Just glad it wasn't worse than was and hope you heal up quickly. "Wisdom" is learned through experience . . . and it's an ongoing process until we kick the bucket! It's good to have reminders like this to keep us on our toes and following all the safety rules. Good luck to you and thanks for the post . . . not falling on deaf ears!

[44man]

Had a hunk of lead too long for the pot once and it tipped. Did not get me but kind of ruined asphalt on my drive. Now I go back to the concrete in front of the barn.
I had another large 75# ingot to melt so I hung it from rafters with my deer hoist so I could lower it a little at a time. Works like a charm.
I cast in a "T" shirt, no gloves and have for while casting stuff for 66 years and never burned myself but a friend got me once. Peel the lead and run to cold water, run water over burns for a good half hour. No blisters and no scars.

[white eagle]

I have never burned myself,well bad anyway,but I have been known to cast in good clothes.
I have a 200+ pair of polorized fishing glasses that I have used many years well I cast boolits
in them one time and had little specks of lead permanently eched in the lenses..

[Digger]

Yes gentlemen , so true ...
In my position at work , I teach safety and try to get the message across that the worst offenders are our "experienced" people , the percentages point to this bracket of workers ....
Same old thing all the time , repeat , repeat , we think nothing of it , the mind goes somewhere else while we are doing a critical process and it is called "complacency" !!

The newbies are concentrating on performing the job well with coaching and guidance , I am guilty of it myself at times when casting and processing the lead.
It is too easy to get to comfortable in this great pastime that we enjoy.

[44man]

No matter how old you are, loading needs full attention and each checked. I still use single stage and refuse to load one at a time. All is in a loading block so I can inspect every case.
Friend was doing the one at a time thing and his son asked him something. The case had no powder and he seated a boolit. Blew a nice .41 up. Failed to pay attention to how the gun did not shoot either, fired another.
I still see guys do it and a sip of coffee can make you miss the powder measure.

[lightman]

Thanks for sharing this. I'm glad you were not seriously hurt.

WhenI smelt I use what some would consider the minimum required PPE. Safety glasses, long sleeve FR shirt, jeans worn on the outside of boots and gloves. I don't use breathing protection because I have really good ventilation in the shop. I'm also aware of the direction the smoke is going (straight towards the exhaust fan) and stay up wind of it. I also keep a cooler close by with a towel and some half melted ice, just in case I ever need to cool of a burn.

Most accidents are cause by being complacent, getting in a hurry or taking short cuts. If an accident does happen, being prepared usually lessens the severity. I beefed up my smelting stand because a member on here expressed concern after seeing some of my pictures. I used it for years with no problem and considered it overbuilt at the time. But, 15 minutes of work made it even more overbuilt!

[Three44s]

I have been using a Ohaus 505 scale since I started loading ..... and I retired it a couple of days ago after finding a RCBS 5-10 on the net.

My problem all these years is the tenth's weight adjuster drifting out of adjustment upon lifting the scale pan off the beam to either place or replace powder to it's next destination.

The 5-10 can't do that.

But it's got other issues ......... they are noted for having to be very level side to side or the pointer end of the beam will drag and give false readings .........

........... it's always something!

Shoot safe!

Three 44s

[Ballistics in Scotland]

Dime sized? I don't know that long pants would have been much protection, and with most fabrics you could have been left with melted fibres in the wound. At least melted lead is guaranteed sterile.

[Bzcraig]

I appreciate the post because we all need to be reminded from time to time accidents happen and most ARE avoidable.

[mongoose33]

I always wear leather gloves while casting. Well, almost always.

Got a little cocky--didn't put them on at the start of a casting session. Dropped some sprue cuts into the melt barehanded, and a splash came up and got my thumb. Nice little second-degree burn.

Thank you for the reminder.

[bangerjim]

"Common sense" can be learned and acquired over time.

"Wisdom" is something one is inherently is born with and generally cannot be learned.

banger

[Tatume]

Dime sized? I don't know that long pants would have been much protection, and with most fabrics you could have been left with melted fibres in the wound.

This is an excellent point, and one that is worth emphasizing. Do not wear synthetic fabrics while working with high temperature materials. The fabric can melt, it will then stick to your skin (amazingly tenaciously), and worsen the wound substantially. Cotton and leather are the materials of choice.

[44man]

This is an excellent point, and one that is worth emphasizing. Do not wear synthetic fabrics while working with high temperature materials. The fabric can melt, it will then stick to your skin (amazingly tenaciously), and worsen the wound substantially. Cotton and leather are the materials of choice.
Best warning ever.

[Blackwater]

Like 44man, I usually cast bare handed and in short sleeves, and often in shorts, simply because here on the SE Ga. coastal plain, it's HOT, and humid, and casting makes it even moreso. To say I'm cautious would be an understatement. I KNOW I'm vulnerable, and act accordingly, and though I've been "bit" by some tiny droplets of lead when I used to drop the sprues back into the mix, I've never been seriously burned EXCEPT when I was wearing long pants (jeans) and that was about a quarter sized area, and I'm not entirely sure the pants helped all that much. Had to keep a bandage on it for about a week, and still have a slight scar. As Forrest Gump said, "Stupid is as stupid does," and I really was tired that day, and shouldn't have been casting. Ain't it funny how that works?

And as lightman said, "Most accidents are cause by being complacent, getting in a hurry or taking short cuts. If an accident does happen, being prepared usually lessens the severity." This is absolutely true, and for you newbies to casting and loading, keep this post in mind. I know we're all hard pressed for time today, but seeking "shortcuts" and being in too big a hurrry WILL get you one day, FOR SURE, so when you're loading, DO try to slow down and use caution. Being in a hurry is just ONE of the many reasons I don't shoot ammo loaded by others, unless I've known them a long time and very well, and even then, I STILL got "burned" once shooting some loads I'd gotten from a friend who later died young. He was a great guy, but his .308 loads he gave me were hot enough to open primer pockets far enough the primers fell out. This was in my old '03 Spfld, and the action took it in stride and wasn't damaged in the least, but it sure shook me up. I pulled the bullets, dumped the powder in the garden and salvaged the brass. One was aplenty for me! Still miss my friend, though.

There IS plenty of room for us to hurt ourselves, and if we EVER lose sight of that, we're cruisin' for a bruisin', just about guaranteed. Attitude is a big thing for the young today, and it frankly scared the devil out'a me when it comes to reloading and casting. Just a FWIW?

[gray wolf]

Lesson for all of us and great comments.

Thank you for sharing.

[facetious]

If you don't have few little burn scars your not a real caster.

When I was in high school shop class one time a long long time ago the instructor was showing us how to use a cutting torch safely and had a hot glob go in his shoe.:popcorn: that was fun to watch.

[Ballistics in Scotland]

And as lightman said, "Most accidents are cause by being complacent, getting in a hurry or taking short cuts. If an accident does happen, being prepared usually lessens the severity." This is absolutely true, and for you newbies to casting and loading, keep this post in mind. I know we're all hard pressed for time today, but seeking "shortcuts" and being in too big a hurrry WILL get you one day, FOR SURE, so when you're loading, DO try to slow down and use caution. Being in a hurry is just ONE of the many reasons I don't shoot ammo loaded by others, unless I've known them a long time and very well, and even then, I STILL got "burned" once shooting some loads I'd gotten from a friend who later died young. He was a great guy, but his .308 loads he gave me were hot enough to open primer pockets far enough the primers fell out. This was in my old '03 Spfld, and the action took it in stride and wasn't damaged in the least, but it sure shook me up. I pulled the bullets, dumped the powder in the garden and salvaged the brass. One was aplenty for me! Still miss my friend, though.


Most accidents are caused by two or more factors, neither of which would have done it on its own. But you might have hit on an exception there. The rifle would probably be undamaged, and if it blew up you would probably be hurt very little or not at all. That isn't just double probably but probably². The worst could happen, and if it didn't there would still be nothing wrong with a normal .30-06 load. There are only a few people in the world whose reloads I would take on trust.

I do cast bare-handed, though. I feel sureness of grip is worth more to me than heavy gloves. Kevlar might be better than leather if I did want some. I cast on a low table though, with practically all of me on a higher level.

[Geezer in NH]

My Grandfather taught me a secret that relates to life in general. "Never cook bacon naked" It works. :bigsmyl2::kidding:

[Ihsarah]

I'm a pretty young guy and have only been doing this for a little over a year but I spent a few months reading this site and others before starting considering the dangers involved. I have had other jobs and hobbies though that have been similarly dangerous and can definitely attest to confidence sometimes being a bad thing. A close call or small injury can give you some of that much needed humility and caution.

[Jtarm]

Glad I read this.

I got away with casting in short sleeves my last session.

Hey it's summer in Texas.

[JWT]

Last casting session I took off my left welding glove to pick up a pencil to poke a small piece of lead out of the sprue hole. When done I pushed the sprue closed with my thumb. Hot metal doesn't look hot. Lesson learned.

[Blackwater]

JWT, I could only laugh a rather cynical laugh at your post. That's how I learned to NEVER touch a mold unless it's with a stick or something. I think some of are particularly vulnerable (I know I am) to certain types of mistakes. My vulnerability is stuff like you mention where my mind is on gitting-r-done, and I'll do something like that. Foucs is a good thing, but CAN be carried just a step TOO far! We live and learn ..... at least IF we pay attention.

[JWT]

The lessons that hurt are the ones that stick.

[303Guy]

I've been lucky (being careful helps) and will now use proper protective gear, including a face mask (before my luck runs out). Thanks for the warning!

[Patrick L]

Just a follow up. Things have scabbed over nicely. I'll likely have some scars to remind me not to do that again. The two burns on my left leg have pretty much turned into one, about 1 1/2 inches long, the one on my right calf is smaller, maybe 3/4 inch. Oh well, I was always good looking, now I'm rugged too ;)

[brassrat]

I had what looked like a surfers wave on my forehead from dipping a wet scoop back into 100 lbs of really hot lead. Now it's, thankfully, maybe 95% better and not too noticeable, at least with a slight tan.

[Ola]

My hand has healed completely, only little scars left. It was maybe luckiest day of my life.

Many years ago I dropped a ingot in the pot with my bare hands. Did not have face mask or anything. Not even classes. Just jeans and cotton shirt. Didn't notice the ingot was wet. Maybe a pound of lead flew out of the pot. That burn in my hand was the only one I got and when I was shaking the lead off I just stood there looking around amazed. I should have been covered with hot lead because there was lead everywhere.. f.e. the nearby wall in my right was covered with lead splashes up to 10 feets..