Very smelly heat treating experience.

[Gunslinger]

Yesterday I decided to oven heat treat some of the TC boolits I have that are too soft for 9mm!

I pre-heated the oven for 440 degrees and placed the pan containing the boolits in the middle of the oven. About 30 minutes later the whole place started smelling terribly!! The smell resembled ammonia. I totally paniced thinking that my being would soon come to an end if I didn't immediatly pull the plug. So I took out the pan and dumped the slugs in my water bucket, opened all the windows and fled the scene :!:

The oven was pretty clean so I'm sure it wasn't food residue of any kind. The pan's handle didn't suffer so I don't think it caused the smell... but what did??

As a food note I'd like to add that 30 minutes in the oven did increase the hardness some... as the loads doesn't lead the barrel nearly as much as the un-heat treated ones.

[theperfessor]

Was the pan handle a polymer/plastic of some kind? If it was it may have been "outgassing" some fillers/plasticizers from there. Thermosetting resins won't melt like thermoforming plastics do (they char), but they will deteriorate at elevated temperatures. The handle may not appear damaged but it probably is to some extent. It might, for example, crumble away at some future time.

I have no other explanation for your problem if handle not plastic.

[timbuck]

Hi,
Dont heat treat in an oven that you are using for food.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/

[Gunslinger]

The handle is made from polymer!! That must be it.

I just screwed off the handle so I'll give it another go one of the coming days. Thanks :)

[fredj338]

Hi,
Dont heat treat in an oven that you are using for food.
http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/lead/
Yeah, bad move using the kitchen overn for this. Go buy a cheap toaster oven & use it in the garage. Lead & the kitchen really have no place. Neither does anything plastic based in any oven.

[runfiverun]

gunslinger just waterdrop those boolits from the mold and see how they work for you you have a waiting period but it's sure a lot easier than the oven method.

[Texasflyboy]

There are several models of high end toaster ovens sold at stores specializing in servicing Asian or European customers that may be ideal for heat treating lead bullets. I've seen them from time to time shopping for food. They are not the Wal Mart variety "Made in China" $20 to $70 Toaster ovens, but more in the range of $150 to $250 and are of very high quality, made for professional counter top use. I examined one that was made in Germany that must have weighed 10lbs or so and was insulated, Chef Quality. The Temperature control was in both C and F, and the manual guaranteed temperatures to within 3 degrees F.

Although expensive, I've thought about taking the plunge with one of these high end units to see if bullet hardening is feasible vs. using the home oven and risking my mortality.

Just a thought....:coffee:

[fredj338]

There are several models of high end toaster ovens sold at stores specializing in servicing Asian or European customers that may be ideal for heat treating lead bullets. I've seen them from time to time shopping for food. They are not the Wal Mart variety "Made in China" $20 to $70 Toaster ovens, but more in the range of $150 to $250 and are of very high quality, made for professional counter top use. I examined one that was made in Germany that must have weighed 10lbs or so and was insulated, Chef Quality. The Temperature control was in both C and F, and the manual guaranteed temperatures to within 3 degrees F.

Although expensive, I've thought about taking the plunge with one of these high end units to see if bullet hardening is feasible vs. using the home oven and risking my mortality.

Just a thought....:coffee:

The cheaper TOs will work fine, you just can't rely on the heat setting. Easily remedied w/ an inexepnsive oven therm.

[Gunslinger]

Thing is I don't plan on heat treating in the future. From now on I'll water drop them... that's much easier! So the last 1000 or so boolits from this batch I'll load as is and live with the leading.

[Gohon]

Water dropping may be easier but there is no consistency. You may have as much as 4-5 BHN difference in a batch of bullets because of water temp change, time from mould to drop, and casting pot temperature. Even the height of mould drop will have a effect. Advantage of oven heat treating is consistency and being able to choose the BHN you desire. Least that's how I look at it.

[felix]

Yes, that's a good way. ... felix

[357maximum]

Water dropping may be easier but there is no consistency. You may have as much as 4-5 BHN difference in a batch of bullets because of water temp change, time from mould to drop, and casting pot temperature. Even the height of mould drop will have a effect. Advantage of oven heat treating is consistency and being able to choose the BHN you desire. Least that's how I look at it.

If you are not getting somewhat closely consistant waterdrop BHN, your casting technique may need a slight tweak. It is very likely your aircooled boolits will be different also.

I will not claim that my wd'ed boolits are "identical" in BHN, but they are good enough to shoot at/below/slightly above M.O.A @ 1,2,300 yards.....rythym it the key.

I waterdrop everything except my soft alloy/low pressure plinkers and my BP boolits...................it is just so much more convenient and it serves it purpose well in alot of alloy/applications............. if you can feel the rythym.

[Gohon]

If you are not getting somewhat closely consistant waterdrop BHN, your casting technique may need a slight tweak. It is very likely your aircooled boolits will be different also.

I think not............... the air around my air cooled bullets doesn't change as rapidly as the water temperature of a bucket of water having hot lead dropped into it. The distance from the bottom pour pot to the drop cloth is only 12 inches so rhythm is not in question. I have nothing against water dropping........... do it myself sometimes when friends want just so so bullets for plinking but when I want consistency for hunting where bullet performance on game is important, then oven heating is the only way to go. If I can't be assured just how a bullet will perform in a deer or hog, I might as well load jacketed store bought stuff. If you don't think there is a difference, cast 1,000 bullets and run a test on the first and last one that dropped into the bucket.

[357maximum]

[QUOTE=Gohon;614006]I think not QUOTE]



Something we all have a right to is an opinion. I have quite a few cast boolit racks on the wall that did not seem to mind my wd'ed boolits.

[DLCTEX]

I am bothered by the lead paranoia that seems to permeate our casting society. Yes, caution and safety is in order, but where is the danger in heating boolits in an oven used for food given the boolits are in a pan and are not heated to melting, let alone to the 900+ degree level needed to vaporize the lead? I would never use the pan for food use, but the possibility of cross contamination in the above perameters is nill. Just my dos centavos.

[rhead]

I am bothered by the lead paranoia that seems to permeate our casting society. Yes, caution and safety is in order, but where is the danger in heating boolits in an oven used for food given the boolits are in a pan and are not heated to melting, let alone to the 900+ degree level needed to vaporize the lead? I would never use the pan for food use, but the possibility of cross contamination in the above perameters is nill. Just my dos centavos.


+1
Does the nonexistent lead vapor lurk in the oven while it is cooling and then when food is placed in the oven and heated it will somehow sense its presence and attach itself (by some unknown to science) force?
It sounds more like some politician trying to scare enough people that they can grab even more power.