Storing ingots... Any danger indoors?

[taymag]

I actually don't plan on storing them indoors but was curious is I did, I have about 150lbs of WW ingots and was wondering if the actual lead itself has any danger if I am not touching it, etc. I assume there is no way for it to get airborne unless there were a little dust on it so are there any rules for actual storage and safety? I hear about people with mass amounts coating with a sprat but that seems unnecessary but is also why I decided to ask. No I don't have kids just to clear that up for the "indoors" part

[Mica_Hiebert]

No danger but if you want to be cautious you could put them in 5 gal buckets with lids, or big rube maid totes etc.

[tazman]

Simply storing lead ingots indoors is not a risk at all. Lead doesn't "dust" unless handled roughly or heated enough to oxidize.

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

the biggest worry, is if your floor will support the weight

[ranger1962]

I store mine in a metal tool box next to my shop. I use a truck tool box the kind that goes across the bed behind the cab. 1 of my boxes has a single lid the other one has 2 lids that open up to the back I don't like the ones with the lids that open to the ends.

[runfiverun]

I would rather store them inside, then they won't oxidize any where near as bad.

[dragon813gt]

I would rather store them inside, then they won't oxidize any where near as bad.

Bingo, I personally would never store them outside.

[lightman]

I store mine inside. About half of my stash in in the garage and the other half is in the shop. There should be no danger unless they are handled and all that is needed is to wash ones hands.

[Digger]

the biggest worry, is if your floor will support the weight

A big 10-4 on that ..... already have a cracked section in the man cave because of ..[smilie=b:

[baogongmeo]

The people that work in the factories that make bullets for the most part do not wear dust masks or respirators and they are indoors with many,many tons of lead that is being drawn,swaged,molded, etc. and how often do you hear of any problems?
Just store it where you won't stub your toe on it and you'll probably get by just fine.

[Scharfschuetze]

Mine are out in the garage. No worries.

[rancher1913]

I don't like to keep all my "eggs" in one basket so I have a stash in most every outbuilding around here, problems is finding said stash when I need it :groner:

[Shiloh]

the biggest worry, is if your floor will support the weight

What John B said. I have ingots in the basement. Most in the garage.

SHiloh

[frkelly74]

Once in a while someone posts on here about their stash that was left someplace and has disappeared. Things do get stolen once in while.

[bangerjim]

You have been reading too many liberal greenie enviro-nazi owl-hugger tree-kisser condor threads on the net!

Lead is harmless when stored inside. As long as you do not handle it right B4 you eat without washing your hands. The old wives tale of a canary on the 3rd floor dying from lead stored in the basement is bunk.

It is best when stored in a dry area. I store it in buckets Just watch the weight. The stuff IS heavy.

[GONRA]

GONRA sez - guys - GOTTA GET SERIOUS -
No Problem storing lead in yer basement / bedroom / etc.

[jimb16]

Do you store all your ammo outside??? Think about it. No, lead stored inside is only dangerous if shot or dropped on your foot!

[Pine Baron]

You have been reading too many liberal greenie enviro-nazi owl-hugger tree-kisser condor threads on the net!

Lead is harmless when stored inside. As long as you do not handle it right B4 you eat without washing your hands. The old wives tale of a canary on the 3rd floor dying from lead stored in the basement is bunk.

It is best when stored in a dry area. I store it in buckets Just watch the weight. The stuff IS heavy.


Banger, you left out conservo-commies![smilie=p:

[John Boy]

Taymag -You best get an education about the properties of lead ...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lead

[JWFilips]

More things in your house that will kill you. Lead ingots are very low on the list ( unless you let your toddlers go licking the bars)
There is so much more important things to fear then "Lead"!

[osteodoc08]

Dont lick it and dont stub your toe on it, otherwise your GTG

[Trapshooter]

The only problem with storing lead in the basement arises when you move, and have to carry it all up the stairs at the old place, and down the stairs at the new place. :-) I moved half a ton of birdshot, a bunch of finished bullets, and numerous ingots a couple years ago. The day I finished, I was sure happy I didn't have a lot more to do.


Trapshooter

[mdi]

Awww, c'mon! Is this question serious? Lead is way, way less dangerous than some of the chemicals stored under the kitchen sink. And way safer then most of the "normal" stuff stored in the garage. No offence to the OP (as left wing, tree hugggers' can often convince many, even governments that something benign is a danger to the children or a buzzard), but where do these kind of thoughts come from? In my entire life only one person that I knew of or heard of, ever, had any health concerns due to lead, and that was probably not the entire reason. I knew a man who worked in a battery manufacturing shop for nearly 35 years (for a large city utility that manufactured lead acid storage batteries for power transmission sites and repeater stations), and was loosing his sight. Some said it was the lead he handled and was around daily and some said it was the acid/acid fumes. Personally, I think it was the acid...

No, lead in the house is not a health hazard, unless like the previous posters say; don't stub your toe on an ingot and don't pile it high enough to fall through the floor.

Reread bangerjim's post, #15

[williamwaco]

A different warning.

If you cast in cold weather, and store you ingots outside in the cold then bring them inside to cast, they will cause moisture to condense on the surface and you will get a nasty surprise when you drop one into the pot.

[6622729]

A different warning.

If you cast in cold weather, and store you ingots outside in the cold then bring them inside to cast, they will cause moisture to condense on the surface and you will get a nasty surprise when you drop one into the pot.

Personally I can't imagine storing lead outside.

[fredj338]

Maybe it's just me but I don't get all this hysteria about lead. It's inert in solid form, it's not going to offgass & kill or contaminate you. I wouldn't suck on a lead ingot or let my kids but just sitting there, it's just a soft rock. As noted, cleaning stuff in your home is more dangerous to everyone.

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Well, most of it anyway.

It is in my shop and will change temp with the prevailing conditions.

My casting is done in this shop, so there is no issue with cool ingots being brought in doors which is generally a pretty poor place to be casting UNLESS care is taken to provide good ventilation.

Then there are thousands of the little ones shown in the other two images in the house. NO PROBLEM!!!!!!

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

170170170171170172

[skeettx]

Like this

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MVC-055S1.JPG

or this

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MVC-049S.JPG

[DerekP Houston]

a galena treasure chest!

[kmw1954]

skeettx, all I can say about those pictures you posted is OUCH! How much do you figure is in there?

[luvtn]

Yeah I would be careful about piling it high enough to fall over and hit a person in the head or toe. Otherwise it is inert.
Luvtn

[mold maker]

More things in your house that will kill you. Lead ingots are very low on the list ( unless you let your toddlers go licking the bars)
There is so much more important things to fear then "Lead"!

Isn't it amazing how much misinformation is spread by the left wingers about something they have very little or no knowledge?
They shout so long and loud that innocent folks take it as truth. Especially if it fits into someones agenda.
Don't tell anybody, but aluminum is a supposed cause of Alzheimers, and silicon implants make breast swell.

[mdi]

Yep, crazy. I read how lead wheel weights came to being banned in the state of CA (I lived there for 58 years). It seems that lead wheel weights will fly off wheels and land on the pavement (evil little buggers) where passing vehicles run over them and grind them up. Then along comes the rain and washes the powdered lead down into the ground to the water table. Then this water is pumped up and into the homes across the state and children are poisoned. So being diligent in the protection of it's citizens CA legislators banned lead wheel weights...

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

mdi,

Yep, some very stupid, but HIGHLY PAID people in Califunnyia!

My youngest son manages one of the Discount Tire stores (called America's Tire Company in Southern Califunnyia) and had to put up with that nonsense as of January 1st 2 or 3 years ago.

All open boxes of WW were sent to the recyclers, and new/un-opened boxes were collected to be shipped to company stores out of that state. [smilie=b:

Crusty Deary Ol'Coot

[tmc-okc]

Gentlemen, I am extremely surprised at everyone of you. Don't any you understand that storing your lead ingots in your reloading / casting area is just asking for trouble?

Trouble with the little woman and the young'ns when you ignore them to cast those little projectiles.
Trouble in trying to explain to the little woman why you need to deplete the family budget by $ 235 for a new casting furnace.
Trouble in explaining to her as to why you would rather stay home and cast boolits than go to your mother-in laws house for dinner and gossip.
Trouble in finding the time to cast all that lead into small projectiles.
Trouble in finding just the right mixture of alloys for that firearm and that boolit.
Trouble with finding just the right temp for this boolit and then that boolit.

And then you have the trouble with all those other rifles and handguns calling to you -- me next, me next, shoot me.
Trouble in finding time to propel those small projectiles down range

Those piles of ingots just sit there in the corner calling to you - cast me, cast me.. Leaving you in a mixed state of turmoil as to which mould you will use next - ahhh, all the agony and trouble of choosing.

Trouble with finding the time to teach others how to cast.
Trouble with finding the space to store all ingots you have cast.
Then finding the right container in which to store all those small cast boolits.

Trouble with finding the time to smelt all that accumulated lead into ingots.
Oh my how I find so many that don't understand the real perils of lead accumulation..

You are just asking for trouble by storing all that lead in the reloading / casting area..

Ron H

[Crusty Deary Ol'Coot]

Funny Ron!

CDOC

[marlinman93]

You've got more to worry about when handling lead than ever worry about with storage. Even melting lead doesn't create as much concern as handling the lead. Never eat or drink when handling lead for casting, or reloading. Washing your hands after handling lead and before eating, will eliminate all chances of ingestion.
I store mine in an old job box that holds about 400 lbs. of ingots.

[DerekP Houston]

Ron H, you are so right it hurts. Thanks for the laugh guys. I'm on board with washing hands after handling everytime, but I don't bother with the hazmat type storage. The bulk of mine is still in the garage as that was the closest place to unload out of the car. A few hundred lbs made it back to the smelting area for easy grabbing instead of schlepping back to the garage each time I need more lead. I would wager smoking has the highest risk for contamination, as its a constant back and forth to your mouth.

[skeettx]

WELL, I have converting ALOT of it into shot
I use 25 pounds every two weeks

http://www.hunt101.com/data/500/medium/MVC-048S.JPG

[mold maker]

I wonder where they think lead comes from. Is it like getting your stake from the grocery instead of killing an animal?

[BAGTIC]

Better make it steel or wood containers. Long time storage of bullets, wheel weights, shot, etc. in plastic containers can result in splitting of the containers due to creep.

[BAGTIC]

From personal experience exposure to rain water will assuredly result in corrosion. I left the window to my reloading room open once and it rained that night and wind blown rain entered through the screening. About 30 pounds of bullets soon came down with a case of white dandruff. Rain water is naturally acidic.

[Geezer in NH]

Banger, you left out conservo-commies![smilie=p:
Water melons, green on the outside red on the inside

[fredj338]

Yep, crazy. I read how lead wheel weights came to being banned in the state of CA (I lived there for 58 years). It seems that lead wheel weights will fly off wheels and land on the pavement (evil little buggers) where passing vehicles run over them and grind them up. Then along comes the rain and washes the powdered lead down into the ground to the water table. Then this water is pumped up and into the homes across the state and children are poisoned. So being diligent in the protection of it's citizens CA legislators banned lead wheel weights...
Yet the real issue is old lead plumbing in many city water systems around the country. Water running thur lead piping for miles before it get's to your house. A few ww ground up & the water filtering thru 100s of feet of rock isn't really a contamination issue.
Not unlike the lead bullet scare here over the stupid condor. Anyone that understands hunting knows that most lead core bullets pass completely thru the target. The only thing that is often left behind is a gut pile with no bullet in it. So just how does that stupid bird actually ingest the lead? More than likely from other source completely unrelated to shooting or hunting. Liberal, as dumb as the birds they try to protect.
BTW, large windmills out here probably kill more Condors than all lead contaminates.:groner:

[BigMagShooter]

my biggest worry is stubbing my toe on them....

[RP]

Well I can tell you what not to do with those ingots, I place a plastic liner in the old goldfish pond and glued it down around the edges. Well I need something heavy to hold it down until the glue dried so I placed them all around the pond and well left them for too long. After a few rain showers and weather all the goldfish went belly up. But I store my ingots in the shop.